The Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy is a 2006 documentary by Rich-Heape Films. It presents the history of the forcible removal and relocation of Cherokee people from southeastern states of the United States to territories west of the Mississippi River, particularly to the Indian Territory in the future Oklahoma.
Historical context
This removal in the 1830s has been popularly referred to as the "Trail of Tears." It followed the Indian Removal Act of 1830. This action was part of a larger United States policy of Indian removal.
Appearances
Actor Wes Studi as on-camera presenter James Earl Jones narrated the film. Other celebrities providing voices for the film include James Garner, Crystal Gayle, and Wilma Mankiller. Native American and other history professors make on-camera narrative observations. The film includes speech in the Cherokee language.
Details MPAA rating: none Running time: 115 minutes
Awards received 2007 Silver World Medal for History, New York Film Festival 2008 Best Documentary, American Indian Film Festival
See also Cherokee Five Civilized Tribes Indian removal Andrew Jackson Trail of Tears
External links Allmovie.com site for film
PBS article on Indian removal