[1_optimistic]

anitabingamon wrote: This may be a HOT topic, folks. But do any of you get flack about seeking to learn about or going full-tilt into your NA heritage? I haven’t, until recently.

In both incidents, it was like the person was expecting me to become an “Instant Indian.” I do have a little NA ancestry, but don’t know enough about my Cherokee and Blackfoot/Saponi to “instantly” be one on demand. I understand people identifying and totally respect that, but I am uncomfortable about suddenly taking on something I know next to nothing about, just to prove I am NA. I just know that both of my parents claimed NA heritage as well as both my grandmothers.

Also, I was surprised at the amount of prejudice from one person whom I thought was family. “If you were (a certain ethnic group), would you want to learn about that heritage?” And I said it was possible, and he shut up. I am quite “Mixed.” 😀 I can understand if not agree with the prejudice, and I can understand when people going overboard and demanding that others play Indian, Jewish, Hillbilly – whatever culture, and getting mad if I don’t play along with them (I don’t like that side of that coin, either). But I don’t understand them not wanting me to learn about that part of my heritage.

I think it hurt more because those two people went down a few notches in my estimation of them when they were like that. I know you are supposed to forgive, but I have a hard time forgetting.

Anita B. aka “Sparrow”

I’ve experienced the same thing but be patient. Don’t give up but also be true to yourself. Search my posts whenever you have a free moment and you will find that I too experienced the same thing.

[tianicwanga]

1_optimistic wrote: I’ve experienced the same thing but be patient. Don’t give up but also be true to yourself. Search my posts whenever you have a free moment and you will find that I too experienced the same thing.

Is this a common thing especially for those of us that have either raised as either white or black because i am curently expierencing the same thing and it does hurt when it comes from your own family . My mather’s family is tri-racial with strong NA blood and they will only acknowlledge their AA ancestory eventhough my full uncles and aunts probably have more NA blood and as much white blood as AA blood and they look at me as if i am doing some kind of harm to the family just for trying to learn about our NA heritage.

[collins]

I think this must be a common theme. I know I have had a group within my Collins family that stead fastly refuse the notion of Native heritage and believe they are white only. Perhaps we are all right. Perhaps those branches that proclaim their Native heritage are Native and those branches claiming all white are white. Perhaps that is the conflict of mixed blood families, having both or three races represented phenotypically.

[JeffDB]

Hi, I just got a taste of this today in an e mail. I have a few different Native lines(Even though I’m mostly white). Recently from a Great Aunt I recently started talking to, I found out her Grandfather was part Indian. She also heard he was Black Dutch. Which I’m sure most here know usually is a term people used back then to hide their Native ancestry. I contacted a 3rd cousin who I’ve never met who I know does a lot of geneology. In bold letters she wrote my G Aunt was INCORRECT, and that he was NOT Indian.And that she must have been pulling my leg. I was kind of taken a back. I think he was of Indian descent especially because he was also said to be Black Dutch, but I don’t know why she put it back to me in bold letters? Maybe I got it wrong?

[Rick Cassidy]

Don’t get discouraged every/thing will come full circle eventually. And I am sure that when things do come full circle , our kin who deny our heratage will feel different . So again don’t give up evry/thing will be O.K.

Your Friend

Wind/Dancer

[judith]

Hi Beeleaf,

I came from a Family that never mentioned race at all, and it was best if we didn’t ask. My sisters and I always new we were mixed. Dad is 1/2 British and 1/2 Black, with fair skin. Mom is 1/2 Blackfoot and 1/2 Black, with very fair skin. which still puzzles me because Grandma had a red/brown skin tone.

I have never seen even pictures of my grandfather. so who knows.

My sisters and I finally got the nerve to ask mom about our heritage when I was in my early twentys. Mom was very vague, all she told us was that we were part Blackfoot, and where grandma was born. Everything else I learned about my bloodline I have had to find our one sneaky question at a time.

I went on ancestery.com to find the my grandma, its so strange to find them and to see the race they claimed they were. when I have pictures of her ( definately NA); You have to wonder about the census taker.

Judith

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