BODY IN SMOKIES UPDATE
On Friday, January 20th police arrested 20-year-old Terrence Howard Roach for the death of Tamara Susan Seay, the body discovered in the Smoky Mountains. Seay was 18 years of age and lived in Cherokee, NC. It is believed she was killed on Friday, January 13th about a half mile into the mountains. Tamara was found on January 15th by a church group from Florida while hiking Toms Branch Road.
CONCLUSION TO STORY
It ends up that the death was related to drugs. Terrence Roach admits to shooting Tamara, twice in the head, over money that she owed him for cocaine. For many hikers this is relieving news since it wasn't a random act of violence on a hiker, like the recent murders that took place in the Ocala National Forrest. However, this isn't anymore relieving for the family of Tamara Susan Seay.
On Friday, January 20th police arrested 20-year-old Terrence Howard Roach for the death of Tamara Susan Seay, the body discovered in the Smoky Mountains. Seay was 18 years of age and lived in Cherokee, NC. It is believed she was killed on Friday, January 13th about a half mile into the mountains. Tamara was found on January 15th by a church group from Florida while hiking Toms Branch Road.
CONCLUSION TO STORY
It ends up that the death was related to drugs. Terrence Roach admits to shooting Tamara, twice in the head, over money that she owed him for cocaine. For many hikers this is relieving news since it wasn't a random act of violence on a hiker, like the recent murders that took place in the Ocala National Forrest. However, this isn't anymore relieving for the family of Tamara Susan Seay.
I AM NOT FROM THAT AREA, BUT I VISIT OFTEN BECAUSE I HAVE FRIENDS THAT LIVE NEAR THERE AND I EVEN MET TAMARA SEAY A FEW TIMES WHILE IN CHEROKKE, SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH HER FIRST CHILD, SHE SEEMED QUIET AND SWEET, WELL MANNERED, SHE WAS A BEAUTIFUL GIRL. UNFORTUNATELY SHE GOT INVOLVED WITH THE WRONG PEOPLE, BUT LET ME SAY THIS, KIDS RAISED ON THE RESERVATION ARE RAISED WITH NO OR VERY LITTLE PARENTING. MOST PARENTS DO OR SELL DRUGS THEMSELVES, AND HAVE NO HOPES OR ASPIRATIONS FOR THEIR CHILDREN, UNFORTUNATELY AGAIN, THAT IS THEIR WAY OF LIFE. TO KNOW THE INSIDE CULTURE OF THE NATIVE AMERICANS IN CHEROKEE IS AN EYE OPENER FOR MOST. TAMMY NEVER HAD A CHANCE, SHE WAS RAISED IN THAT TYPE OF LIFESTYLE, AND AS FAR AS STEALING THE COCAINE FROM ROACH, WELL, THAT MAY BE TRUE, BUT AGAIN, DRUGS AND THEIVERY GO HAND IN HAND. SO SAD THIS GIRL WAS ONLY 17, AND HAS LEFT A BABY BEHIND THAT WILL BE RAISED NO BETTER THAN SHE WAS, THUS THE CYCLE CONTINUES AND THE ONLY CHANCE FOR HER BABY WOULD BE TO GET OFF THE RES.
That's an incredibly ignorant and stupid thing to say. You don't know much at all about Cherokee. Of course, people love to pose as experts when they have a glancing involvement with something. I won't invite you back to Cherokee, where we're all drug users and/or dealers, because if that's been your experience so far, then that is apparently who you are hanging out with.
I resent the comments made by anonymous, because I am a parent from the "res". Yes it is to true that we do have problems, but so does every other culture on the planet and if you knew anything about us you would know that we are tryiing to address those issues with programs and activities. Chief Hicks has orgranized a drug task force and they have been very successful.the issues that you speak of are nation wide. We as an nation(USA) have let sin over take us and we have forsaken the Lord. I have lived here all my life and as far as I can see we are no diffrent as parents then any other culture. Are you a parent? Do you know how hard it is to raise a child? I myself have 2 children and the best you can isn't always good enought. You have offend me and my nation(Eastern Band of Cherokee). Its folks like you that keep sterotyping alive and well in this great nation. I am a Christan and it is my duty to forgive those that offend me and to pray for them, so that is what I shall do for you. I will pray that God will open your eyes and heart, too know that we aren't bad parents and we only won't the best for our children. That you may see the great changes that are taking place here on the "Res" and that instead of adding to the fire that you would help to put them to rest.
To say that drugs and a lack of parenting is a way of life for the Cherokee people is ridiculous, and to say that it is a part of our culture shows the ignorance of the author of the first comment. I think that it is unfair for someone from the outside looking in to make those assumptions. Take a look around the "REZ" at Waynesville, Bryson, Sylva, Asheville, ANYWHERE and you will find that there are problems with drugs. Does that mean that I can say drugs, murder, lack of parenting, drinking and everything else bad is the culture of our white neighbors? would that be fair of me to say? It is true that there is a cycle, and it is a vicious one, but where did it start, did we as native people introduce your people to drugs and alcohol? I am Cherokee and I am proud. I am proud of my community, the strength of the Cherokee people and our parents DO CARE. Do not take this tragedy and make it seem like this is a problem with Cherokee, because this goes way beyond Cherokee and the Cherokee people. We have come a long way and have looked adversity and discrimination in the eye, but apparently we still have a ways to go in changing the misconceptions about our community and our people. We feel for the family of Tammy Seay, and for anyone involved in this tragedy because it is real - and we will learn from it. We are still here and we are still fighting.
Evidently, the first anonymous struck a nerve. Could that nerve be "the truth hurts" nerve?
I am from Cherokee. I was born and raised in Cherokee. I am a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. I am proud of who I am because I represent my people in the American Military. I serve with the distinction of all Cherokee's who served in the American military in past generations. Mr. "anonymous" doesn't know anything about Cherokee, other than we have pow-wows which is false, and that we spend our per capita on junk and drugs. Mr. "anonymous" to me would seem "dumb in my mind to say something about a culture he never lived with or had any connection to any Cherokee family. But you know what? If you were born into a culture it would be wise to stay with that culture because of the love and support that you would have growing up. Cherokee's have served in every war that the United States has been in, and you know what Mr. "Anonymous"? Tell anyone on this message board what you have done to honor yourself for posting something so arrogant and ignorant about such a small culture in the United States.
As a young indian girl myself i really dont appreciate anyone saying anything about the way our parents raise us. using drugs is what some of the people choose to do. If you knew anything about us as individuals you would know that we are not all like that. Just because we are indians doesnt mean we are all the same. It sounds like you are the one that needs to open their eyes. Native American parents are the same as any other parents they just want the best for their children. Its people like you that put us all together like that and say we are bad people without even giving us a chance. So what now that Terrence Roach killed someone does that make us all murderers? That is basically what you are saying right? Because you know we are all "the same." I have lived on the reservation my whole life and i have never used drugs. Im 17 years old and my parents have been there everyday of my life and i dont think they would like any of what you said. You need to think about what you say before you say it.
All these Cherokee people saying that drugs is not a way of life on the reservation only means they are in denial of what is going on around us. I am a Cherokee, most of my family still lives on the reservation. There are serious problems with drugs. If there was no problem with it, cops would not be staking out Big Cove and other areas. I am proud of my Cherokee heritage, and I do mean heritage, our ancestors, not the thugs many of us have become. Did you not see the write up in the One Feather? Talking about our own police, where did their morals go? Several officers who are married with families are still getting other young girls pregnant, asking for "favors" not to write tickets, etc. We all know it is happening, so why is it a big deal when some outsider sees the truth and says it? I don't think anonymous #1 meant we are all that way, we aren't, but a vast majority of our people are alcoholic or drug abusers. I could start naming names but what good would it do? You know who you are. We just got per cap, how many of us still have it or have something to show for it? Not as many as I would like to see. There is a problem, no different than problems other races or nationalities face. It is not a white, cherokee, black or other problem, it is an American problem. Like it or not, there are not many full bloods left, mostly in Big Cove, and all of the so called "proud indians" have more white blood than Cherokee, It is so hypocritical.