The Georgia Indian Removal Issue: A DAR Recognition

1 day ago by Doug Dillon 76 0 0

A Time of Remembrance

On a cold, wet and windy day, 93+ people gathered to shine a spotlight on the Georgia Indian Removal. It was in November, shortly before the U.S. Presidential Election of 2024. And for just a while, this crowd was able to leave the rancor of that event behind in order to pay tribute to Native Americans of the region who were so horribly wronged long ago.

DAR members in attendance — Representatives of the Daughters of the American Revolution

Sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), those participants shivered on a mountain top in northern Georgia under fog shrouded trees. As a result, they recalled what it must have been like for those indigenous people back in the winter of 1838. Those were the days of the Georgia Indian Removal. That sad event was part of a regional 1830s “Ethnic Cleansing” in the southeastern United States known as the “Trail of Tears.”

The forced removal of Native Americans from the southeastern states — The Trail of Tears

During that larger, unspeakable action, US soldiers and state militias ripped 60,000 people, or more, from their homes, men and women of all ages, as well as children. In excess of 13,000 died during their inhumane march to exile in Oklahoma.

8 foot by 5 foot, 5,000 lb. monument to the Georgia Indian Removal — Steve Stone’s marble monument to the Trail of Tears

Etched in Stone

The focal point for this DAR remembrance was an 8 by 5 foot, 5,000 pound marble monument to the “Trail of Tears.” Created by local sculptor from Marble Hill, Georgia, Steve Stone, it was truly a spiritual creation in a way. Steve’s many times great grandmother known as “Little Flower”, was one of the unwilling participants who survived that forced migration, the Georgia Indian Removal. For a more complete story about this sculptor’s life and work, see the first link at the end of this article.

Steve Stone speaking to the assembled group. — Sculptor, Steve Stone

Steve completed the sculpture in 2020 as a personal project and then worked diligently to have it set in a place of honor. Eventually, he was able to have it installed on Mt. Oglethorpe at Eagle’s Rest Park, Jasper, Georgia . Unfortunately, his hopes for a commemoration of the Georgia Indian Removal were dashed by the COVID epidemic. It wasn’t until the DAR got involved that this finally happened in 2024.

What a Difference the Years Make

The DAR sponsors of this event were joined by members of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and the Children of the American Revolution (CAR). And in an ironic twist, SAR Revolutionary War reenactors fired a musket salute to those Native Americans who were so savagely uprooted by members of the United States Army during the Georgia Indian Removal.

SAR commemorating the Trail of Tears — Reenactors from the Sons of the American Revolution firing their salute to the
Georgia Indian Removal victims.

An Idea Comes to Fruition

Libby Lively, Georgia Sequoyah DAR Chapter — Libby Lively, foreground, white shoes

Dale Yount and Suzanne Hartman, part of the DAR team that made this commemoration happen. — Front: Dale Yount
Rear: Suzanne Hartman, local Sequoyah Chapter Regent

As often happens when such meaningful events as this DAR recognition takes place, its local origins are traced back to two members, Dale Yount and Libby Lively. Dale, who knew the sculptor, Steve Stone, and was aware of his monument, came up with the idea. She then enlisted the help of the Historical Preservation Committee Chair for her local Sequoyah Chapter of the Georgia DAR, Libby.

After that, these two dedicated, industrious ladies did the research and wrote the proposal needed to get the full DAR support necessary in making this mountain top commemoration of the Georgia Indian Removal possible.

A Steve Stone bench with its DAR commemorative plaque. — One of the two benches created by Steve Stone with its DAR plaque.

As a result of all those efforts, the DAR involvement included having Steve Stone create two marble benches at the monument site. In this way, people would be able to sit and reflect on the Geogia Indian Removal. And so, to each bench, the DAR added the inscribed metal plaque pictured below. This recognition and commemoration was a long time coming, but it finally arrived.