Date:  1492

     Long before the great ships came from across the great pond there lived a tribe of Indians called the Sealy Indians on an island just off the coast of North Carolina. These Indians would trade with the Cherokee Indians who all had a great fear of the Cherokee for they were great warriors. The Sealy had a very long history of trading with the Cherokee.

    When the first ships came to our lands, they feared the Cherokee, many died as they tried to land on the mainland and in time worked out an arrangement with the Sealy Indians on their Island. The Sealy would trade with the Cherokee and the people on these great ships would trade with the Sealy Indians.

     This went very well for a long time, until one day the Chief of the Sealy said I see where the great ships come from. That must be where England must be and we can make more by going out there where England is and cut out the middle man on the ships.

     All the Sealy began to work on building very large canoes and when they were finished they placed all their goods they had gotten from the Cherokee into the canoes with all their people and set out on the sea to find England. But in time they found themselves in the middle of the ocean; they could not see England and they could not see where they came from. Their whole tribe was lost on the sea. After days upon the great waters they began to think that they were all going to die until along came a great sailing ship and took all of them aboard.

     This great ship was on its way south to the islands, so they took all of the Sealy Indians south and they became the first slaves of America. This came about because of greed, the Sealy wished a bigger cut and tried to cut out the middle man, which cost them all in the end.

     We must all learn from what the Sealy Indians did, that if you let greed get in the way you will lose it all in the end,

BY

Principal Chief James Billy Chance

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