Native American Ancestry

[Msmoore]

I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately, it is so interesting to me how many of us include this in our background and really have concept of the culture? this includes myself.

I had a full blooded Native American Great Great grandmother she was of Cherokee descent, I sit and talk with my mother about her but I would love to research the Cherokee Native Americans, so if anyone has any suggestions other than the library please forward the information here.

I am have become a lot more interested in this because I am often asked what country am I from? or people automatically assume I am Jamaican? I know this has a lot to do with my locs? and my love for the culture I choose to surround myself with. I feel bad that I know more about the Jamaican culture than my own? do not get me wrong, having the knowledge is fine but I want to be more knowledgeable about my own cultural background.

Becoming older has made me more inquisitive, I would like to identify with part of what I am made of. Growing up it was no big deal but now I find myself looking more like my mother's family it is a wonderful thing because they beauty is intensified with the variety? you know what I mean? they all have this beautiful skin that looks golden mixed with a copper redness, and their hair is a nice mixture of African thickness and curly softness. Please do not mistake these descriptions as the ignorance of "good Hair light skinned people" this is just to describe the variety and beauty of my people or all of our people for that matter.

So please help a sista out because I know we have some very knowledgeable people in the "FAM" who can assist me with this.

[Justin]

I too am interested in knowing my complete background heritage. My great grandmother was indian but I have no idea was indian but I have no idea what tribe. I have always been interested but never asked anyone anything more about it.

I would love to help you do this research Msmoore. I'm off the next two days and I will have some more info for you within that time period. I'm actually excited!

Great description of your peoples, beautiful peoples! lol

I'll holla.

[Msmoore]

Good just I will be checking in for that info and I will try to research as well.

[Justin]

No prob.

Did you know they are the second largest indian tribe? I didn't know that. I found some links, the first is probably the best, I also copied some info from another site that you will find below the links. I know there is more info between blacks and indians, I'll still be searching but this should keep us both busy for a little bit.

Check out these links:
www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/cheroke2.htm

www.smokymtnmall.com/mall/cindians.html

www.tolatsga.org/Cherokee1.html




Cherokee, indigenous people of North America

(chĕr´kç) , largest Native American group in the United States. Formerly the largest and most important tribe in the Southeast, they occupied mountain areas of North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. The Cherokee language belongs to the Iroquoian branch of the Hokan-Siouan linguistic stock (see Native American languages).

By the 16th cent., the Cherokee had a settled, advanced culture based on agriculture. Hernando De Soto visited them in 1540. They were frequently at war with the Iroquois tribes of New York but proved generally valuable allies for the British against the French. Soon after 1750, smallpox destroyed almost half the tribe. Formerly friendly with Carolina settlers, they were provoked into war with the colonists in 1760, and two years followed before the Cherokee sued for peace.

In 1820 they adopted a republican form of government, and in 1827 they established themselves as the Cherokee Nation, with their capital at New Echota, in N Georgia, under a constitution providing for an elective principal chief, a senate, and a house of representatives. Literacy was aided by the invention of a Cherokee syllabic alphabet by Sequoyah. Its 85 characters, representing the syllables of the Cherokee language, permitted the keeping of tribal records and, later, the publication of newspapers.

The 1830s discovery of gold in Cherokee territory resulted in pressure by whites to obtain their lands. A treaty was extracted from a small part of the tribe, binding the whole people to move beyond the Mississippi River within three years. Although the Cherokee overwhelmingly repudiated this document and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the nation's autonomy, the state of Georgia secured an order for their removal, which was accomplished by military force. President Andrew Jackson refused to intervene, and in 1838 the tribe was deported to the Indian Territory (now in Oklahoma). Thousands died on the march, known as the "Trail of Tears," or from subsequent hardships. Their leader at this time and until 1866 was Chief John Ross.

The Cherokee made their new capital at Tahlequah (Okla.), instituted a public school system, published newspapers, and were the most important of the Five Civilized Tribes. In the U.S. Civil War their allegiance was divided between North and South, with large contingents serving on each side. By a new treaty at the close of the war they freed their black slaves and admitted them to tribal citizenship. In 1891 they sold their western territorial extension, known as the Cherokee Strip; in 1902 they approved the division of the reservation into allotments; and in 1906 tribal sovereignty was abolished. Tribal entities still exist, however, and many Oklahoma Cherokee live on tribal landholdings. With a 1990 population of about 370,000, the Cherokee, while scattered, are by far the largest Native American group in the United States. Close to 6,000, descendants of the few who successfully resisted removal or returned after the removal, live on the Eastern Cherokee (Qualla) reservation in W North Carolina.

[Msmoore]

This is great Justine, my family came from South Carolina so I am going to try to find out about that area as well.

[Justin]

Guess what Msmoore? I spoke with my grandmother about her mother being an indian. I asked her what tribe was she and she was Cherokee too! There is supposidly a picture of her mother who was an indian too lying around somewhere. I hope to help her find it.

[Msmoore]

OOOOOH SOOKY SOOKY NOw perhaps we have some distant blood relative?
I plan on getting in touch with my Aunt in Ohio she has a lot of information as well as pictures of my family.

[Justin]

Yep, we might be related. I'll have to wait to get that pic, it may be lost or damaged cause the family member who has it lives (or lived) in New Orleans. That pic is under water now.

You should call up whoever you can and get all the info, pics and copies of pics you can for yourself, ya know? This is quite exciting.

[Justin]

Hey Msmoore,

Did you find any more info?

[Fela]

My younger sister is half Cherokee
{ her dad was born & raised on a reservation } a few years ago I helped her
research her culture and I have a few links that may help you out .

One thing I should point out is when / if corresponding with any Tribal sites
never , NEVER refer to the culture / tribe as Indian ....that's a white-mans term of ignorance because of the skin tone found in Native peoples .
" They are dark ...must be Indian "....as in India . Sadly , many Native folks will still call themselves Indian , it's sort of like hearing an elderly person refer to themselves as " coloured "...not terribly offensive but not a preferred expression either ...just so ya know ; )

Moving on from there ...Cherokee tribes are very close and well documented
and do in fact consider all Native people as family . So you two are related ...

In most states in the country we found a Native American council web-site
knowing your tribe helps narrow the search , but keep in mind within tribes there are many sub-groups . Many Cherokee were forced into reservations in other States no where near the tribe they grew up in . You may find East Coast / Mid West Cherokee sites , so knowing where your people were born is a big key to tracing relatives / family trees .

Here's a few sites we found helpful ~

this is a great general resource , also there are very helpful links ~
www.greatdreams.com/native.htm

this is a inter-tribal site , again helpful links ~
www.intertribal.net/NAT/NATribes.htm

possibly my favourite site
www.comanchelodge.com/chickamauga-cherokee.html

one last thing , a lot of sites offer blood lineage test ....where with a blood sample your ethnic background can be uncovered . The test themselves are not a scam it can be very useful however keep this in mind ;
All peoples with Native ancestry will show up as "Of African decent " it will show in " percentage of ..." it does not isolate tribe , it can not distinguish between African decent or Native decent only ; Caucasian , Asian , African .
Not a very good value if you already know you are of African / Native decent.
You may get a surprise and find you have Asian , this is also a common result in Full native/ African people ....We really are One world !

I have a company that is very reliable and will not scam you if you are interested in the blood test , let me know I'll pass it on .

Keep us up-dated on the search and let me know if you want more leads.

Be Well ~

[Justin]

Wow! Thanks for the info Fela. You have a lot of valuable information! I definetly want to take that test. How much does it cost?

[Msmoore]

I am intersted as well so please forward the info?

[Grits]

This is a great thread, as my beautiful grandmother is half-Cherokee. I do believe she said my family also has Apache, but i will research & check that out. So ya'll know my grandmother is from Monroe, Louisiana...so anyone there with the last name Bracey or if you know of anyone let me know because she said they were pretty much centralized there, here we fam.

I will mos def check out these sites! Great info!!!