Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence this month, and communities across the U.S. are planning celebrations. This historic milestone has me reflecting on the ancestors who came before me and helped build this nation, while also contemplating the future of the generations who will inherit it.<div class="meter notification wall alert alert-dismissable alert-warning hidden-print" data-message="blox noscript"> <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="alert" aria-hidden="true">&times;</button> <h4 class="clearfix meter-heading media-heading row"> This page requires Javascript. </h4> <p>Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. <strong>Please enable it in your browser settings.</strong></p> </div>kAm|J 2?46DECJ CF?D 566A :? p>6C:42] |J r96C@<66 2?46DE@CD H6C6 96C6 46?EFC:6D 367@C6 tFC@A62? D6EE=6CD 2CC:G65] |@DE @7 >J t?8=:D9 2?5 tFC@A62? 2?46DE@CD 3682? 2CC:G:?8 :? E96 =2E6 `d__D 2?5 62C=J `e__D] {:<6 D@ >2?J p>6C:42?D[ x 42? ECF=J D2J >J 2?46DE@CD 96=A65 3F:=5 E9:D 4@F?ECJ]k^AmkAmpD 2 4:E:K6? @7 E96 r96C@<66 }2E:@?[ x @7E6? E9:?< 23@FE >J 8C62E\8C62E\8C2?5>@E96C[ uC2?4:D “u2??:6” %:>36C=2<6 q62?] $96 H2D @?=J `f J62CD @=5 — ;FDE EH@ J62CD @=56C E92? >J 8C2?5D@?D 2C6 E@52J — H96? D96 H2=<65 E96 %C2:= @7 %62CD H:E9 96C A2C6?ED 2?5 D:3=:?8D] %9C66 @7 96C D:3=:?8D 2C6 3FC:65 2=@?8 E92E EC28:4 C@FE6]k^Am kAmx7 u2??:6 4@F=5 D:E 5@H? H:E9 >J 8C2?5D@?D E@52J[ H92E H@F=5 D96 E9:?< @7 p>6C:42n x 36=:6G6 D96 H@F=5 36 AC@F5 @7 96C 72>:=J’D DFCG:G2=[ 244@>A=:D9>6?ED 2?5 4@?EC:3FE:@?D E@ E9:D ?2E:@?] x 36=:6G6 >J t?8=:D9 2?5 tFC@A62? 2?46DE@CD H@F=5 766= E96 D2>6 AC:56[ <?@H:?8 E96 G2=F6D @7 72:E9[ 92C5 H@C<[ A6CD@?2= C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 2?5 D6CG:46 E96J A2DD65 5@H? 4@?E:?F6 E@ =:G6 @? :? E96:C 56D46?52?ED]k^AmkAm|2?J }2E:G6 p>6C:42? EC:36D 6>3C246 E96 $6G6? v6?6C2E:@? !C:?4:A=6 — E96 36=:67 E92E H96? >2<:?8 @FC 564:D:@?D E@52J[ H6 D9@F=5 4@?D:56C E96:C :>A24E @? E96 D6G6?E9 86?6C2E:@? E@ 4@>6] (6 2C6 42==65 E@ E9:?< 36J@?5 @FCD6=G6D 2?5 @FC :>>65:2E6 ?665D[ 2?5 :?DE625 24E 2D 42C6E2<6CD @7 E96 7FEFC6] %92E AC:?4:A=6 C6D@?2E6D 566A=J H:E9 >6] x? >J @H? 72>:=J[ >J 8C2?5D@?D C6AC6D6?E E96 D6G6?E9 86?6C2E:@? 7C@> @FC 2?46DE@CD’ 7@C465 ;@FC?6J E@ ~<=29@>2]k^Am kAm|J 2?46DE@CD[ 3@E9 }2E:G6 p>6C:42? 2?5 tFC@A62?[ D6CG65 :? E96 >:=:E2CJj 72C>65 E96 =2?5j 3F:=E C2:=C@25D[ 3C:586D 2?5 D<JD4C2A6CDj E2F89E :? AF3=:4 D49@@=D 2?5 F?:G6CD:E:6Dj AC624965 7C@> AF=A:EDj C2:D65 72>:=:6D[ 2?5 :?G6DE65 :? E96:C 4@>>F?:E:6D] %96J 6?5FC65 H2CD[ 64@?@>:4 92C5D9:AD[ 5:DA=246>6?E 2?5 F?46CE2:?EJ[ J6E E96J 4@?E:?F65 3F:=5:?8 2 36EE6C 7FEFC6 7@C E9@D6 H9@ H@F=5 4@>6 27E6C E96>]k^AmkAmpD p>6C:42 >2C<D ad_ J62CD D:?46 E96 D:8?:?8 @7 E96 s64=2C2E:@? @7 x?56A6?56?46[ A6C92AD E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E BF6DE:@? :D ?@E H92E @FC 2?46DE@CD 82G6 FD[ 3FE H92E H6 2C6 =62G:?8 369:?5] pC6 H6 DEC6?8E96?:?8 @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D @C 5:G:5:?8 E96>n pC6 H6 AC@E64E:?8 @FC 7C665@>D H9:=6 9@?@C:?8 @FC C6DA@?D:3:=:E:6Dn pC6 H6 :?G6DE:?8 :? @FC 49:=5C6?[ @FC D49@@=D[ @FC :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2?5 @FC 56>@4C24Jn pC6 H6 AC6D6CG:?8 E96 @AA@CEF?:E:6D E92E AC6G:@FD 86?6C2E:@?D H@C<65 D@ 92C5 E@ 4C62E6nk^AmkAmtG6CJ 86?6C2E:@? :?96C:ED 2? F?7:?:D965 p>6C:42] }@?6 @7 FD C646:G6D 2 A6C764E ?2E:@?[ 2?5 ?@?6 @7 FD H:== =62G6 @?6] %96 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ @7 4:E:K6?D9:A :D E@ =62G6 :E DEC@?86C[ 7C66C 2?5 >@C6 F?:E65 E92? H6 7@F?5 :E] %96 p>6C:42 @FC 2?46DE@CD 6?ECFDE65 E@ FD :D ?@E @FCD E@ <66Aj :E :D @FCD E@ :>AC@G6 2?5 A2DD 7@CH2C5]k^AmkAm%9:D u@FCE9 @7 yF=J[ 2D H6 82E96C 7@C A2C256D[ 324<J2C5 4@@<@FED 2?5 7:C6H@C<D[ E2<6 2 >@>6?E E@ =@@< 2E E96 49:=5C6? 2C@F?5 J@F] {@@< 2E E96 7246D @7 E96 86?6C2E:@?D H9@ H:== 42CCJ p>6C:42 :?E@ :ED ?6IE ad_ J62CD] %96? 2D< J@FCD6=7 2 D:>A=6 3FE A@H6C7F= BF6DE:@?i p> x 36:?8 2 8@@5 2?46DE@Cnk^Am Cheryl Leeds is a Cherokee Nation citizen, family historian, and community volunteer who lives in Tahlequah. Tags United States Generation Ancestor Native Americans In The United States United States Declaration Of Independence Cherokee Citizenship Indigenous Peoples Of North America Cnhiopinions Trending Video Recommended for you