The White Warrior Book Report

McIntosh Nature Reserve is a beautiful and untouched estate that has been turned into a park. Its 527 acres is the historical site of a clash of two Native American tribes: the Cherokee and Creek. Both Native peoples shared the land along the Chattahoochee River. The reserve is named after Chief William McIntosh, a prominent Scottish Creek man, who was involved in the Treaty of Indian Springs in 1825. This treaty caused the Creek Indians to relinquish their land east of the Flint River. McIntosh when asked about the treaty said: “The white tide rises, we can’t fight or stop it and if we don’t sell, we will be cast aside, homeless and treated like animals without any place to go.” (Story) The "White Warrior" was very influential in

both the Indian and American communities. McIntosh was connected more so with the United States than the Creek nation because of his support in wanting to civilize the native people. Due to his loyalty to the United States he was viewed by the Creeks with suspicion and uncertainty. After his help in creating the Treaty of Indian Springs, the Upper Creeks placed a death sentence on him and ultimately executed him.
Over the years, I have found that it is common for people to find a place where they just feel most comfortable, for me it is McIntosh Reserve.

Sometimes people's favorite location is not a specific location at all; sometimes they just want to be alone. An example of finding solace in nature is represented in Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild. In his book he explains and researches the life of Chris McCandless. McCandless was someone who just enjoyed being alone. He was a nature lover and only wanted to be able to appreciate the beauty of the wilderness. He spent time drifting through the western United States and ultimately ended up in Alaska. He encouraged others to follow his lead: "Don't settle down and sit in one place. Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon" (Krakauer 58). I don't think constantly moving around is for everyone, but I do believe you should appreciate the beauty of simplicity found in nature. In present day McIntosh reserve is a public park where many activities and festivities are held. Some of these include the annual Native American Pow-wow and cross country meets. Both of these are very dear to me. I am very connected with my Cherokee heritage. This park is also where I ran many races and train

often.
The first time I went to McIntosh to run, I crossed the threshold. I had never been anywhere so beautiful; immediately I felt at home. I was riding in my coach's jeep with the top down in October. I soaked it all in as we rode down the long and winding gravel road to actually get to the park. From there we entered the park and I memorized every Oak, Pine, and Maple tree lining the road and field. The leaves shone brightly in the sun and they had already started changing colors from red, orange, yellow, and all variations in between. Then we parked right by the Chattahoochee River. I jumped out of the jeep and ran to stand on a rock reaching over the river. The view was breath taking; it was so calming and peaceful. I imagine I felt similar to McCandless and the overwhelming beauty of Alaska. McCandless crossed the threshold into the wilderness once he reached the Stampede Trail. The trail is described as desolate and completely alone: "For the first few miles the Stampede Trail was well graded and led past cabins scattered among weedy stands of spruce and aspen. Beyond the last of the log shacks, however, the road rapidly deteriorated" (Krakauer 3). McCandless wanted to live unfettered and independent.
After getting to McIntosh and being overwhelmed with the scenery then the hard work began. We had a difficult practice, but it felt slightly easier due to our surroundings. We ran around the course, which is just a large winding loop around a grass field. It's similar to running on a big grass track. We were preparing for our county meet. This meet was my test. It would prove what kind of runner I was. When Thursday, finally came around I was very nervous. I knew I wanted to win; I just had to trust myself and my training. Towards the end of the second loop, with only 800 meters left I passed our top girl. I didn't win, but I finished first for my team. McCandless' had many tests and obstacles once alone in Alaska. One of the most major challenges for him was the hunting. He had to hunt to be able to eat, but he felt guilty killing the animals. Along with the guilt he felt he had a small caliber gun which was not powerful enough to kill some of the large game in the area. It was apparent he underestimated the capability of the landscape that he chose to live in. His intentions were noble, but his lack of preparedness ultimately cost him everything.
My reward was finding a place to run and somewhere to clear my head. McCandless' reward was his ability to have an impact on people in their thoughtfulness of hunger and the suffering of others. He didn't just hate that people were hungry. He actually acted on it and decided to give what he had to a hunger fighting organization and was quick to speak to people about his convictions. His last fight against hunger was him pushing his body to the limit living off what he could scrounge in the woods of Alaska. I think it is important to appreciate and enjoy nature, but you have to respect the harsh terms that are also present.