- This topic has 5 voices and 31 replies.
-
Posts
-
To all,
What I presented is the furthest from a status of greed as implied by CoheeLady. I for one have given over 95% of all my wealth, lands and time in the past 30 years to the advancement of tribal reconstruction, restoration and recognition. If I did not believe in what I was attempting I would have required that I be paid for everything presented. If I believed that such activity would create a status of slavery (children as assets), I would not have battled against the Superior Court of California, at my own expense and for a child of a tribe in which I did not belong to. These concepts I presented is what forced the state to return the child to the jurisdiction of the tribe, who in turn returned the child to the custody of the parent. Ask yourself, how many non recognized tribes have had their children returned from state jurisdiction to the jurisdiction of the non recognized Tribe? I have found none to date outside of what was accomplished in California. If I am wrong in my activities, and perceptions, then how come the state relinquished its jurisdiction? At least one Indian Child benefited by my activities, and the parent and tribe as well.
I do not fault CoheeLady for her understandings. Many have felt the same way, but they did not know or realize what is currently being done in their presence by the state. Remember if a tribe is truly sovereign, it alone maintains jurisdiction over its citizens… not the State!
By the way, I too have Turners, Woodson, Rogers, in my family. I never claim to be a representative of any of them. I am not a Chief, a Sachem, or anything within the leadership. I am mearly a person who made it his life’s goal to help others to help themselves. This is in reference to the statement “I may be a Turner, BUT YOU DON’T REPRESENT OUR FAMILY IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM. CoheeLady” I do, however, respect your position and would not entertain an activity to belittle your concerns. They are valid and constructive to assist in the clarification of my presentations. Thank you for being straight forward.
With respect for all
Cheroenhaka,
I don’t know where to begin, as you seem to have many questions, but all the answers!lol. I assume you are not even from Virginia, where the Nottaway live, or am I also wrong on this point? There are many American Indians that are proud to be citizens & have fought in Wars for the United States. You asked whether I could provide a Certificate of Citizenship for Indians, I do not have one, & I can’t speak for my ancestors, as they may or may not have had one. I can only tell you what I know, as I will not lie or guess. I do not have a regular birth certificate, I only have a registration of birth record, this was just recently found out when I looked at it, & also went to get a copy of it. The state of Virginia was the first to have a dept. of Vital Statistics. The person in charge was Dr. Walter Ashby Plecker, a Eugenics’ Movement member. He wanted a system to register all Indians,& non Indians so he could keep track of them. Plecker produced a list of surnames of those that claimed to be Indian & or passing for White , as he believed that there were no Indians unmixed with African American ancestry, he believed that no true Indians existed here. Such a ignorant man, he was. Our family surname was on his list twice. Due to the families that were of both European & Indian ancestry, like mine, they caused Plecker a lot of trouble, since we have no African American ancestry, only European & Indian. We didn’t fit into his theory about all Indians being part African. So his hatred towards American Indians left behind a paper trail of information, for families like ours. This list includes people on & off of reservations!!!
Now regarding the children, I know how it feels to be a Ward of the state. To be ripped from the home of your parents & taken out of school, even though I was a A student. The pain,& disrespect one goes through never goes away. As it lingers & makes one very bitter sometimes. However in my case, I wanted to prove everyone wrong. By being the best person, wife, & mother, that I could possibly be. I will never forget the caseworker, she was such an evil bitch. I was abused by a state worker, as they threw me onto the concrete floor. I woke up in the hospital with a hematoma (blood clot) on my brain.
As a citizen of the USA, I have only missed voting in one election, since I was of the legal age to vote. I do not take my freedom for granted, & am proud to be an American. Regarding your citizenship, the only way in America to LEGALLY renounce your citizenship is by moving to another country, but you can’t come back. How is it you are able to stay?
CoheeLady
To CoheeLady.
To answer your concerns regarding how I am able to stay in the US as a non citizen, the following applies:
1) I was born in a territory which is claimed by the US
2) I have a registered birth number in the US
3) I am a US National at birth due to the above status
4) I served in the US Army, Airforce, and National Guard starting in 1970 and completing in 1993.
5) I was honorably discharged from each military component that I served, and in the service to America, I was awarded two (2) National Defense Service Medals, Over seas services (Berlin), meritorious service awards as well.
6) I am 100% military service connected disabled as a consequence of my service to America.
Therefore, I have earned a right as well as the privilege to reside here.
Until the United States honors the rights of Tribes and tribal communities to exist as complete sovereigns, I will remain only a National of the US. When I see tribes such as the Saponi, Nottaway, Tuscaroras of North Carolina, etc regain their rightful status, then and only then will I submit my request to be Naturalized under the American Indian Citizenship (Naturalization) Act of 1924.
My concern regarding the children is based upon my own father being removed from his parents, as well as his siblings, for no other reason than for practicing their cultural traditions. My father was placed in an Orphanage, his sisters repeatedly raped under the care of the state, and he had to beat a male matron in order to escape, thereby becomming a criminal of the state just for being Indian. I am sure that you can identify with my feelings regarding the states assumption of powers never granted to their control.
I do not vote in any election of the US, the state, or county. However, I am active in my own community of which I have pledged my life, liberty and property.
In the Military I took an oath to defend the Constitution for the United States, a document in which I believe in and am willing to kill others in defense of.
Again, that is how I am able to remain here.
Thank yall very much for all the commentary & ideas.
I am beginning to think it wouldn’t do any good to write anybody — federally recognized tribes or the state, here in Oklahoma.
I mentioned to somebody a local tribe that has a 1/4th minimum blood quantum law and it was taken almost as an attact on their sovergnty to bring this topic up. And I guess it is, because they chose this blood quantum. It is their sovergn right to choose membership qualifications as they want.
But I feel damned if I do and damned if I don’t, too.
I do think that unenrolled or better yet non-federally recognized tribes ought to make it a point to befriend and get to know members of federally recognized tribes, on a one to one person basis, agree to be friends, and agree to disagree, when necessary. I think overtime they will see the “strength in numbers” is more important than “pure unmixed race” and they can be won over, but it will take time. I think some are sort of afraid their tribes will become taken over by the mixed faction and they will lose control, I think. They need to be reassured otherwise.
I really can’t effect much change, but I once tried. And once you get it in your blood, well — it’s hard to let go of.
vance
Vance,
Don’t give up on your initial quest. You are right to look toward knowing individuals of both federal and state tribes who are within the governing process. Remember that it is not another government that bestows rights of sovereignty upon your community, but rather it comes from within. The other governments can only acknowledge you for services and benefits that [they] provide to acknowledged governments.
If you do re-organize like minded descendants into a self governing community, remember that you can still gain status of acknowledgement from foreign governments as well. You can even petition them for foreign aid. While the US government doesn’t like this approach, they have no legal controls to stop it. If memory serves me correctly, the Seminole of Florida was establishing foreign relations with Cuba in the 1950’s which prompted the federal government to acknowledge them. The federal government can only regulate trade and intercourse amongst the states and Indian tribes which have treaties and agreements with the US.
Interesting story about the Seminoles and the Cubans. Makes me wonder if it inspired the storyline in “The Mouse that Roared.” haha. Great old Peter Sellers movie from the sixties.
Web site of Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commissions
a little bit of what they say on this site
The Great State of Oklahoma is home to 39 tribal governments. Thirty-eight are federally recognized as sovereign nations and another has applied for federal recognition. According to the 2000 Census, Oklahoma is home to a population of more than 380,000 tribal members. The Cherokee Nation, located in Tahlequah, is the second largest tribe in the United States with over 222,000 members. Oklahoma’s smallest tribe is the Modoc Tribe, headquartered in Miami, which has an estimated membership of 200.
Addresses of the 39 tribes in Oklahoma
http://www.oiac.state.ok.us/tgo.html
denotes populations – they mention that the Yuchi are a historic tribe that has filed for federal recognition. It also gives a figure of nearly 600,000 members of these 39 tribes. This doesn’t even include those here who are Indian and can not be federally recognized – and there are a lot of us, too! So you can see why in a state with a population of 2,500,000, American Indians are a sizeable minority that politicians might pay attention to, locally. Many of these tribal members probably live outside of the state, but they all have family and roots here. By trying to bypass them you offend them locally, and they have long memories . . . that’s not really a local option.
http://www.oiac.state.ok.us/enroll.html
So you will see that Oklahoma has the highest concentration of Indians found in any state. What Oklahoma Indians want is what will become U. S. policy if they get local politicians behind it, cause they’ll tell it to their buddies up in D. C. . . . and they’ll get something done.
I guess I will send a generic letter to the 39 tribes and see what will come of it. BUT – if yall or other state recognized groups can convince federally recognized tribal councilmen & women of the sincerity of their cause, of the inability to be able to be able pass federal requirements for federal recognition, perhaps they can help in some other type of recognition, affiliation with others of similar circumstances. Tribal members let me assure, are aware of the numbers of the unenrolled and unenrollable. They know this already.
Canada has their “Metis” a Canadian friend once told me about them. Unfortunately, I have lost touch with him. Why can’t we in the U. S. do something similar to what the Canadians have done? I think that is what state recognition is mimicking – some states realize the federal government ought to be doin’ something and it isn’t, so they will. States with a strong tradition of “states rights” like Alabama – dispite using that tradition for evil it the past, can use that tradition of “states rights” for good causes as well, such as in creating state recognized tribes. So states are fillin’ a void the U. S. government has left alone.
I think in Oklahoma, because of the large numbers of Full Bloods, those of us who are unenrolled and unenrollable, are more intimidated – how dare an 1/8 blood claim rights the full bloods have fought for and barely have – in the past — they have seen us as whites, basically, who want to take their last vestage of nationhood away. Full Bloods don’t want to be a minority amongst their own people. They need a way to let us partake without losing their standing as the people who are left. Do yall understand this? I hope so.
I am not one of them, but yall need to know why they might not want us to “belong”. You can argue with me if you like – I can handle it. But nonfederally recognized groups HAVE TO GO TO FEDERALLY RECOCNIZED groups, talk mano a mano, and each has to be allowed to explain their position. We need them and they don’t see that they need us. They don’t want anything from the unenrolled yet we need their approval, so it is the unenrolled and nonfederally recognized groups that have to find something we can offer them, to get them to sit with us.
I don’t represent anybody but myself. But I am gonna write them – those 39 Oklahoma tribes — and tell them what is on my heart then, and maybe nothing will come of it – probably nothing will come of it. Ha ha. Since I don’t represent anybody no one can tell me what to say and I have no agenda they can fear – gambling of federal money – there is nothing they can accuse me of.
My ancestors were Chickamaugans who didn’t fear anything. They were white settlers who didn’t fear the Chickamaugans. Dad was a veteran of Pearl Harbor. He said Japanese planes strafed and shot people standing next to him in the chow line that morning. He later went to Europe, and spent VE day in a hospital bed in London with a big hole in his side where his kidney once was. He lived until 1992 with one kidney. An Uncle was killed in Normandy and is buried there. No family member has ever been rich enough to go & visit him. I always hope to one day. A great-great uncle was killed in the Civil War and my g-g-grandpa David B. Brown fought in a unit was used as rearguard action – they were sacrificed (he became POW) so others could retreat from battle of Iuka in Mississippi. That’s the family tradition. How can I be afraid to talk to the local federally recognized tribes? I have to speak, now.
Thank you my Nottaway friend, for your words, so I’d realize that. I have to do what I have to do, cause it’s the right thing and not because anyone encourages me to do it. Then I’m gonna write them about the unenrolled. I came here to yall for advise. I’m gonna mention my apprehensions (without mentionin’ any names of groups) of some groups, BUT also speak of the many LEGITIMATE groups and individuals. They are concerned about “fake tribes” wanting nothing but money and gambling rights – they speak of frustrations with people who write them askin “I just joined your tribe. Where’s my Indian money?” They have to reply “sorry, you didn’t just join us, that was some other group.” And “there is no Indian money. We don’t get any.” They have heard many stories about these things.
I want to ask each of them what they can do, or what they do at present, what there policy is – concerning the masses who are growing and will continue to grow because of blood quantum policy, and the policies of accepting only people who are in certain rolls, knowingly leavin off people not on those documents. They know BIA policies exclude us. But we should have some rights, too. They should understand this. Our numbers will only grow as people marry outside the tribe more and more. They already know this, too.
I don’t feel qualified to apply myself for anything before a federal deadline timeframe. If it is something I can do or ought to do anyhow, and I will do it. I might be qualified for those whose ancestors lived in Oklahoma but never signed up for Dawes – as that’s what my ancestors did. But so far as I know I never heard of such a group in existence.
If anyone has advise of what I should say or shouldn’t say, please let me know. That is why I came here. If there is no advise, I’ll just get started.
thanks everyone
Vance hawkins
To Vance,
I got a reply from Rep Wayne Pettigrew, who is advocating a 50% blood degree to be legally Indian in Oklahoma. I see from his response that you, as well as [all] tribes in Oklahoma are in a quandry.
Please read, especially where hi is proud to be 1/8th Choctaw, but he does not mention [enrolled Choctaw].
For Linda.
PLEASE read the part where he is afraid that Indian Tribes might gain control over all the Indian land in Oklahoma… and then who will pay taxes??? Is this guy DAFT or what? Normally I dont say anything derogatory… however, if the TRUTH FITS! You get my meaning.
========================
What the article you read probably didn’t mention is that I am 1/8th Choctaw (my great-grandmother was full blood). I am extremely proud of my Native American heritage, but even more proud of my United States citizenship.
The question which the interviewer asked of me was: If an individual is thirty-one thirty-seconds German and one thirty-second Native American, then is that person German or Indian? I responded that I thought the person was German. The interviewer then told me that I was wrong. I then told the interviewer that the law was wrong and needs to be changed.
I am aware that the federal and not the state government has jurisdiction when it comes to tribal issues. But I certainly believe the issue needs to be re-visited.
For every individual or company that doesn’t pay their share of federal, state or local taxes, someone else pays double.
My fear is that if tribal entities are given such advantages that they ultimately gain control of the entire Indian lands in Oklahoma, then who will pay the taxes in Oklahoma to operate the necessary government services for the people.
Apparently, Congress in the past has agreed. In the Congressional Register in the Act of February 27, 1925 (43 Stat. 1008); Act of May 27, 1908 (34 Stat. 312); and Act of January 27, 1933 (47 Stat. 777), Congress restricted trust protections to allottees or holders of headrights who are one-half or more of Indian blood.
My comments express my view that although tribal members may associate with a tribe when they are less than a majority “Indian”, that however special privileges granted to tribal members regarding taxation end when the tribal members descendants are no longer a majority (50% or more) Indian.
To Vance & Cheronhaka,
Vance, you don’t just represent yourself, as your voice will speak for many just like you, throughout the country. You are not alone. Speak from your heart, soul, when you write to the 39 Tribes. You are more qualified than you imagine, as your ancestor’s are speaking to you loud & clear. With your voice they shall be heard & respected.
Cheronhaka, thanks for sharing the letter from Rep. Pettigrew. It is rather silly how he believes that if a person is “more” European than Indian, than it makes them only European, or as he put it German. No one can be related to just one American Indian, as they had parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc.., you get the picture. No matter how many generations marry outside of their Indian ancestry, you can never erase the American Indian ancestry of that family.
Sincerely,
CoheeLady
thanks again
Oklahoma became a state in 1907, but before 1889 all of Oklahoma ws considered “Indian Territory” except 3 small sections. 1. The panhandle that was “accidentally” left out of any state by the map makers. When they drew up state borders they said “ut-oh” — Kansas border didn’t reach to the border of Texas, ha ha — so they put the panhandle in Oklahoma. This area comprizes only 3 counties, but it is larger than several of the smaller eastern states. 2. When mapping “Indian Territory” western border, they used the North Fork of the Red. When mapping Texas Northern border, they used the Prairie Dog Fork of the Red, leaving Greer, Jackson, Harmon, and part of present day Backham counties out of both Texas and Indian Territory. This was sometimes referred to as “Old Greer County, Tx” but Texas never really wanted it & so it really wasn’t organized as a county back then. I know this because it is where I live now. Both these land areas became known as “No mans lands” and were famous in the Old West as outlaw hangouts. 3. the Unasigned lands. Part of Indian territory what was never assigned to any tribe removed here. This is near present day Oklahoma City. The entire rest of the state was supposed to be Indian lands “as long as water flowed and grass grew”, the treaties said. Well, someone discovered oil — so much for treaties.
From 1889 to 1906 the Western half — where the plains tribes lived — their lands were “allotted” to their people, and the rest was “settled”. Mom’s folks came up from Texas and got land in the allotted lands known as “The Big Pasture” which is now in Tillman County, Ok. They are largely German (Congressman’s scenario I guess).
In 1905 the remaining tribal lands — those called “5 Civilized Tribes” with a few other smaller tribes allotted lands in the Eastern half of Oklahoma — well they could see the handwriting on the wall — so they petitioned congress to become the state of Sequoyah. Congress said “no”, cause they didn’t want a state comprised mostly of Indians. They decided to “join” what was called the “Twin Territories” of Oklahoma Territory (Western half created after 1889) and Indian Territory (Eastern half) and Oklahoma entered the Union in 1907 as the 46th state. Only New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii and Alaska entered the Union later.
But they didn’t consider that those tribes would regain a form of autonomy and I can sort of see why they would fear loss of tax revinue if Tribal members didn’t have to pay some taxes, that would create a problem for the state. I can see that. Hmmm . . . Thanks for that info. Those periferal issues are the worst . . .
sincerely,
vance hawkins
Below is a copy of a letter I’m gonna send out 39 times, and I’d like to encourage yall to write similar letters to other tribes in other states. If ya wanna copy & paste anything I said you have permission. Other tribes in otehr states are in different situations tho. If ya are gonna write them, I’d appreciate hearin about their replies, and maybe we can brainstorm, addin any replies I get from these 39, too. But maybe they’ll just say “get lost”, and that won’t be necessary — ha ha
. But I have faith they are good folks and will be concerned.It’ll take a few days just to address, lick and post stamps, so if you see anything you don’t like that I should change, or have an idea of somethin’ I should say that I neglected — I’m open to suggestions . . . Also by declarin’ I speak for me & no one else if I blunder or forget somethin’ it won’t harm anyone and no one thinks “He hasn’t got the right to say that on my behalf!” I once argued with someone sayin they misrepresented CNOs position. It got back to CNO & I got a letter from CNO sayin I didn’t have a right to state their position. I explained it and they were friendly to me from that day forward. I’d been misrepresented by somebody with a chip on their shoulder. ha ha.
==========================
Hello. I am writing to you, and to all 39 of the Tribal addresses I have found at http://www.state.ok.us/~oiac/ — web site of Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission.
I want yall to know that I am speaking for no organization, but for myself only. Having said this, I know of many thousands of people who have American Indian ancestry but who are not enrolled and cannot be enrolled in any federally recognized tribal organization. Some cannot be enrolled because of low-blood-quantum, and others because their ancestors were not on the rolls used for enumeration of tribal membership. The numbers of such people will only continue to grow, as more enroll tribal members marry outside the tribe lowering blood quantum, and as people with “rumors” of an Indian ancestor have easier access to genealogy records through the internet and are able to do genealogy research from home.
I am not asking for “federal status”, for that imaginary & illusive “Indian money”, or for “gambling rights” – no, I will not miss what I never had. But some non federal tribal organizations, if you see the internet, are openly hostile to federally recognized tribes. I do not want this nor do I approve it. Some of these groups pray on the innocent, people can not be enrolled so some of these groups say “It is the fault of that federally recognized group” – their ancestors and yours argued once 150 years ago, so they left yall off their rolls. They then have made a friend for enrolling this person in their “tribe”, give them a roll number and in some cases issue CDIB cards (one was once issued to me by one of these groups), AND they have turned this person (and all their relatives who can now be enrolled in this “tribe”) against the federally recognized tribe. I imagine most of yall know what I am talkin’ about and have had this experience. Of course there is a 30 to 50 dollar fee to join this “tribe”. Most people who join this “tribe” are innocent and do not realize this is a fraudulent group.
On the other hand, some of these groups are sincere, and know they are descended from groups who were left off of a particular roll, or they know their tribe requires 1/4th blood quantum and they know they are 1/8th blood, but feel a strong pull to retain some sense of cultural connection to the ways of an ancestor. In the case of East Coast tribes, the U. S. government declared them extinct 200 years ago, and they were not extinct. But maybe the HIGHEST blood quantum alive today is 1/8th, or something like that. There is no one alive with more! Or maybe an ancestor got mad once and simply walked away from the tribe, but that person’s descendants want to know more, and to be able to participate. For any of a number of reasons, there are a lot of us mixed blood people who cannot enroll and yet want some form of recognition as who we are.
I am for instance approximately 1/8th Cherokee and cannot enroll, yet there are people who are 1/64th and can enroll. I can show ancestors in Walker & Lawrence Counties Alabama with Cherokee surnames identical to surnames in Brown’s Valley, in NE Alabama, and I can show written records sayin’ Cherokees emigrated there in the 1820s when their homes were being overrun by Whites wanting their lands. I have photos – school photos stating children’s names, row by row, and the 2 Indian boys are the Richey’s, my great Uncles who were born in the Chickasaw Nation in the late 1890s (the school photo is from 1909-1910 school year in Oklahoma). Even Full Bloods might say those boys look full-blood Indian, but in reality I think they were maybe 5/8ths – because they are not on the rolls it will be hard to determine. After leaving Alabama in the 1830s & 40s they went to Arkansas, and after that to Choctaw lands, then to N. Tx., then to Chickasaw Nation where they are in 1900 census. But they are not on Dawes.
The more I look into it, I see possible Creek, Shawnee, Saponi and/or Pamunkey, Choctaw and Chickasaw links to our surnames, too, as the surnames in my family and locations sort of match up. We are not eligible for membership and we know it. I am not asking about that issue here and now. But this is an issue that will not go away and it desperately needs to be resolved, as it will only get worse in the coming years. Ignoring it will make the unenrolled and unenrollable upset at the federally recognized tribes. I am saying this only because I do not want to see this happen, and I already see it. I want yall to know that some of these people are angry at yall, and not the BIA that forces things to be as they are. There are hundreds of thousands of people like me who are not enrolled and cannot be enrolled, and not just a few.
I have heard of two reasons why some states have “State Recognized” tribes. One for the original 13 American Colonies – some of them did have recognized treaties with some tribes that eventually died out, or so people thought. But descendants of these people have come forth declarin’ those treaties were never written off the books. Some of these groups do not meet the BIAs standards for recognition, yet the state still thinks it ought to meet the treaty obligation it once wrote in colonial days, with these people and their descendants. The second was some states – I am thinking of Alabama mostly but perhaps there are others – saw a large groups of people who recognized themselves as “Indian” (mostly Cherokee & Creek) but whose ancestors evaded removal, or returned from Oklahoma to Alabama sometime before Dawes, or for some other reason. If these people left the main group they are not eligible for federal recognition, period. If they were “assimilated” in one generation but their children wanted to go back and be “unassimilated” – they are still not eligible. The state of Alabama with its strong tradition historically of being a “States Rights” advocate which it sometimes used for evil in the past, declared they could recognize some Indian peoples within its borders.
As far as I can tell Oklahoma has never considered State recognized tribes and may never do so. But I am an Oklahoman. I have a copy of a newspaper article mentioning my g-g-grandma and mentions she came to that place in 1841, and that place was Fayetteville, Arkansas. Maybe she or a relative was elsewhere (not Fayetteville, but nearby) before that, as the article mentions “Old Settlers”. That is the earliest documentation we have, at present. So my ancestors were near Oklahoma long ago. A great-aunt died in the Choctaw Nation in 1874, and that is the earliest documentation we have in Oklahoma itself. So I speak to yall as an Oklahoman and as an advocate for the mixed-blood unenrollable people.
Canada has a group it calls “Metis” – a sort of recognition in a minor sense of mixed-blood people. Do an internet search for “Metis” and it will tell you the Canadian government created a law for the Metis. They are largely French/Indian mixed. These people have a legal status in Canada.
The term “wannabe” became popular as a term for us in the 1980s and 90s, and it seems many of the unenrolled and unenrollable have as a result, taken a dislike to many federally recognized tribes. The two have talked about each other, but not to each other.
We are not gonna go away, so I think we should open a dialogue with each other, and not just talking about each other. Again, I am not a spokesman for the unenrolled, I am just one of them. I wanna know if we can come to an understandin’? Will state recognition help? Will creation of an American “Metis” help. Can yall, as individual Tribal Governments, show some small commitment to those who for whatever reason left your tribe (or the tribe of another), are your relatives yet are left in limbo.
Perhaps we can help yall one day, too. For instance, if we are allowed some small status beneath that of recognition legally by the government but still recognized as who we are – through state recognition or through Metis status or through some other mechanism – we will HAVE to clean up our act, “fake tribes” will have to fade into oblivion or meet certain standards to be valid institutions and their stigma of “con artist” will be proven or they will be exonerated. Yall probably realize this is a big problem. It will not go away by itself.
I am writin’ the 39 tribes here in Oklahoma and will be askin’ others to write tribes in their home states. Remember as your kids marry Caucasians or Blacks or even Hispanics (many of whom ARE Indian themselves), sooner or later you’ll have grandkids who are 1/8th blood and if your tribe requires 1/4th, they can not belong. Well, some of us are those grandkids, or we are descended from that Uncle who joined the Army in ’41 and spent 20 years in never returnin’ home. Now his grandkids wanna trace their roots. Well, some of us are those grandkids. Others of us are descended from tribes declared “extinct” once. Still others are descended from those who just argued with tribal leaders and walked away. Some of us are descended from an Indian girl/man who just fell in love with a White/Black/Hispanic/Other man/woman and went to live with them. Think about that.
Thank you very much for your time and your ear.
Vance Hawkins (surnames Hawkins, Allen, Richey, Brown, Wood(s), Dickson (Dixon), Guess(t)/Gist, Looney, links bein researched to Cherokee (Brown, Guess, Looney), Creek (Hawkins, Brown, Allen), Chickasaw (Guest, Brown), Choctaw (Guess, Brown), Shawnee (Guess), Saponi (Richey, Wood, Dick(x)on), Pamunkey (Richey, Wood), & with great uncles who look full-blood on photos taken in 1910 who were born in the Chickasaw Nation, IT)
Hello , Metis people can live on Metic colony land and try to get housing usually not that great, don’t pay taxes on metis land but you need to mKE A LIVING AND OTHER THAN THAT DON’T HAVE MUCH TO WORK WITH, NO LEGAL RIGHTS EXIST SUCH AS TREATY RIGHT S ETC, BUT THINGS ARE LOOKING BETTER, BUT IT IS VERY SLOW AND NO ONE IS DOING REALLY THAT GREAT tOM.
howdy Tom —
Where is Metic Colony? Thanks. I don’t know much more than what I read online about the “Metis” — but I think they have more of a legal status than we do in the U.S.
My purpose is really realistic. They may read this and toss it in the trash can half way through. I don’t think I can really change anything, but I have a desire to try anyhow. I’m just wantin’ to plant seeds in the minds of these 39 tribal chiefs, so when someone comes along later, with a better idea, it might germinate, at that time.
Or maybe one of the 39 will listen some now. Thirty-nine is a large enough number for a random generator to create an anomaly at least once, maybe twice —
— Or maybe someone has already planted that seed, so this will be the first rain after that, and they’ll start germinatin’ now rather than later. I’m thinkin of the “parable of the sower” in the Bible, or the sayin’ “one man plants, another waters, but it is God that provides the increase” — but I’m thinkin’ along the lines of any change that occurs, not just Biblical. It always takes time. If I can’t get a big juicy tomato, if the ground is too poor or it doesn’t rain or the weather too hot in July — then I’ll plant Roma’s or Cherry tomatoes (I have to do that here in SW Ok, by the way
)and they’ll give me tomatos. All I’m thinkin’ is to take back a place in the circle — but for now that means any little thing is a beginnin’.
Maybe a generation later they can go for bigger things.
I’m also placin’ family photos so they can see who we are, and they’ll know we are real.
I wanna thank yall very much, but time for suggestions is over. It’s all printed up and ready to go.
vance
[This message has been edited by vance hawkins (edited 09-20-2002).]
Does the heavy concentration of Indians in Oklahoma have something to do with the prejudice against “Okies” at one point in time, do you think?
I really don’t know.
I have heard that in the great Depression of the 1930s hordes of Oklahomans went to California, and the Californians coined the term “Okie” as a derogatory term for these penniless emigrants. They weren’t wanted.
I have also been told that there are more Cherokees in California than there are in Oklahoma — so many emigrants to California in those days were also Indian. But I just don’t know if that played a part or not.
Oklahomans have always been proud of our Indian heritage. But once in a while someone says something nasty and it jolts you back into reality, and you realize not everyone is proud of it.
vance hawkins
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
