doing genealogy has led me to examine realities and attitudes

[bobbieinok]

regarding Native Americans

Some of what I have found and some of the questions:

--I may be descended from Pochahantas, so for me she's moved from mostly a myth to more of a real person. And now I have questions about whites and Indian women, sexism and .....

--Several ancestors may haved died in the Indian massacre of whites in 1622 colonial Virginia. This was Pochahantas' tribe, so what happened to supposedly change the relationship from Pochahantas' time and later? Of course, this really means what WAS the relationship between the whites and the Indians at the time of Pochahantas?

--One of my ex's ancestors was John Mason, who led the colonial force against the Pequot Indians. So now I want to know, why did the colonials decide the Indians 'had' to be removed??

Most of what I previously 'knew' about white and Native American relations was restricted to the 19th century. And it has always been pretty clear to me that the whites didn't have much of any morality or righteousness on their side (see the Trail of Tears).

Now I have many more questions, going further back.

Any comments, suggestions for reading/research would be welcome.

[cleofus1]

1. hi there!

my advice to you is to either purchase or rent kevin costner in 500 nations...that will answer your questions either directly or indirectly...it is very long and will take you a day or two to watch, but that is becouse the history of the clash between the two cultures is neither simple nor short...
do it! do it now! i command you!:rant:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002S65WC/qid=1143453744/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-2969643-3673405?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=130

amazon review:

"With six episodes spread out over four discs and a running time of well over six hours (in addition to an interactive CD-ROM filled with extra features), director-producer Jack Leustig's sprawling 500 Nations, a history of Indians in North America, is likely the most comprehensive effort of its kind ever undertaken.
Mention the word "Indian," and most will conjure up images inspired by myths and movies: teepees, headdresses, and war paint; Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Crazy Horse, and their battles (like Little Big Horn) with the U.S. Cavalry. Those stories of the so-called "horse nations" of the Great Plains are all here, but so is a great deal more. Using impressive computer imaging, photos, location film footage and breathtaking cinematography, interviews with present-day Indians, books and manuscripts, museum artifacts, and more, Leustig and his crew go back more than a millennium to present an fascinating account of Indians, including those (like the Maya and Aztecs in Mexico and the Anasazi in the Southwest) who were here long before white men ever reached these shores.

It was the arrival of Europeans like Columbus, Cortez, and DeSoto that marked the beginning of the end for the Indians. Considering the participation of host Kevin Costner, whose film Dances with Wolves was highly sympathetic to the Indians, it's no bulletin that 500 Nations also takes a compassionate view of the multitude of calamities--from alcohol and disease to the corruption of their culture and the depletion of their vast natural resources--visited on them by the white man in his quest for land and money, eventually leading to such horrific events as the Trail of Tears "forced march," the massacre at Wounded Knee, and other consequences of the effort to "relocate" Indians to the reservations where many of them still live. Along the way, we learn about the Indians' participation in such events as the American Revolution and the War of 1812, as well as popular legends like the first Thanksgiving (it really happened) and the rescue of Captain John Smith by Pocahontas (it probably didn't)."

[bobbieinok]

2. thanks for the suggestion

[CountAllVotes]

3. after 10 years of research ....

I just found my Cherokee/Choctaw great grandfather. He was killed by a train in Tennessee in 1932.

I've been lucky enough to have been hooked up with an 85 year old Cherokee man that lives in the same place where he did (Monroe County, TN) and he told me that the reason I cannot find any records of my old grandfather and his family is because he was one of the "Old Settlers" in Tennessee. It seems he was hid in the caves of Tennessee along with the rest of his family to avoid having to go on the Trail of Tears.

The family changed their surname as well according to this elder I found. This is likely the best resource if you happen to find one (an elder from the tribe). He wants me to travel to Tennessee to talk with him more and go fishing with him on the river they all fished on.

Alas, I have found them and now I know the truth and I really want to go to Tennessee to meet up with him. :D

A very sad story yes, but a happy ending perhaps.