Jack Baker to Speak to CCHHS (03/10/09)
03/10/09

Media Release

March 10, 2009

For More Information—Melissa Woody, 423-472-6587, or Faye Callaway, 423-336-5694

National Trail of Tears Association President To Speak at CCH Historical Society Meeting

Jack Baker, president of the National Trail of Tears Association, will be the special guest speaker for The Charleston-Calhoun-Hiwassee Historical Society monthly meeting set for Sunday, April 19 at 2 p.m. on the historic site grounds of Rattlesnake Springs.   The public is invited to this free event. Lawn chairs and carpooling are recommended. Parking is limited and attendants will assist with parking.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, Rattlesnake Springs is located off Dry Valley Road on a privately-owned of John Moore.  The farmland has been in the Moore family since 1850. Rattlesnake Springs served as one of the Cherokee encampments within Fort Cass and is the most famous and recognizable name associated with this area.  Fort Cass was a collection of many encampments covering a 12 x 4 mile area which included present-day Charleston and stretched toward Cleveland.  It was one of three federal emigration depots where Native Americans, mostly Cherokee, were assembled and held under supervision of federal troops.

“This is the first time the public has been invited to be on the grounds of Rattlesnake Springs and we appreciate Mr. Moore’s willingness to share this historic site with our historical society and anyone interested in the history of our community,” said Faye Callaway, president of the Charleston-Calhoun-Hiwassee Historical Society.  “And we are so honored to have a lifelong researcher and historian like Jack Baker to accept our invitation to speak at our meeting.  We feel very fortunate for his interest to be with us at this important place.”

Jack Baker is one of 17 members of the Tribal Council of the Cherokee Nation and serves as chairman of the Executive and Finance Committee.  The Tribal Council legislates the various acts that govern the Cherokee Nation.  Baker was born on his grandfather’s Cherokee Allotment at Chewey in Adair County, Oklahoma. 

In his distinguished position as national president of the Trail of Tears Association, Baker works with the National Park Service, various state parks, The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land and many publicly and privately owned sites historically connected to the Trail of Tears.  These relationships are important to his effort to protect the sites and provide interpretation for visitors.

Baker is the treasurer of the Cherokee National Historical Society, Inc, a board member of the Oklahoma Historical Society and president for more than 25 years of the Goingsnake District Heritage Association, preserving the Goingsnake District of the Cherokee Nation.  He has conducted extensive Cherokee research for more than 40 years and has authored various articles, edited various books and written forewords for several scholarly books on Cherokees. He has served as an advisor and assisted with various documentaries on Cherokee history. In March 2007, Baker was awarded the Principal Chief’s Leadership Award for his work to preserve Cherokee history and his contributions to the Cherokee Nation.

“Our community in the process of educating ourselves about our history, so that we can share our Cherokee story with others,” Callaway said. “Having Mr. Baker here to share his vast knowledge of Cherokee history with us furthers our cause and we are grateful to him.”

Other Cherokee events on the calendar surrounding the broadcast of the “We Shall Remain” series include

• Broadcast of PBS Documentary Series “We Shall Remain,” airing for five consecutive Monday evenings beginning April 13 on WTCI.  The third film in the series, “Trail of Tears,” will air April 27 and includes scenes shot at Red Clay State Historic Park.

• April 23—Special Lecture “The Trail of Tears and Beyond” presented by Dr. Dudley Gardner, historian and archaeologist at Western Wyoming College. Lee University and Cleveland State Community College are hosting this event which will be held at 7 p.m. in the Johnson Lecture Hall in Lee University’s Humanities Building on Parker Street. Thanks to Dr. Murl Dirksen and Bryan Reed for coordinating this event. The lecture is free and open to the public.