Sovereignty (play)

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Sovereignty is a play written by American lawyer and playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle. The play revolves around Cherokee lawyer Sarah Ridge Polson's battle to reinstate the Cherokee Nation's sovereignty and jurisdiction. She also must face the ghosts of her ancestors and the struggles they faced when signing a decisive treaty that led to the removal of the Nation from their land. [1]

Contents

Original production

The original production was directed by American director Molly Smith. The play premiered through Arena Stage at the Kreeger Theater in Washington, D.C., on January 12, 2018, running until February 18, 2018. A print edition of the play was published by Northwestern University Press in 2020. [2] [3]

Original cast [4]

Historical background

Sovereignty alternates between the 1830s and present-day America. The present-day story follows Polson and her return to the Cherokee Nation to help Native American women who have been sexually harassed through the Violence Against Women Act. The only issue is that Polson is a descendant of the Ridge family, the infamous Cherokee family who signed the Treaty of New Echota which transferred Cherokee land to the United States for the state of Georgia. [5] The treaty led to the relocation of the Cherokee people in the land to Oklahoma, contributing to what is known as the Trail of Tears. Polson's family members are buried in a family cemetery in the Oklahoma reservation.

The Cherokee who did not support the New Echota Treaty sent this petition to the Senate in 1836. Cherokee Petition in Protest of the New Echota Treaty, 1836 - 1836 (6069424727).jpg
The Cherokee who did not support the New Echota Treaty sent this petition to the Senate in 1836.

The Treaty of New Echota, the treaty which the Ridges signed, was signed on December 29, 1835. The treaty ceded all Cherokee lands east of the Mississippi River to the United States and promised a perpetual opportunity of expansion for the Nation west. [6] The signing of the treaty was controversial within the Cherokee Nation, as people were both in favor and opposition of the treaty. Major Ridge and his son, John Ridge, were members of what was known as the "Treaty Party," which was the group of Cherokees who saw the removal from their land as inevitable and believed they should negotiate and cooperate. Other Cherokee members were vehemently opposed to the signing because they did not want to leave their land. This polarized climate is a major detail in the familial context of the lawyer, Sarah Polson, in the play. Due to the conflict over the treaty, Cherokee tribesmen assassinated Major and John Ridge in 1839 as a form of political retribution. [7]

Character history

Cherokee Chief Major Ridge Major Ridge. A Cherokee Chief. (15683664730).jpg
Cherokee Chief Major Ridge

John Ridge, also referred to as Skah-tle-loh-skee, was part of an influential family in the Cherokee Nation. Through the "Treaty Party," acknowledging that Indian Removal was imminent, he supported the creation of a treaty with the United States, which would include the protection of Cherokee rights. He and other members of the party were opposed by Principal Chief John Ross. After the signing of the treaty, in 1836, the Ridge family relocated to the Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), two years prior to the forced removal of the majority of the Cherokees. On June 22, 1839, pro-Ross Cherokees attacked the signers of the treaty; stabbing John Ridge 48 times in front of his wife and children. [8]

Major Ridge, father of John Ridge, also participated in the polarizing signing of the Treaty of New Echota. He grew up as a traditional hunter and Indian warrior, fighting against the American occupation of the Cherokee Nation. [9] He then established, alongside his friend John Ross, a three-part Cherokee government, serving as a counselor, in 1827. When choosing to promote the treaty, he and Ross were divided by their beliefs, each siding with opposite sides of the controversy. Major too moved to the Indian Territory with John Ridge and their family following the completion of the treaty. On June 22, 1839, Major was assassinated in retribution for signing the treaty, while on his way to his plantation in the Indian Territory.

John Ross, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1828 to 1866, was initially close with Ridges prior to the treaty. Under his leadership and working alongside Major Ridge in the National Council of the Cherokee he convinced the Cherokees to begin changing their economy from hunting to agriculture, starting up plantations and owning slaves. [10] The split between the Cherokee Nation began when Ross refused to sign the treaty, leading to his arrest without charge. While being detained, Major Ridge and the Treaty Party signed the Treaty of New Echota, ceding their lands to the United States.

Playwright

Mary Kathryn Nagle completed her undergraduate education at Georgetown University and later received her Juris Doctor from Tulane Law School. [7] She is currently the Executive Director of Yale's Indigenous Performing Arts Program as well as a lawyer and partner of Pipesterm Law firm, specializing in Native Americans' and their Nations' rights and freedoms. [11] Nagle has stated that her background as a lawyer has provided her with knowledge of the harmful narratives created about Native Americans in American law and society. [12] She said arguing for the rights of her people has led her to realize that in order for change to be made, people need to know the story of the Native American peoples and their experiences—that is where theatre plays into her goal of spreading awareness of Native American issues. [12]

Major themes

Double meaning

The play's title of "sovereignty" can relate to larger issues pertaining to the term as they are presented within various Native American causes. [13] One meaning of the term within the play's context is the sovereignty of Native Americans reclaiming their voice in historical interpretations of their peoples. Such a theme is represented through the medium of telling a story through performance itself, perpetuating the tradition of oral history. The notion of reclaiming historical voice is also represented through the play's casting, with all Native American characters being played by actors and actresses of Native American descent. The term additionally relates to the struggle of sovereignty Native American women may face when seeking agency over their bodies in the face of sexual assault and rape, which they are twice as likely to experience when compared to other races. [14]

Past affecting present

The plot's transitions between past and present serve to reveal how past, historical actions inflict influence on the present day. Depicting descendants from major Native American historical figures additionally proves the dynamics between ancestral and current descendants, shaping past, present, and future actions. [13] Past affecting present could additionally serve as a cause for Native American marginalization and issues within reservations. Native Americans in the United States are more than twice as likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder when compared to the rest of the population. Native American demographics also have a life expectancy lowered by six years in comparison to the general U.S. population, as well as possess a doubled chance of living in poverty. [15]

Healing and forgiveness

While the play may assert ideas of sovereignty and belonging within the scope of several meanings, it also addresses the concept of moving on. Such concepts are brought to light with the element of past affecting present. Kyla Garcia states how Native American and white populations must face the past, allowing one group to begin healing and the latter to understand forgiveness within the particular context. [13] Commencing this process, according to the actress, would allow all parties to create a future with improved relations—rather than avoiding, ignoring or rewriting the past altogether. The actress additionally addresses Germany's actions to remember their faults executed during the Holocaust as an example of being hyper aware of damages made and taking steps to commence the process of healing and forgiveness.

Criticism and interpretation

The play has received critique on the fluidity of the transition from past to present, and vice versa. Although a major theme of the play is the intersection of the past and present, the change is not always clear enough for the audience to pinpoint what characters are being portrayed. [16] Despite these issues, many have applauded the play's ability to teach about legal matters while also entertaining the audience.

Gloria Steinem has also offered her opinion, stating that the play reveals the extent of current democracy, and information about people's human rights. [17] Steinem praises the show's ability to educate audiences and provoke consciousness of the American people on what they should vote for. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherokee</span> Indigenous American people of the southeastern United States

The Cherokee are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern North Carolina, southeastern Tennessee, southwestern Virginia, edges of western South Carolina, northern Georgia and northeastern Alabama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trail of Tears</span> Forced relocation and ethnic cleansing of the southeastern Native American tribes

The Trail of Tears was an ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of approximately 60,000 people of the "Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government. As part of the Indian removal, members of the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations were forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands in the Southeastern United States to newly designated Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River after the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830. The Cherokee removal in 1838 was brought on by the discovery of gold near Dahlonega, Georgia, in 1828, resulting in the Georgia Gold Rush.

Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S. 515 (1832), was a landmark case in which the United States Supreme Court vacated the conviction of Samuel Worcester and held that the Georgia criminal statute that prohibited non-Native Americans from being present on Native American lands without a license from the state was unconstitutional. The opinion is most famous for its dicta, which laid out the relationship between tribes and the state and federal governments. It is considered to have built the foundations of the doctrine of tribal sovereignty in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Ross (Cherokee chief)</span> Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, 1828–1866

John Ross was the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1828 to 1866; he served longer in that position than any other person. Described as the Moses of his people, Ross influenced the nation through such tumultuous events as the relocation to Indian Territory and the American Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elias Boudinot (Cherokee)</span> American Indian leader (1802–1839)

Elias Boudinot, also known as Buck Watie) was a writer, newspaper editor, and leader of the Cherokee Nation. He was a member of a prominent family, and was born and grew up in Cherokee territory, now part of present-day Georgia. Born to parents of mixed Cherokee and European ancestry and educated at the Foreign Mission School in Connecticut, he became one of several leaders who believed that acculturation was critical to Cherokee survival. He was influential in the period of removal to Indian Territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stand Watie</span> 2nd principal chief of the Cherokee Nation (1862-1866)

Brigadier-General Stand Watie, also known as Standhope Uwatie, Tawkertawker, and Isaac S. Watie, was a Cherokee politician who served as the second principal chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1862 to 1866. The Cherokee Nation allied with the Confederate States during the American Civil War and he was the only Native American Confederate general officer of the war. Watie commanded Indian forces in the Trans-Mississippi Theater, made up mostly of Cherokee, Muskogee, and Seminole. He was the last Confederate States Army general to surrender.

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, 30 U.S. 1 (1831), was a United States Supreme Court case. The Cherokee Nation sought a federal injunction against laws passed by the U.S. state of Georgia depriving them of rights within its boundaries, but the Supreme Court did not hear the case on its merits. It ruled that it had no original jurisdiction in the matter, as the Cherokees were a dependent nation, with a relationship to the United States like that of a "ward to its guardian," as said by Chief Justice Marshall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major Ridge</span> Cherokee leader (d. 1839)

Major Ridge, The Ridge was a Cherokee leader, a member of the tribal council, and a lawmaker. As a warrior, he fought in the Cherokee–American wars against American frontiersmen. Later, Major Ridge led the Cherokee in alliances with General Andrew Jackson and the United States in the Creek and Seminole wars of the early 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty of New Echota</span> 1835 treaty between the U.S. government and a Cherokee political faction

The Treaty of New Echota was a treaty signed on December 29, 1835, in New Echota, Georgia, by officials of the United States government and representatives of a minority Cherokee political faction, the Treaty Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Echota</span> United States historic place

New Echota was the capital of the Cherokee Nation in the Southeast United States from 1825 until their forced removal in the late 1830s. New Echota is located in present-day Gordon County, in northwest Georgia, 3.68 miles north of Calhoun. It is south of Resaca, next to present day New Town, known to the Cherokee as Ꭴꮝꮤꮎꮅ, Ustanali. The site has been preserved as a state park and a historic site. It was designated in 1973 as a National Historic Landmark District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Ridge</span> American Indian politician (c. 1802–1839)

John Ridge, born Skah-tle-loh-skee, was from a prominent family of the Cherokee Nation, then located in present-day Georgia. He went to Cornwall, Connecticut, to study at the Foreign Mission School. He met Sarah Bird Northup, of a New England Yankee family, and they married in 1824. Soon after their return to New Echota in 1825, Ridge was chosen for the Cherokee National Council and became a leader in the tribe.

<i>Cherokee Phoenix</i> American newspaper

The Cherokee Phoenix is the first newspaper published by Native Americans in the United States and the first published in a Native American language. The first issue was published in English and Cherokee on February 21, 1828, in New Echota, capital of the Cherokee Nation. The paper continued until 1834. The Cherokee Phoenix was revived in the 20th century, and today it publishes both print and Internet versions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Worcester</span> Christian missionary to Cherokee, civil rights advocate

Samuel Austin Worcester, was an American missionary to the Cherokee, translator of the Bible, printer, and defender of the Cherokee sovereignty. He collaborated with Elias Boudinot (Cherokee) in Georgia to establish the Cherokee Phoenix, the first Native American newspaper, which was printed in both English and the Cherokee syllabary. The Cherokee gave Worcester the honorary name A-tse-nu-sti, which translates to "messenger" in English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Clay State Historic Park</span> State park in Tennessee, United States

Red Clay State Historic Park is a state park located in southern Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. The park was the site of the last capital of the Cherokee Nation in the eastern United States from 1832 to 1838 before the enforcement of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. This resulted in a forced migration of most of the Cherokee people to present-day Oklahoma known as the Cherokee removal. The site is considered sacred to the Cherokees, and includes the Blue Hole Spring, a large hydrological spring. It is also listed as an interpretive center along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherokee history</span> History of the Cherokee people and their descendants

Cherokee history is the written and oral lore, traditions, and historical record maintained by the living Cherokee people and their ancestors. In the 21st century, leaders of the Cherokee people define themselves as those persons enrolled in one of the three federally recognized Cherokee tribes: The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, The Cherokee Nation, and The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherokee Nation (1794–1907)</span> Historic, autonomous Native American government

The Cherokee Nation was a legal, autonomous, tribal government in North America recognized from 1794 to 1907. It was often referred to simply as "The Nation" by its inhabitants. The government was effectively disbanded in 1907, after its land rights had been extinguished, prior to the admission of Oklahoma as a state. During the late 20th century, the Cherokee people reorganized, instituting a government with sovereign jurisdiction known as the Cherokee Nation. On July 9, 2020, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Muscogee (Creek) Nation had never been disestablished in the years before allotment and Oklahoma Statehood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherokee removal</span> Forced removal of the Cherokee Nation within the US (1836–39)

Cherokee removal, part of the Trail of Tears, refers to the forced relocation between 1836 and 1839 of an estimated 16,000 members of the Cherokee Nation and 1,000–2,000 of their slaves; from their lands in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama to the Indian Territory in the then Western United States, and the resultant deaths along the way and at the end of the movement of an estimated 4,000 Cherokee and unknown number of slaves, although no records of these deaths have ever materialized. Many scholars believe these Indians absconded from the removal rather than died.

Mary Kathryn Nagle is a playwright and an attorney specializing in tribal sovereignty of Native nations and peoples. She was born in Oklahoma City, OK, and is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. She previously served as the executive director of the Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program (YIPAP) from 2015 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Nagle</span> Queer and indigenous activist

Rebecca Nagle is an American activist, writer, and public speaker. She is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Nagle is one of the founders of FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture, an organization led by artists and activists dedicated to promoting a culture of consent. Nagle has also served as a coordinator of the event "PINK Loves CONSENT."

References

  1. ↑ "Sovereignty Regional/National Tours @ Arena Stage - Kreeger - Tickets and Discounts | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
  2. ↑ "Sovereignty". Northwestern University Press. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  3. ↑ Staff Writer. "Sovereignty". nupress.northwestern.edu. Northwestern University Press. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  4. ↑ "Sovereignty". www.arenastage.org. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
  5. ↑ "Theatre Review: 'Sovereignty' at Arena Stage | Maryland Theatre Guide". mdtheatreguide.com. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
  6. ↑ Martin, Jill (2011). "Treaty of NEw Echota (1835)". Encyclopedia of American Indian Removal. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Collins-Hughes, Laura (2018). "Fighting for Native Americans, in Court and Onstage". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  8. ↑ "John Ridge" (PDF). Cherokee Heritage Documentation Center. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Major Ridge (ca. 1771-1839)". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  10. ↑ "John Ross facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about John Ross". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  11. ↑ "Mary Kathryn Nagle - Pipestem Law". Pipestem Law. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  12. 1 2 Oregon Shakespeare Festival (2018-01-11), Why theatre? Mary Kathryn Nagle responds , retrieved 2018-03-28
  13. 1 2 3 "Arena Stage makes closing argument for Native American 'Sovereignty'". WTOP. 2018-01-22. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
  14. ↑ "Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics | RAINN". www.rainn.org. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
  15. ↑ American Psychological Association, Office of Minority and National Affairs (2010). "Mental Health Disparities: American Indians and Alaska Natives" (PDF). www.integration.samhsa.gov. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  16. ↑ "Review: 'Sovereignty' at Arena Stage - DCMetroTheaterArts". DCMetroTheaterArts. 2018-01-28. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  17. 1 2 arenastage1 (2018-01-31), Gloria Steinem, Mary Kathryn Nagle and Molly Smith — "Sovereignty" post-show discussion Part 1 , retrieved 2018-03-28
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