Modernity through letter writing : Cherokee and Seneca political representations in response to removal, 1830-1857

In Modernity through Letter Writing Claudia B. Haake shows how the Cherokees and Senecas envisioned their political modernity in missives they sent to members of the federal government to negotiate their status. They not only used their letters, petitions, and memoranda to reject incorporation into the United States and to express their continuing adherence to their own laws and customs but also to mark areas where they were willing to compromise. As they found themselves increasingly unable to secure opportunities for face-to-face meetings with representatives of the federal government, Cherokees and Senecas relied more heavily on letter writing to conduct diplomatic relations with the U.S. government. The amount of time and energy they expended on the missives demonstrates that authors from both tribes considered letters, memoranda, and petitions to be a crucial political strategy. Instead of merely observing Western written conventions, the Cherokees and Senecas incorporated oral writing and consciously insisted on elements of their own culture they wanted to preserve, seeking to convey to the government a vision of their continued political separateness as well as of their own modernity. In Modernity through Letter Writing Claudia B. Haake showshow the Cherokees and Senecas envisioned their political modernityin missives they sent to members of the federal government tonegotiate their status. They not only used their letters,petitions, and memoranda to reject incorporation into the UnitedStates and to express their continuing adherence to their own lawsand customs but also to mark areas where they were willing tocompromise. As they found themselves increasingly unable to secureopportunities for face-to-face meetings with representatives of thefederal government, Cherokees and Senecas relied more heavily onletter writing to conduct diplomatic relations with the U.S.government. The amount of time and energy they expended on themissives demonstrates that authors from both tribes consideredletters, memoranda, and petitions to be a crucial politicalstrategy. Instead of merely observing Western written conventions,the Cherokees and Senecas incorporated oral writing and consciouslyinsisted on elements of their own culture they wanted to preserve,seeking to convey to the government a vision of their continuedpolitical separateness as well as of their own modernity "Modernity through Letter Writing examines the discursive practices between both Native and non-Native writers during the Era of Removal. In this process of written diplomacy, protest, and petitioning, Native writers developed strategies for negotiating the policies of Indian Removal and advocating for their own indigenous nations"-- Provided by publisher Cover Title Page Copyright Page Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Civilization and the Removal Policy 2. Authorship and Writing Practices 3. Ideas of Law in a New Age of Letter-Writing Diplomacy 4. Indian Tradition and Diplomatic Custom 5. The Bonds between People, Land, and Culture Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index Modernity through Letter Writing examines the discursive practices between Native and non-Native writers during the removal era. In this process of written diplomacy, protest, and petitioning, Native writers developed strategies for negotiating the policies of Indian Removal and advocating for their own indigenous nations.