Cherokee Rose Buds

The August 2, 1854 issue of "Cherokee Rose Buds," the newspaper of the Cherokee National Female Seminary, published the following letter written by a student, Na-Li, who was one of only two full-bloods enrolled in the school. The letter was written in Cherokee and sends a wonderful message to youth regarding the availability of an education. It has been translated by Anna Huckaby, Language Training Coordinator of the Cherokee Nation's Cultural Resource Center:

"The women of the Cherokee Nation are being written to. Long, long ago, mixed bloods and rich people were the only ones that used these schools. This is what we heard. These people were wrong. To the few families I have mentioned above: My parents were Indians. Not rich, not poor, just everyday Cherokee. But, they loved their children in a way these other people can't feel. They have not learned from books. They don't know how to use the right wording. I am alone; my parents are already gone. When I was a child, my mother had a hard cough for a long time and she passed away. A kind teacher took me and cared for me. Children do not think like adults, but she taught me. Because of her, I was able to get into this big school. But, in my opinion, anybody could make it into this school if they set their minds to it." Na-Li