Cherokee Removal, the Trail of Tears, and populism

UGA and the Franklin College welcome former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Chad Smith to deliver a Signature Lecture Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 4 p.m. in room 286 Miller Learning Center.

In his lecture, "Cherokee Removal and the Trail of Tears: The Unlearned Lessons of Populism Today," Chad Smith looks at the rise of a hard-edged populism with Andrew Jackson, leading to Cherokee Removal from their homeland in Georgia and the Southeast.  He then will examine what that example tells us about our present situation in the United States.

A major figure in Indian affairs, Smith has advocated on Native issues nationally and internationally, including at the United Nations. Smith served as a professor at Dartmouth College teaching Cherokee History and Native American Law. He is an author of books on leadership, art and Native American worldviews, including “Leadership Lessons from the Cherokee Nation: Learn From All I Observe.”

UGA Signature Lectures feature speakers noted for their broad, multidisciplinary appeal and compelling bodies of work. Many of the lectures are supported by endowments, while others honor notable figures and milestones in the university’s history.

Smith's visit is sponsored by the Institute of Native American Studies.