How The Trail of Tears Impacted Wes Studi's Ancestors, Finding Your Roots, PBS

[TwilightZone]

3. I had pretty solid knowledge of the Trail.

My mom was an American history teacher, I spent a lot of time on reservations with my grandparents as a kid, and I did a lot of reading on the subject, as well as other Native American history, but I wasn't aware of the familial connection. My father was adopted and there were rumors, but they were later proven unfounded. Then, ironically, I found the cousin through DNA.

Putting tangible names, connections, dates, and specific locations on it gave it further depth, as personal connections often do.