[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 93 (Friday, June 29, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE CHIEFTAIN'S MUSEUM, ROME, GEORGIA

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                             HON. BOB BARR

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 28, 2001

  Mr. BARR of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it has been written that ``Cherokee 
tradition held that anywhere three rivers met was holy, and Head of 
Coosa is just that.'' The Oostanaula, Etowah and Coosa Rivers meet in 
the center of Rome, Georgia, which is noted as one of the top small 
cities in the country.
  A leader in the Cherokee Nation, Chief Ridge chose to settle in the 
1800's with his bride, Susanna, on the banks of the Oostanaula, near 
the point where the three rivers meet. The home was called ``the 
Chieftain.'' Chief Ridge, who had been given the title ``Major'' by 
Andrew Jackson, agreed to sign the Treaty of New Echota in 1835 and 
left his home in Rome a year before ``The Trail of Tears.'' The 
Cherokee killed Major Ridge and his son for signing the treaty.
  After Major Ridge left his home, ``the Chieftain,'' was passed 
through a number of hands, and eventually was donated to the Junior 
League of Rome. The Museum remains open to the public because of the 
Chieftains Museum Association, a non-profit organization. Members of 
the organization continue to search for pieces of history with regard 
to ``the Chieftain'' and the Cherokee people.
  The museum, built by Monrovian and Cherokee craftsmen, is impressive. 
A large collection of books on Major Ridge and the Cherokee Nation in 
Georgia are available at the museum. The period furniture and many 
artifacts, some found on the site as a result of archeological digs, 
make the museum a favorite place for school groups and those interested 
in the history of the Cherokee Nation.
  The Cherokee called their home in North Georgia ``the Enchanted 
Land.'' More than twenty distinct groups of Cherokee Indians headed 
west along three separate routes. Today the general term ``The Trail of 
Tears'' is applied to all three routes; however, to the Cherokee, only 
the northern land route was called ``The Trail Where They Cried.'' The 
Junior League and the Chieftains Museum Association of Rome, Georgia 
are working diligently to make certain that we not forget the true 
``Native Americans,'' and ensuring our children are aware of the 
culture of the people who were forced to sacrifice their ``Enchanted 
Land.''

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