Ties That Bind: The Story of an Afro-Cherokee Family in Slavery and Freedom

Ties That Bind follows the interwoven histories of Doll, an enslaved Black woman, and her Cherokee husband Shoe Boots in early nineteenth-century Cherokee Territory. Through their family's experiences across generations, the book reconstructs relationships between Cherokee slaveholders and enslaved African Americans during a pivotal period of American expansion. The narrative traces how race, gender, and citizenship intersected in complex ways as the Cherokee Nation faced increasing pressure from white settlers and the U.S. government. Miles draws on extensive archival research to document the family's navigation of tribal politics, shifting racial categories, and changing legal frameworks. Based on fragmentary historical records and oral histories, this work examines broader themes of belonging, identity, and freedom in early America. The book challenges conventional understandings of race relations in Native American communities while exploring how family bonds persisted through profound social upheaval.

Readers appreciate Miles' detailed research into the complex relationships between Cherokee people and enslaved African Americans through the lens of one family's story. Many note the book fills an important gap in understanding the intersection of Native American and African American histories. Readers highlight the clear writing style and how Miles contextualizes primary sources. One reviewer called it "a fascinating look at a largely ignored aspect of American history." Common criticisms include: - Dense academic language in some sections - Repetitive passages - Limited source material leads to speculation in places Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (89 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (31 ratings) Multiple reviewers on Goodreads mentioned appreciating how Miles handles uncertain historical details transparently rather than making assumptions. Several Amazon reviewers noted the book works well for both academic and general audiences, though a few found the scholarly tone challenging. A LibraryThing reviewer wrote: "The author does an excellent job reconstructing this family's story from fragmentary evidence."

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🔷 Author Tiya Miles won the Frederick Jackson Turner Award from the Organization of American Historians in 2006 for this groundbreaking work exploring the complex relationships between Cherokee slaveholders and their African-American slaves. 🔷 The book centers on Doll Shoeboots, a black woman who was enslaved by a Cherokee warrior named Shoe Boots in the late 1700s, and follows their family's story across generations as they navigated both Cherokee and American societies. 🔷 The research reveals how some Cherokee slaveholders actually married their slaves, creating families that challenged both tribal and American racial classifications and legal systems. 🔷 Cherokee slaveholding practices differed significantly from white American slavery - enslaved people often lived in the same household as their owners, learned Cherokee language and customs, and sometimes gained tribal citizenship rights. 🔷 The author discovered much of this history through careful analysis of Cherokee Nation citizenship applications, oral histories, and the testimonies of formerly enslaved people collected by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s.