Return of the Raven

In The Return of the Raven, Donald continues the story begun in his now sold out print Shaman's Council. High in the Smoky Mountains, a group of powerful men, known as Raven Mockers, have gathered for the return of the raven. Released during a sacred ceremony, the raven has traveled to the Spirit World and has now returned with an ominous warning for the Cherokees. "A time is coming when the Cherokee will be forced to leave their lands and move to the west." Unfortunately, many people had lost touch with the old ways and couldn't understand the message, or simply ignored the warning.

As a result of federal legislation, the five major tribes of the Southwestern U.S. were eventually forced to leave their ancestral lands in exchange for land in the Indian Territory -- present day Oklahoma. In 1838, nearly 17,000 Cherokees were rounded up and held in stockades. Then, in 17 different groups, they were launched on the 1,000 mile journey westward. Removal not only cost the Cherokee their roots, but also thousands of lives sacrificed to disease and hardship. This sorrowful ordeal is known to the Cherokee as the Trail When They Cried.