Unoli Awale A Tsalagi Story: A Warriors Oath and The Trail of Sorrow

Set in the turbulent years of the War of 1812, Unoli Awale: A Tsalagi Story tells the story of Unoli Awale, a Cherokee farmer, warrior, and father, known among whites as Wayne Blanche. Living in the shadow of a nation hungry for land and dominance, Unoli Awale must walk the knife's edge between survival and sovereignty-between the white world that courts his loyalty and the Cherokee nation struggling to remain whole.

When war erupts between the United States and Britain, and civil war breaks out among the Creek, Chief Pathkiller of the Cherokee calls a council. Torn between distrust of Andrew Jackson and the growing threat of the militant Red Stick Creeks, the Cherokee gather under ancient oaks and firelight to decide their path. Unoli Awale, though weary of white promises, chooses to fight-not for Jackson, but to protect his children's future and the land still held by his people.

Accompanied by his sharp-witted companion Moyto, Unoli scouts deep into enemy territory. They witness the foreign influence on Red Stick forces, uncover British involvement, and risk their lives to provide intelligence to Jackson's army. Along the way, Unoli Awale shares stories with his young daughter Sela, including the tale of the Trickster Rabbit and the Hungry Bear, echoing the larger deception and cunning required to survive in a world of shifting alliances.

As the Cherokee warriors are drawn into the fire of the Creek War, Unoli's dual identity becomes both weapon and wound. He fights beside Jackson, but never forgets the internment camps rising in the east, or the stolen lands behind treaties written in smoke.

This is not a story of easy loyalties. It is a tale of a man caught in the middle of nations and legacies-one foot in the world of his ancestors, and the other in a country that only tolerates him when it needs his rifle. Betrayal cuts deeply.