My father told me today that during the Trail of Tears Natives kept slaves so what happened wasn't "that" bad. I've been searching all over and can't find anything. Any help?
Undoubtedly there were natives who Owned slaves, and the Cherokee nation were amongst the most accepting of US American culture. However I don't know if any slaves who were part of the forced movement. The people who were relocated lost most of their possessions and took only what they could carry. It's also worth noting that, Slave holders or no, the trail of tears remains abhorrent.
Notions of slavery vary hugely over time and space. Slavery in many native societies looked more like being a POW in our contemporary language and wasn't based in the chattel system or on race.
I'd suggest Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz' indigenous peoples' history of the United States for an overview of various nations and their views on slavery as well as the events of the relocation