Pushing the Bear: A Novel of the Trail of Tears

“They couldn’t remove us. Didn’t the soldiers know we were the land? […] In our story of corn, a woman named Selu had been murdered by her son. Where her blood fell, the corn grew.”

In this passage, Maritole references a traditional Cherokee myth that introduces the corn motif. With the story of Selu, the novel immediately relates the origin story of the Cherokee people’s way of life. Maritole’s questioning of the soldiers also illustrates the Cherokee dedication to maintaining a balance with their environment.

“I wanted to ask Knobowtee what stockade we were going to, but I knew he would not want his wife talking.”

Here, Maritole subtly introduces the tension between her and Knobowtee as their current situation highlights their interpersonal issues and causes additional turmoil in their marriage. Her resigned tone implies that she does not want to upset Knobowtee, but the scene also foreshadows the eventual feelings of abandonment she will have towards her husband.

“I see a man die. But he’s not gone. We knew it before we had ministers. We go on living. Not here, but in the next world.”

The Widow Teehee’s perspective introduces the Cherokee belief in an afterlife as well as their belief in the continued presence of ancestors to help guide them. Her claim that they knew this “before [they] had ministers” implies that this spiritual knowledge exists deep within the Cherokee people, and this allows them to maintain such a deep connection to those who have passed away. The passage also implies the superfluity of the Christian religion, for the Cherokee people already have a fully formed belief system.

“Many had been loaded on flatboats at Chattanooga and traveled down the Tennessee River, to the Ohio, to the Mississippi, and up the Arkansas on their way to Indian Territory. But a drought had lowered the rivers, and the people had to walk or take baggage cars on trains in the heat.”

Knobowtee’s perspective, especially early in the novel, provides necessary exposition that outlines the reasons for the intense physical hardships of the route that would become known as the Trail of Tears. This background information provides clear and direct commentary on the events leading up to the characters’ removal from North Carolina, while also illustrating how Knobowtee reflects on this information when he later serves on the council for his people.

“In the midst of much anxiety and urgent haste in the preparations for removal, it is a matter for sincere gratitude that the gospel is making advances altogether unprecedented in the Christian history of the Cherokees.”

Reverend Evan Jones’s perspective, which is derived from a real historical figure of the same name, illustrates a genuine hope that the Cherokee people will convert to Christianity, and he believes the Trail of Tears will provide a space for this conversion. By utilizing his perspective in conjunction with that of Reverend Bushyhead, Glancy uses this passage to create a nuanced view of the dichotomy between Christian and Cherokee belief systems.

“Maybe the animal stories were true, that someday men would suffer the cruelty we had done to them.”

Knobowtee’s attempt to reconcile with their forced resettlement illustrates just how much the people struggle to understand why they are being forced to leave their land. This issue reflects The Clash Between Indigenous Culture and Governmental Policies. With such a deep connection to the Earth, characters such as Knobowtee believe that they are being punished for their treatment of the natural world.

“In the Cherokee way, an uncle’s responsibility was the same as the father’s.”

When Maritole worries for her daughter’s spirit, her concern illustrates the details of Cherokee culture and family dynamics, including the roles of extended family members. By prioritizing family relationships and connections with the community, the Cherokee people are dedicated to fulfilling their various roles, especially when it comes to raising children. Glancy’s decision to incorporate these details adds a sense of verisimilitude to the novel while simultaneously honoring Cherokee heritage.

“‘Some dumb ox ate poison ivy.’ The soldiers passed the halt signal along the line […] ‘How can we push them off the end of the earth?’”

The soldiers’ perspective portrays the many ways in which the Cherokee people are dehumanized by the white settlers. Glancy’s decision to incorporate this perspective creates a nuanced view of the history surrounding the Trail of Tears while also illustrating the realities of the trail itself. The Cherokee people were forced to endure physical, emotional, and mental abuse, especially from the soldiers.

“‘All of you should have stayed in your farms,’ said someone neither of us knew. A Tennessee Cherokee by the sound of his voice.”

Tanner’s distinction of the Cherokee man from Tennessee illustrates the tension that arises between the settlements within the Cherokee Nation itself. Due to the emergence of the treaties, strife within the Cherokee Nation arises because some of the settlements chose to sign the treaties while others resisted. By including these details in the text, the novel adheres to an accurate historical account of the Trail of Tears.

“‘It’s the best thing that could happen to her,’ the soldier said.”

When Maritole worries that the Widow Teehee will die, the soldier’s comment implies that he recognizes the brutality that the Cherokee Nation faces. However, his callous and dismissive tone emphasizes the fact that he will not take any actions to stop or even mitigate the current hardships. His harshness contrasts greatly with Maritole’s heartbroken response, illustrating The Importance of Community within the Cherokee Nation and foreshadowing the deep suffering that they will endure on the trail.

“I heard a word that had sparks from campfire burning in it. I couldn’t make him understand that each word told its own story when it wasn’t with others.”

When speaking to Williams, Maritole attempts to teach him about her culture, but there is a cultural barrier between the two, for they view the significance of language quite differently. Since oral storytelling is one of the most prominent traditions in Cherokee culture, Maritole’s comment about words having their own stories implies that language has its own sense of identity. Her view of language essentially personifies it.

“‘Why doesn’t he talk about the soldiers who give our men whiskey?’ War Club belched.”

Although Glancy does not explicitly discuss the growing rate of alcohol use disorder amongst the Indigenous groups due to the white settlers’ influence, War Club’s simple comment obliquely addresses a prominent issue among Indigenous communities. At this point in history, the rate of alcohol misuse in these communities was increasing, and Glancy uses the character of War Club to imply that although the issue is not the primary focus of the novel, it would nonetheless have been a topic of concern.

“What ideas the white God had! He didn’t stay on his land like the famer. But what did it mean?”

As one of the few historical figures in the novel, Reverend Bushyhead illustrates an internal conflict with his belief system. Because he is both Christian and Cherokee, he simultaneously questions and champions his faith in the Christian God. This passage therefore creates a nuanced view of his character and illustrates his attempt to understand his faith so that he can teach it to those around him. Although he is disliked by many of his people, Bushyhead’s internal conflict is portrayed with a tone of compassion.

“I watched the conjurer with my sister. Maybe she’d offended a snake or fish and one of them had returned to take vengeance, causing her to dream of snakes crawling over her, breathing their breath into her face, spoiling her saliva until she was bitten with a dream and lost her appetite.”

Knobowtee’s concern for his sister’s well-being illustrates his love for his family even as it emphasizes the Cherokee belief that the physical world impacts the spiritual realm. The images of the snakes depict the Cherokee belief in maintaining balance with the natural world.

“‘There’s a split in our ways of thinking,’ I said to Sergeant Williams […] ‘The Cherokee lived in agreement with the earth. But the white man told us God’s curse separated us from the earth.’”

Here, Maritole questions how both the Cherokee belief system and the white settlers’ Christian faith can exist at the same time since they provide conflicting information. This passage is therefore designed to acknowledge the inherent incompatibility of these belief systems, and it is clear that although Maritole is willing to discuss the issue with Williams, she nonetheless holds true to her own culture’s way of thinking.

“A man’s basket was his log canoe. The thought of it held the times I remembered.”

When Knobowtee thinks of his father, he remembers the legacy that his father left behind and considers that this legacy exists in his canoe. Thus, Knobowtee reflects on his own imprint on the world, and he compares the role of a Cherokee woman’s basket to that of a man’s canoe. By doing so, he implies that just like a basket, the canoe holds the important aspects of a man’s life and keeps his memories safe.

“Each day we agonized along a few miles to the land we didn’t know. There we would start over with nothing. Would we plow the fields with our fingers? Plant corn with our toes? Cut down trees with our hands? Would Jesus rain seed corn on us?”

Maritole desires for the journey to be over, but she also recognizes that their daily lives in the new territory will not come easily, since they do not have the supplies to resume their lives. The embittered and cynical tone of her questions highlights her people’s many deep grievances with the United States government. Her ironic questions are meant to indict the cruel policies that the government has put in place, and her sarcastic reference to Jesus reflects her contempt at the idea of accepting a foreign religion that will do her people no good.

“The heaviness on my chest worsened. The bear, I thought. I heard him thumber in the night.”

Maritole’s continued worriedness about the influence of the bear represents her fear that her people will not survive the Trail of Tears. This passage also perpetuates the bear motif and serves as a connection to the story of the bear that comes immediately after Maritole feels its influence.

“In the dark I heard the breathing, The anger. The determination to survive.”

Tanner’s narration of the noises around him provides insight into the collective mindset of the Cherokee people as they near the end of the Trail of Tears. By including various perspectives, the novel incorporates many internal conflicts and personal details. In this passage, Tanner focuses on the people around him and recognizes his people’s strength despite their dire circumstances.

“From Springfield, several contingents followed an ancient Indian path that led south past Money and Washburn. This trail passed into Arkansas close to Elkhorn Tavern and continued to Pea Ridge, Arkansas.”

An excerpt from “A government teamster’s journal” provides a clear and direct view of the route that the Cherokee are taking on the trail to Oklahoma. By including this excerpt, the novel grounds itself in historical facts and provides a concrete overview of the journey that the characters must undergo.

“Maybe that was the Great Spirit’s lesson. Nothing was mine. I could receive and lose in the same breath. The burden the white man carried was that he didn’t know the lesson yet.”

Knobowtee’s attempt to come to terms with the many hardships of the Trail of Tears is based upon his belief in the Great Spirit. By reframing his view of his lost home and reminding himself that the land in North Carolina never truly belonged to him but to the Great Spirit, he finds a way to lessen his bitterness somewhat. Even so, Knobowtee’s contemplations imply that the Great Spirit teaches lessons, provides consequences, and gives rewards to the people. His final sentiment implies that the white settlers do not yet realize that there will be many negative consequences to their actions.

“‘Do you know how many’ve been converted?’ I asked Bushyhead […] ‘Some?’ ‘Yes, some.’ ‘Then maybe the trail was worth it.’”

Reverend Mackenzie’s response to the number of Christian converts illustrates an unsympathetic view of the trail for the Cherokee Nation. Rather than acknowledging the hardships that the people have faced, his main concern lies with converting Cherokee people to the belief system of the white settlers.

“No. I want to walk. I feel something happen in me as I walk. Something small and strong begins to grow […] I feel it because I can push a bear.”

When they have almost arrived at the new territory, Maritole’s strength begins to grow, allowing her to regain her sense of identity. Having battled the urge to give in to the bear, her newfound strength helps her to push this image away and begin to reestablish her independence. Her decision to walk instead of riding in the wagon reflects this return of strength and determination.