Native American press

Our text comments on ethnic presses and how they relate to change in the concept of news. More specifically a change in how society relates its values and politics to one another.
The Native American press was founded 1828 in Georgia. A tribal leader for the Cherokee peoples decided to embark on this form of mass communication because he believed that literacy was the root of the white mans power and so wanted his people to engage in that power as well. The paper was first named Cherokee Phoenix, but upon moving to Oklahoma the paper’s name was changed to Cherokee Advocate.
Some interesting things about the paper include…….

1. The type was cast in the Cherokee language
2. The man who started the paper felt that the issues confronting the Cherokee tribe were not specific to them, but included other tribes as well so the name changed from Cherokee Phoenix to Cherokee Advocate in the year of 1829
3. You can read the Cherokee Phoenix from archives dating back to 1829.

Besides transmitting important information about social and political issues this paper was a small revolution in diversity and integration. The Cherokee Advocate started this thought even with the expansion of the paper from changing the name when it first started out. The mission behind the paper understood that by reaching more people, more readers, that one thing in common can create unity, a community for social change. Making what’s known and important to a specific group accessible to anyone at all brings about a small scale equality of freedom for the minority groups.