Pushing the Bear: A Novel of the Trail of Tears

Content Warning: The source text addresses themes of genocide, displacement, and cultural erasure. In addition, both the source text and this guide contain references to sexual assault and racist ideologies against Indigenous people.

The Cherokee people rely on their community to survive the Trail of Tears and reestablish their lives in a new territory. As they continue their forced journey, their interactions and private reflections illustrate the deep emphasis that their culture places on the health of all their people. In the novel, the Cherokee community prioritizes their spiritual beliefs to maintain a sense of community and connection to each other. During the time on the trail, Maritole remembers how her people “celebrated [their] new year with the Keetoowah fire in the fall” (165). The image of the fire represents warmth and renewal for the Cherokee Nation during the harvest. Similarly, when she remembers how they listened to the “legend of the phoenix, who rose from the ashes like [they] would in the new land” (165), Maritole suggests that the continued support of her community will allow them to persevere despite the hardships they must face. The symbolism of the phoenix injects a note of hope into the