Wheezer and the Road to Gold

In 1848, gold was discovered in the mountains of California. It is a little known fact that the Cherokees of Indian Territory were excited by the news and they quickly formed a company. But, what trail would they take? It was said that the Santa Fe Trail Trail leaving from Independence, Missouri was full of cholera and death. The southern route was beset with marauding Indians. How would they get to the goldfields?
The Cherokees were among the first to form a company of men and women who planned on traversing the land from the east to grab their share of the gold. Yet, there was safety in numbers and the group joined with another group of white settlers calling the combined group the Cherokee/Evans Company. However, almost immediately there was trouble between the two groups.
Sasa, a young Cherokee woman, and Coyote, a Lakota/Blackfoot man, accompany the wagon train and bring with them their faithful friends, Wheezer, a Jack Russell Terrier and Yellow Eyes, a wild coyote. But, all is not well on the wagon train. There is a murderer in disguise among the travelers as well as much racial tension.
The search for the murderer puts Sasa and Coyote's lives in danger. Would they make it to California? Only those with courage and endurance stood a chance.