Native American heritage

[RethugAssKicker]

Why do so many Americans (black or white) these days seem to claim Native American heritage?... Its kind of like the "IN" thing to do. Has anyone else noticed this? I remember when I was growing up in the 60's, the mainstream propaganda was that indians were savages , murderers and hopeless drunks.. Now everyone wants to claim some percentage of "Indian" blood in them... Its so hilarious.

[KitchenWitch]

Three words: Indian Gaming Revenues

[trotsky]

1. They're hoping to get a cut of casino profits?

:shrug:

[Dora]

2. Native Americans can marry/procreate and have children too

It's not hard to figure out.

I for one knew a woman who was part Apache but she could never have her heritage certified - her grandfather had been taken from the tribe and sent to a boarding school until the age of 18. Of course, there are no records of this.

And what's so hilarious about people claiming Native American heritage? They are our indigenous peoples. If it were so, I'd be as proud to be of Navajo lineage as I am of my German heritage.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Exactly, I think it's about people wanting to identify with where they

came from.

What's wrong with wanting to honor one's ancestry anyway? Esp in this case, since people looking into the Native heritage may have a chance at learning what heinous crimes were perpetrated against them over the years.

[Sparkman]

16. The repression continues...plans to dump nuke waste on reservations;

the push special higher tax rates on Calif. casinos (prop.68), instead of just std. corp. tax schedules; public services restrictions on reservation localities; criminalization of traditional American rituals like peyote; desicration of native burial grounds (it takes an act of God to trash a cemetary); and continual contempt by whites for traditional history and the genocide of MILLIONS.
Sorry for the rant. Does the truth hurt? Not as much as the suffering of those who lived the life on concentration camps for the native peoples.

[GreenPartyVoter]

19. It's unreal how they are second class citizens and so few people care.

[Sparkman]

22. So visit a casion, even if you don't gamble. VEGAS is great for me, but...

the local casino's are a new way to play & pay some tribute.
Is the mafia still in vegas, or has it all gone legit or corporate?

[GreenPartyVoter]

They tried to start a casino here in Maine and we voted it down because

too much of the cut was going to corporate HQ. Not a fair deal for the Natives.

[RethugAssKicker]

4. Oh so would I

but I think half the people who claim that heritage are not telling the truth.

[GreenArrow]

10. some of them probably aren't

some probably actually believe they do without having any evidence to back it up. We had a legend on my Dad's side of the family that there was Indian blood, later confirmed through genealogical researches. In fact, I have Indian blood in two places. But even before I knew it, I claimed it.

Other than that, maybe some claim it as an antidote to a corrupt, materialistic, and disharmonious society.

[Liberal Dose]

5. We call them "Pretendians" and I'm in the middle of a lawsuit with one who

perjured himself by claiming to be an "American Indian" on a vital record. Pretendians are disgusting creatures. I wish everyone who falsely claimed heritage had to climb into the wayback machine to see how "cool" it was. I also find the term "Native American" to be offensive and wish people would stop using it. I also wish that every person who claims to have a grandmother who was a "Cherokee princess" :puke: would just vaporize the instant they say it. Other than that, I'm okay with the rest. I really have calmed down over the years concerning this stuff, though. I swear it!

[kittenpants]

9. I always thought Native American was the most accurate term

because american Indian is a misnomer. what is a better term? I'm sorry if that sounds ignorant...

[Liberal Dose]

15. Not ignorant at all. Anyone who was born here is a native American, so I

don't understand why only Indigenous people are supposed to fit the term. Our ancestors here simply called themselves "the human beings" and I personally prefer just plain "Indian."

[Sparkman]

23. Because forgetting history fogs the present, maybe? just a thought.

[Liberal Dose]

30. I think you're right. We can't go back in time and change the way things

came about, but it's good to remember so as not to repeat mistakes. I'm not part of the "give me back my land" crowd, but I do LMAO every time some repuke tells me to leave his or her country. I suppose I could go to Italy, Scotland or Ireland :beer: and force them to take me in.

[RethugAssKicker]

13. ROTFLMAO

[Sparkman]

17. there must be a DNA validation, like anthropoligsts utilize for race trace

[Liberal Dose]

18. Exactly. The person I'm dealing with is French Canadian and Polish and

that's it. Apparently he thinks he's Grey Owl Jr.

[Gormy Cuss]

21. "cherokee princess" is a definite tip-off --LOL n/t

[Lorien]

37. Bill Clinton told my cousin (a politician herself and Chippewa) that the

actual percentage of those considered to be Native American (or Indian, if you prefer) is less than one percent of the American population-which is the reason that most politicians ignore them and Native issues completely (with casinos and land rights being the only exceptions).

[Liberal Dose]

38. The rules were made by the tribes or nations themselves. A person only has

to prove 1/32 of Cherokee blood to legally claim heritage and all land rights and revenues that may be attached. I think 1/4 is the overall average to prove race. I'd have to go check the BIA website to see if they have any information, but anyway, you're right. The Cherokees were the only ones who thought about dilution ahead of time. The percentage of true indigenous people would be a lot higher if the blood quantum rules weren't so strict.

[Sparkman]

6. MILLIONS of cases of opportunistic relations, rapes and some marriages

produced a large population of non-white decendants.
The genetic advantage, if not the societal stigma, has to be good news. Diversity, NOT eugenics, enable offspring to survive a changing world. And now it's kool in my circles, so why not flaunt it!

[kittenpants]

7. Maybe it is the "in" thing to do now, but I prefer that to being ashamed

of Native American ancestry. I have some which I am proud of for some reason, but I don't constantly tout it either... maybe because I am very fair & feel like people would laugh at me claiming NA heritage. can you give an example of what you're talking about? Is it celebrities or just people you know?

[RethugAssKicker]

25. Both, but primarily

people I know, or overhear.

[K-W]

8. I think you answered your own question.

Now that the stigma has largely faded families that used to hide that part of thier history are now freely discussing it.

As far as why people are so enthusiastic about thier heritage, thats hardly an isolated phenomenom, people like to learn about thier roots.

[Spider Jerusalem]

11. That depends on who's doing it and where...

a lot of Americans probably DO have at least some Native American ancestry; generations or even centuries back in a lot of cases, but still there. For instance, one of my ancestors 13 generations back was a Montauk Indian. There's almost 0 chance that I inherit any DNA from her, and I am very much "white" and Anglo, but that's still part of my heritage.

Also, most Americans probably don't know the names of their great-great-grandparents...so a myth of having native ancestors (even if one doesn't) can give some people a sense of connection to something older and larger than themselves, that has a touch of romance about it.

[proud patriot]

12. I myself have Native American in me 1/16th to be exact

Seminole and Cherokee . Many Americans whose ancestors were
from the south have Cherokee and Seminole .

I'm very proud of my Native American Roots and very
connected to them .

When people ask me what my religion is I tell them
Native American Philosophy . Usually make their eyes
goes screwy but they write it down :shrug:

I'm also very proud of my Irish, Scottish and English
roots too .

I thinks it's a good thing if people are learning about
who they are and embrace their own diversity .

Aren't we all Heinz 57 yet ?

[kittenpants]

14. Is it true that the Seminole tribe is made up of remnants of other tribes?

someone posted that on DU the other day & I thought that was pretty interesting/touching but also very sad.

[manic expression]

24. I'm not sure but...

I think the "Seminoles" are a group of peoples in modern-day Florida (their culture, namely their dress is MUCH different than other tribes). Some of their clans (extended families) are now extinct, however, Seminoles were never fully conquered by Europeans.

Again, I'm not sure, but that's what I can tell you.

(edited: 'were' to 'are')

[medeak]

20. so true..family denied grandmother being Indian

as embarrasing. Things have certainly changed. Family doc who delivered me put "other" race on birth certificate to get even.

[electron_blue]

26. They exist - and it's easier to admit/claim your heritage

I grew up with a grandfather who would change the subject and even walk out of the room if anyone mentioned his Native American grandmother. When *he* grew up, the law of the land was such that if you had any "colored" blood in your heritage you could not own land. His family totally surpressed her background to the point of refusing to even talk about her. They could have lost everything if word got out that his father was "colored". There was a huge stigma for his generation and those closely following, as we all know.

My father has recently re-claimed his NA history, to the point of participating in some of the culture near his home. It's a small percentage of his genetic heritage, that's for sure. Why is it hilarious to want to claim that? Would it be less hilarious if he decided to embrace his just-as-low percentage of French heritage? Maybe.

[RethugAssKicker]

27. I say its hilarious

becuase many people are lieing about it.

[Lars39]

29. I never thought of it from that angle before.

That helps explain some things. My husband's great grandmother was
Cherokee, and from the photo, looks to be 100%, native costume and all.
She was so hush hush, I was a member of the family for 20 years before I had ever heard of her.
She was just not talked about until my MIL got on a genealogy kick and started researching.

[Liberal Dose]

31. That's not hilarious, it's genuine. The funny ones are those who lie about

it.

[Ariana Celeste]

28. I'm sure many lie about it.

Just as many, I'm sure, are honest about it. I'm white as white can be but you can still see it in my bone structure. Just a little bit, I couldn't even tell you the percentage; I'm not worried about it.
Many settlers raped, coupled with, or married Native Americans, it's no big secret.

[Kraklen]

32. tribal benefits.

I'm sure the most racist whites would come out of the wood working claiming they were black if reparations are ever paid.

[Spider Jerusalem]

33. There's a catch there, though.

For most tribes that I know of, one has to be of at least 1/16 native ancestry to be considered a member of the tribe and thus eligible for any benefits.

[electron_blue]

34. not true

the 1/16th rule is an external rule, not usually a tribal rule. Most of the tribes I'm familiar with retain absolute rights to determine who to admit, and will even admit people of 100% white descent if they want to (such as marrying into the tribe).

[Spider Jerusalem]

35. Ah.

Missed the "tribal benefits" thing. I was thinking along the lines of Federal benefits (to which the restriction applies).

[jmm]

36. I've read that only about 1/8 people can name

all of their great grandparents. It's more common that not for people not to have details or be confused about their heritage. Now that there's less of a stigma attached to being Native American and people are more open to embarrassing all of their heritage less people are going to hide it. Many are going on bad info but I think most people's intentions are good. If not then you'd see a whole lot more people trying to get all of these supposed great benefits that are just jumping in the laps of Native Americans.

[earth mom]

39. Not sure...

but I have to tell you that I really like your user name! :)

[RethugAssKicker]

42. Thanks

and I've done it literally! (kick republican ass!!)

[UncleSepp]

40. Are they the same ones that used to be Irish?

That was very "in" for a while, too. Everyone had to be part Irish, which not only made them Irish but mysteriously Celtic. Like they were going to start disappearing into fairy mounds or having trees talk to them. Being Scottish was hot before that. Both nationalities have been also called savages, murderers, and hopeless drunks. It probably has to do with people wanting to be part of something, and also with the nearly-as-bad romantic "noble savage" mentality.

It goes in cycles what's fashionable and what's not. I had one hell of a time trying to research my own ancestry, because throughout the generations, most of my ancestors lied about where they were from. The "French" ones were Danish, and the "English" ones were Welsh and German. Not only that, but some of the Welsh and German ancestors seem to have been Jewish too. People omit the truth of who they are and who their parents are when they must, and later generations fill in the holes with what they want to see.

In an uglier sense, the fascination with being part this or part that also has to do with an idea that who we are as people is determined by our blood. It is a sign of belief not only in the concept of race, but in the unity of race, culture, and character. When a person claims a part in a particular spirituality based on ancestry, or even when a person denies another a part in a particular spirituality based on ancestry, that person displays a belief in the racial soul. Yes, people claiming ancestry they don't have is a sign of past and present problems. People caring who claims what is also a sign of a problem.

[mtnester]

41. Lineage/Ancestry is sometime hard to prove

as the documentation is so abysmally scant. Our family story, passed from generation to generation, is that my G-G grandmother's father had an Indian girlfriend, and when she became pregnant, she gave the child to him because he was being ostracized by the tribe, and after she did that, she returned to the tribe. That little girl was my GG Grandmother, and she was sent WAY north in Ohio to be raised by another family. She eventually returned to the area as a grown woman, and proceeded through a couple of marriages, one of which ended in divorce. She was 6'3", and her pictures, as old as they are, show her to be CLEARLY Native American. My father remembers her from when he was a little boy, and she had a reputation for ruling the house with an iron will that made most of our male relations scared of her...plus she was bigger than them.

I tend her grave right along with all my grandmothers who are buried in our area (along with my mom's who joined them tragically last summer). Her gravestone is more than 10' tall...which is rumored to be her ex-husbands last laugh on her as he paid for it, and it IS the tallest stone in the cemetary...it sticks out like a sore thumb. But it is nice that all the grandmas for many generations are all in one place, and the previous couple of generations are only a few miles away.

So, we only have the family story and some photo documentation, but I have always found stories about her to be a delight, and feel I have a lot of her "stone will" in myself.

My Scots ancestry, however, can be documented back to the 1100's. Angelo's sure like to write about themselves :)