Cherokee Symbolism From the beginning of America and its government, it is government policy that the Indian tribes should be subjected to a process of 'civilization'. The word civilization can be a very general term. For a long time the Cherokee Indians had a very long peaceful relationship with English settlers. King George III issued a proclamation prohibition settling west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Many settlers ignored the proclamation, leading to the Cherokees siding with the British during the Revolutionary War. The Cherokee efforts had very little effect on the war. The tribes led attacks on the Carolinas, Georgia, and Virginia. A counter-operation was led by a southern detachment of the Continental Army. General Charles Lee led the operation known as the Cherokee Campaign of 1776. The Cherokee Campaign left nearly fifty Cherokee villages destroyed and thousands of survivors without homes or access to food and water. As reparations, the tribes gave up a great amount of land, including some of their oldest settlements. After the peace settlements with the Americans, the Cherokee tribe was able to maintain a degree of cultural and political independence. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington treated the Cherokees as a strict military enemy. He ordered one of his Captains to "bring a Company or two of Cherokee Indians" during the attacks so they could serve as scouts and hostages so they could “secure the good behavior of their Nation." After the war, Washington was no longer hostile toward the Cherokees. During the early years of his presidency, Washington stated “. . . that the government of the United States are determined that their Administration of Indian Affairs shall be directed entirely by the great principles of justice and humanity." This policy resulted in the Treaty of Holston in 1791. This peace treaty between the Cherokee nation and the United States of America outlined certain boundaries and gave the tribe the right to enforce the boundaries and to punish trespassers. The treaty also placed the Cherokee under protection of the United States and letting the U.S. government control the tribe’s trade and foreign relations. The treaty, in general, showed President Washington’s desire to keep peace with the Cherokee tribe, as well as, keep American interest. In August of 1796, President Washington selects the Cherokee Indians for a pilot scheme on integration. His approach to the tribe was called “Talk to the Cherokee Nation.” One of the speeches Washington gave was this one:
“Beloved Cherokees,