Cherokee Newspapers, 1828-1906...

Cherokee Newspapers, 1828-1906: Tribal Voice of a People in Transition
by Cullen Joe Holland. Cherokee Heritage Press. 2012

This book is an excellent resource for an early study in American Indian newspaper and journalism. Cherokee leaders had already appropriated the money to establish a national weekly newspaper in 1825 to provide a voice for their people throughout the United States. The research in the book is based on a dissertation by the author, edited by James P. Pate.

Much planning and hard work evolved to make the newspaper a reality and this book explains how the transformation took place. The history of the newspapers, The Cherokee Phoenix and The Cherokee Advocate is explained. Through the means of having a newspaper, every part of the culture was impacted and those events are highlighted. This was the birth of American Indian journalism. The first printing of the newspaper appeared on Feb. 21, 1828 at New Echota, near present day Calhoun, Georgia.

Book review by Donovin Sprague.