As a translator he would do many things that he was ashamed of, many things he felt he needed to atone for.Īfter his death the story would continue with his grand daughter Rose. He would eventually be loaned to the Army to help with the Indian removal of all tribes from Florida. This is the remarkable story of one such family, starting with Cow Tom, whose mother was kidnapped by the Seminoles and who would himself be sold at the age of ten to a Creek Indian Chief. Many of these slaves would in time become accepted as part of the tribe, being both Indian and black. I had absolutely no idea that in the 1800's, Creek and Seminole Indians owned black slaves. It is a breathtaking tale of identity, community, family-and above all, the power of an individual's will to make a difference. Written in two parts portraying the parallel lives of Cow Tom and Rose, Citizens Creek is a beautifully rendered novel that takes the reader deep into a little known chapter of American history. But through it all, her grandfather's indelible mark of courage inspires her-in mind, in spirit, and in a family legacy that never dies. She rises to leadership of the family as they struggle against political and societal hostility intent on keeping blacks and Indians oppressed.
His talent earned him money-but would it also grant him freedom? And what would become of him and his family in the aftermath of the Civil War and the Indian Removal westward?Ĭow Tom's legacy lives on-especially in the courageous spirit of his granddaughter Rose. As the new country developed westward, and Indians, settlers, and blacks came into constant contact, Cow Tom became a key translator for his Creek master and was hired out to US military generals. The New York Times bestselling author of the Oprah Book Club Pick Cane River brings us the evocative story of a once-enslaved man who buys his freedom after serving as a translator during the American Indian Wars, and his granddaughter, who sustains his legacy of courage.Ĭow Tom, born into slavery in Alabama in 1810 and sold to a Creek Indian chief before his tenth birthday, possessed an extraordinary gift: the ability to master languages.
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