Do we have enough Native Americans to have a DU Group?

[mandyky]

I am 1/8 Mohawk Iroquois. Especially in the Eastern US, having "Indian" ancestry is a good thing usually. So are there enough of us here on DU?

[prodigal_green]

1. Tsagali in da house!

a.k.a Cherokee

[mandyky]

58. The Native American Group is now active

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=312

[Mabus]

2. I qualify

Got my CDIB (full size certificate, not just a card) right here.

[bucknaked]

3. 1/2 Hopi here.

My Mother attended nursing school here in MN, where she met the old man. ;)

[Kadie]

4. Cherokee.

:hi:

[madmom]

5. my mother's grandmother was...

Native American, but I don't know how to go about finding out any of the particulars.

[XOKCowboy]

6. One of my grandmothers was..

full-blood Delaware ("adopted" Cherokee) and my other grandmother was an original allottee Osage. I'm interested.

[HEyHEY]

7. Does 1/16 count?

[mandyky]

8. Even non Natives are welcome!

I am mostly Caucasian and I post in the AA forum. I just figured with the wild horse issue, and budget cuts, our Native brothers and sisters need a place to talk. After all, Great White Father has broken every other treaty made with us over the years. We know this king george could care less about anyone below his tax bracket, treaties notwithstanding.

[G_j]

9. in that case

I'd be happy to join :-)

[newyawker99]

10. kick

[LittleClarkie]

11. I'm 1/16th Cherokee

But then, aren't we all.

[mandyky]

12. LOL - Met an AZ NA in the 70's

and when I told him I was NA he sneered at me - "let me guess -Cherokee". I think I flabbergasted him when I said no, Iroquois. Apparently there are a lot of Cherokee out there, eh?

[LittleClarkie]

13. Near as I understand they were a very "civilized" tribe

ie: integrated into society.

But then I haven't done a ton of research. I was pleased to hear that the Cherokee people don't make a distinction as to whether or not someone is Cherokee. You either is or you ain't. If you say you are "part" Cherokee, then which part, your left foot? It's more in what you do that how much of it you are, I've been told.

Will Rogers is also Cherokee, did you know that? One of his less cuddly quotes had something to do with Thanksgiving being the day white folk get together and celebrate taking more land from the Indian (something like that). Freaked me out. But then I think he did bill himself as the Indian Cowboy at one point.

Actually, I'm Heinz 57:
Mom's side
Norweigian
Swedish
Danish

Dad's side:
German
French
English
Indian (just the one)
and Italian

I also just recently found out that the French branch were Huguenots. Protestant from waaay back.

[mandyky]

14. They had a written language

I just re-watched 500 Nations this weekend. One reason why there are so many Cherokee was the govt moved them from TN and elsewhere to GA.
Then gold was discovered in GA, and wha la the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee fought being moved for over 5 years. Anyway, many Cherokee wound up in OK.

Anyone with Dishnetwork, check out the NYT Discovery channel - #192.
They run all 8 episodes of 500 Nations at least once a month. Very enlightening.

[Titooqanaawit]

15. Count me in

Living on Nez Perce rez right now and studying the language.

[mandyky]

23. Is your screen name Nez Perce?

What does it mean in English, if so?

[newyawker99]

40. Hi Titooqanaawit!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[jdj]

56. well, some Cherokee didn't go.

some hid successfully in the mountains.

very successfully.

I was amazed when I lived in Sylva NC how many times a day I would see apparently full-blooded native americans walk into the store where I worked.

[BamaGirl]

16. Do you know much about your Huguenots?

My dad's family was Scottish and Huguenot. I suspect they were not a fun crowd lol. ;) I have the Huguenot line researched to where/when/how they arrived in Va, but it is pretty much a complete mystery before that.

As far as NA goes, my grandmother (mom's side) is Cherokee from the NC reservation.

[LittleClarkie]

17. My memory stinks

I think they arrived in Virginia close to Tennessee, my sister said, in the latter 1700s. She's told me but I keep forgetting. She'd wanted to get a family tree done for our dad, but he's gone now. Anyway, I told her I'm still interested even though I'm not the one she was doing it for. Hopefully she will still complete it.

Would it be possible for there to be Cherokees in Ohio? For some reason, I think I remember my sister saying the German part of the family was from there, and I know it was a German who got it together with the one lone Native American in the fam.

My mom used to try and say we were old southern aristocracy. We sure had fallen into decline, if so. But apparently the warehouse that was turned into Libby Prison (Civil War prison for Yankees) was originally in our family (not something to really brag about I suppose, except people have heard of it.)

The English part of the family seems to have been quite old, though I don't know when they landed. The name sounds quite old: Loving. And obviously the French were came over pretty early too.

Hey, does that make me an elitist? :D

There is a picture of a doll somewhere that used to be in our family that was used to hide messages that went back and forth across the Mason Dixon line. There is also a letter from a relative who describes how she went across the border between North and South looking for her husband. A Yankee officer was kind enough to send her on home again before she got her Reb self killed.

I need to try and find things around the house now that both parents are gone.

[semillama]

32. Ohio native groups

There's an outside chance that your ancestor was Cherokee, but more likely a Shawnee for that time period. Could also be Lenape (Delaware), Mingo, Wyandot, Miami.

I have a probable Tennessee Cherokee ancestor, back in the 1800s. Saw a photograph of her as an old lady, looked native to me. I'm as skeptical of Cherokee ancestry as anyone else, but it is in part of the old Cherokee territory, and she could have been part of a group that successfully resisted relocation. Oh well, not that much information, so take it as you will. I'm far more Polish and Lithuanian than any possible indian thing.

[jdj]

55. apparently, I read a poem once by a

woman who is menominee that had a line that said "and please don't ever again tell me about your cherokee great great grandmother".

[Chomskyite]

18. Depends on the definition

Does 1/128th Choctaw qualify?

[mandyky]

20. No need to actually be Native American

Just have an interest in issues pertaining to Native People.
For instance, TNT is coming out with an epic saga this spring - Into the West. We might wanna discuss that. Kevin Costner did a series 500 Nations, we might wanna discuss that. We may also want to have a reading list.

[La Femme]

19. I am 1/8 Cherokee inherited from my father's side. n/t

[harlinchi]

21. My great-grandfather was Mi'kmaq (Micmac). He married an off-the-boat

Irish immigrant. Their oldest daughter was my mother's mother. She married a Caucasian-appearing Black of Black/German ancestry. Oh, it's a right lively stew! Dadgum interesting, though, and fun.

[gorbal]

64. Cool!

I'm part Micmac as well, I'm not sure how much. It was kept very hush-hush in my family for a long time.

The strange thing is, so many people are part native American and don't know it. I wonder how it is so well hidden in families.

[mandyky]

22. So, anyone wanna help write a mission statement for our group?

We've reached the critical mass of 10 interested people, nowit's on to step 2! LOL

[necso]

25. How about this:

Native American Group: A group dedicated to the discussion of Native American affairs, issues, history and culture. Non-native wellwishers are welcome to participate in the discussions as long as this is done in an appropriately civil and respectful manner.

"Friends" sounds better than "wellwishers", but "friend" means different things to different people, and "wellwisher" is more precise -- and less presumptuous.

But I actually prefer "friends".

[G_j]

28. clear and inclusive

to me

[mandyky]

30. I second the motion!

I'll submit it to the Ask the Administrators and let you all know what they say...

[jdj]

57. just make the adjective a noun

"non-native" or "non native americans" are welcome to participate.

[bigtree]

24. Didya know?

More Americans identify themselves as having some measure of Indian ancestry than is actually possible.

[H2O Man]

27. That is a point

that Vine DeLoria makes in "Custer Died For Your Sins." And that actually brings up a far more important point: all human beings have ancestors who lived in tribal culture. It doesn't matter -- at all -- if you are black, brown, red, yellow, or white. Your ancestors were tribal people, who had various "local" customs and practices that tend to follow what the Haudenosaunee refer to as The Original Instructions. Climate and means of production/accumulated wealth were the two factors that would distinguish some tribes from others as hunting & gathering slowly was replaced by agriculture and herding.

I think it is worth noting that almost without exception, tribal people's name for themselves translates to "the People." My own family has members and mixtures of all the "tribes" (there are no "races," just tribes), and I spent 25 years as an assistant to an Onondaga Chief, who was selected by the Haudenosaunee Grand Council of Chiefs to serve as the Gauyesa Toyentha. In a very real sense, the work I did with him was to try to wake people up to the fact that they come from ancestors who grasped a tribal wisdom that is still available to ALL of us.

[bigtree]

29. The 'first' People.

[G_j]

38. very nicely said

I could add from my own perspective that one of the aspects of my interest in Native American culture, history, spirituality, rights issues etc. is that these are the peoples and cultures that originally developed and lived for thousands of years on this continent. The land I now call my home is the same land with the the same plants, animals, geography etc. (although sadly diminished) and I truly love the beauty, the spirit(s) of this land.
The roots of oneness and connection to the natural world are the roots of the original peoples. In a sense, understanding these roots is a journey to 'home' for me.

The dominant culture, of which I am a part, severely damaged the "sacred hoop" of life on this continent. I think we are suffering to this day from the imbalance.

There is a huge controversy over whites as "wanna-be" Indians.
There is a line of respect that needs to be acknowledged by those from the dominant culture. At the same time there are many who recognize the imbalance and great emptiness in our culture.
For me this is a larger issue that effects us all.

[pookieblue]

26. My mother was/is Comanche

I never know what to say or how to say it.. since she is gone now.

Anyhow that would make me half Comanche but I hate saying half or part so I usually just say that I am a Comanche mix. Hey if it's good enough for my cat who is a Turkish Angora mix- this it's good enough for me.

[FLSurfer]

31. GrandFather was Commanche, GrandMother

was Pawnee. I am a mutt.
Although I have interest in my heritage, I have not lived with the predjudices or circumstances they face. My mom is white and I am physically and visually considered a caucasian, so it would be wrong for me to call myself a Native American.
But, I would love to see a DU Group.

[mandyky]

33. To the people who replied without a star, please consider

donating to DU. Only people with stars are allowed to post to DU Groups. Thanks!

[La Femme]

46. Just mailed in a donation last week.

I expect it will take a couple of weeks to receive my star status.

[Deep13]

34. Grandfather's grandmother was 1/2 Indian...

...I haven't figured out the fraction, but it is pretty low. Does that count?

[mandyky]

36. Sure, no need to have any Indian blood

I had a therapist who was Jewish but practiced Native American Spirituality (Oglala Soiux, I think). He went to sun dances and did the mountain top manhood iniation, and the whole 9. While I am 1/8 NA, I was not raised in the culture. But I did go to Arizona on a spiritual working vacation about 10 years ago. I made Native Heritage jewelry andlove NA spirituality.

[GumboYaYa]

35. My great grandfather is Blackfoot.

That makes me 1/8 Blackfoot, but you would never know it from looking at me.

[all.of.me]

37. i would join so i could learn!

i'm pure euro mutt.......

[mandyky]

41. Feel free to join us once we get started

I am hoping we do a lot of "reeducation" on Native Peoples' History.

[all.of.me]

44. i live in taos, nm....

...but before i moved here 20 years ago, i was ignorant of native issues. i've learned a lot, but still have a ways to go. and of course, there are things i'll never be able to know!

[kohodog]

39. My great grandmother was Shawnee

That and a couple of bucks gets me a cup of coffee. But probably does explain my inexorable interest in the mountains, deer, bear, etc.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

42. 1/32+1/32+1/16=1/8

1/32 Crow
1/16 Cherokee
1/32 unknown NW tribe

I would love a DU group!

Raven

[mandyky]

43. Love your sig line!!

LOL
Look forward to chatting with youin the NA Group once it is set up. :)

[mandyky]

45. Anyone who has posted have access to Demopedia?

I can't seem to sign up, yet, and we'll want to work on a section for Native People.

[mandyky]

47. Native American Group is now active!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=312

[GreenArrow]

48. Two branches on Father's side

Monocan (way back) and Cherokee (Father's grandmother), both documented through official records. Possibly some Creek as well.

[GreenArrow]

49. well, I was going to post in the groups section

but you have to be a "donor." I'll be there in spirit.

[mandyky]

50. ooh, sorry about that

maybe we can get you a donor to help out (I am poor money wise too)

[GreenArrow]

54. 'ppreciate the thought

But one of the reasons I chose not to donate this time around is due to the exclusion of non-donors from posting in groups. I just found out I couldn't click on the replies to my posts either, since I'm not a donor.

Maybe next fund drive. Actually I plan to spend a lot less time on DU for a while; all the continual bad news and bickering is very depressing. Plus, it'll give me a chance to spend more time outdoors, reading books, playing guitar and everything else I used to do before I became a computer addict. It's a lot healthier for me to just check in on the news every once in a while than it is to do a lot of posting.

I'm really glad to see you doing this work on the group though; Indians are really the forgotten minority in this country.

[Chico Man]

51. Fiance is Eastern Pequot (nt)

[skids]

52. I'm TOLD I have blood.

But no idea what tribe, or even what relative. I'm something like 1/32 or 1/64th of something or other. So I don't even feel right stepping forward and saying I am since I have absolutely no cultural ties.

[William Bloode]

53. Almost full blooded eastern Tsalagi.

I would be very interested.

[KurtNYC]

59. Part Crow, part Blackfoot

but mostly anglo.

[Ani Yun Wiya]

60. How many is "enough"?

I will join.

[mandyky]

63. Don't need any Indian blood - just be a DU donor and start posting to

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=312

[carolinayellowdog]

61. Took a DNA test to find out about my "mulatto" ancestors

NC colonial records threw any white/Indian or white/African mixtures into that category, and I have three families who were so classified. DNA Print test said Most Likely Estimate (MLE) was 100% Euro but at the second confidence interval it could be up to 8% NA and 2% African.

Given three documented lines of "mulatto" ancestry and those test results, in light of geography the NA could have been Tuscarora, Chowan, Meherrin, Nottoway, or Nansemond.

Will join the group and thanks for creating it.

[librechik]

62. great gramma was Pottawattamie

:smoke:

I suppose someone needs to say "Let's 49!"

[KyndCulture]

65. 1/2 Cherokee here.... nt

[mandyky]

66. The DU group for Native Indians is active

I've been PMing all who post to this thread. If anyone knows a DUer who is interested inNative culture, please let them know about the group.

[mandyky]

67. kick