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This is for Scott mainly. You know anything about Sulfur Springs TX? I’ve got a lady over on the Other Blackfoot yahoogroup who’s asking. Her family’s like mine, identified as blackfoot.
Yes I have family there. Have not met them, at least I do not think I have. In our family we have the tradition of saying we are Blackfoot, Pawneese (Saponi), etc… I would like to talk to this person some time or post to her. My lines contain Collins, Johnson, Jones, Roberts, Robinson, Stodgill, Cheney, Woodward, Scott, Lewis, McCulley-McCullock, Riley, Millican, Miller, Keel, Whitaker, and Puss just to name a few. No, that last one is not a typo. Her name was Katherine Puss.
Hi, I had the question about the Blackfoot in Sulfur Springs TX. Actually I was just asking if anyone knew wheter or not there were some there because that is where my husband’s family is from. His gr gr grandmother was 1/2 or 3/4 Native American yet the verdict is still out in terms of what group we think Cherokee but we don’t know. We do believe that she must have been close to her traditions and language because before she died, everyone thought that she was talking out of her head, but the doctor recognized it as an Indian language. I find it interesting that you have some Robinsons though because that is also his family group. They were in Sulfur Spings and I believe Dennison for a while and then moved to Eufaula,OK and eventually Salpulpa,OK before the family split and headed for the Midwest.
The Blackfoot that I was talking about is my gr gr grandmother. She was born in NC (Though some census records say MS) around 1852 give or take a year and was an Indian slave. She lived in Webster Co. MS. My grandmother told me that she was sold from slavery and married my gr gr grandfather who was mixed I guess Black, but definetly Caucasian, most people could’nt tell that he wasn’t and the census records have whole sections of the family listed as white and mulatto. So I was wondering if anyone knows about a history of slavery concernng the Blackfoot and/or where i can begin searching that out. Thanks for any help given, just being able to connect to somebody else who knows what I’m talking about is great in and of itself.
If we assume that NC-derived Blackfoot is synonymous with Saponi, then my husband has two gr-gr grandmothers who were Indians slaves in the VA piedmont, spitting distance from the old Saponi reservation (Fort Christanna.)
Linda
Does he know the circumstances that led to them being enslaved? Also, I need a visual picture do you know if there is a map somewhere onthe Internet that would be helpful( in seeing the distnce between the Fort and other counties, etc) I have a cousin who was very close to my great grand mother. I’m going to pick her brain tonight and see if there are any stories handed down about or NC connection.
The story that was passed onto Barry’s cousin was that this gr-gr-grandmother was kidnapped as a little girl and sold into slavery. We’d assumed she was taken from a ways off, but the perplexing thing is, it appears for one report that she was born just a few counties over. I’ve since wondered if this wasn’t the “Foster care” system of the day for non-white children. I know I’ve seen that white children who were “orphans” or whatever were bonded into apprenticeships.
I also have a friend who found a paper trail showing that his Tuscarora ancestor had been bound over to a white man as a slave, near where he’d always lived.
We were at an NAACP meeting in Lunenberg, VA last week and we asked several of the “light skinned” people if they had Indian ancestors, “Oh yes!!” was the reply. One lady we asked looked so much like Barry’s mom we did a double take. He looked so much like her grandson she double-taked too.
Personally, I think this whole issue of Indian enslavement in the upper south, at least, is way overlooked.
I started a new thread to answer this question so that our forum is searchable for people in the future who have similar questions. If we all do this then we will create a knowledge base that many others can use for years and decades.
Please see my post at Saponi Indian Slaves at:
http://winwinworldnet.90.uslive.net/SaponiForum/UBB/Forum3/HTML/000004.html
Barry
[This message has been edited by barryc (edited 04-06-2001).]
My 5th Great Grand Father, from my mother’s side, Jesse Keel was indentured in North Carolina. The legal document found says that Jesse chose his master out of two men and his brother chose the other. It is not clear why this was done but we know that their father Hardy Hardee Keel was dead at that time. I’ll post the court proceedings next time. This was done in Pitt county near and around the Tar River area. Also does anyone know anything about Guy Hall Swamp?
Good golly. Pitt county is the next county over. We’re over there a couple times a week with the Drum. There’s a Heritage Center over in Kinston (20 minutes) that’s supposed to be good. Let me know if there’s something specific we should look for.
Here’s the Eastern Bull crew (last year’s picture, we weren’t there yet.) Barry just made member this past week. We have a dedication ceremony this weekend for the Eastern Bull Center.
http://www.saponitown.com/easternbull/
[This message has been edited by Linda (edited 04-09-2001).]
Scott, do you have any Hardy relatives in Pitt and Greene co NC? Our friend Sandy Hardy’s people are from here. There is a tri-racial indian community here in Snow Hill. Barry
Hardy Hardee Keel
I am not sure on the last name Hardy. If there are any Keel or Whitaker folks around your area they most likely are my relations. Also Collins and Johnson. Jesse Keel and Priscilla Whitaker left the Tar River back in 1800 and treked through the Cherokee Nation and resided within the Nation until the removal treaty in 1834-1836. After, they purchased the land they were on and the mountain was named after Jesse Keel. They call it Keel Mountain. This is in Jackson County Alabama. On this mountain is a rock called Indian Look Out Rock. Just below the mountain is the town of Paint Rock. I need to look at intruder lists if they exist for the Cherokee Nation prior to removal. I am aware that there were Cherokee towns there in that vicinity and my ancestors have stories of Indians there helping them in many ways. The one thing I have always been curious about is what they did during the Creek War for this occured in that general area and Jackson came through there.
Ok I am looking at my book and I see I must make a correction. The name is Hardee-Hardy Keel. Says he bought some land in 1765 from a Benjamin Sanders in Pitt county, N.C. Says he died before 1792 and may have moved to Halifax district Edgecomb county, N.C. about five years before his death. This is supposed to account for Jesse Keel’s indenture there in 1792. In an abstract from court minutes in Edgecomb county, N.C. 1744-1746, 1757-1794, by Marvin K. Dorman,Jr. 1968 pg.97 Tuesday Nov.27,1792 — Jesse Keel age 13 years old bound to Thomas Lauriner. pg. 107 Thursday, August 28,1794 Jesse Keel, 15 years old, bound to Thomas Laurence. On page 98 Nov.30,1792 Willie Keel requested a master. Then on page 108 Tues. Nov. 25,1794– Limon Keel, orphan of Hardy Keel, chose Arthur Brown as his guardian (Limon is most likely Simon Keel)
Priscilla Whitaker is the duaghter of a John Whitaker and wife’s name unknown. Priscilla Whitaker was born in ca.1784
In the case Samuel Norwood versus Jesse Keel Madison county Alabama 1819 this case had to do with money Jesse had given a law man to give to a Francis Erwin for a note. This law man either spent the money or lost it and this caused the trouble. In this legal document it specifically states that the law could not go to get Jesse Keel because he resided within the Cherokee Nation. They had to wait till he came into town for supplies before siezing him. And of course he did not know what was going on when that happened. My 6th great grand father had to pay this 70.00 sum twice on this note becuase of the crooked law man in that town. This book I have called Keel-Whitaker Barnette,Johnson, Keel, and Whitaker has some 596 pages. It contains a whole mess of names, dates, children, legal documents from court records, land records, and military records. The main problem with this book is the analytical quality to it. It is an excellent resource for me and I am most greatful to have it, however, there is alot of family members that I have that put it together from a white persceptive and being that they are in Alabama I guess I can understand why. There are alot of unanswered questions and most of the military information has to do with Civil War stories and WWI and WWII. One of the oddities that is in the book is the fact that they seem to have raised silk worms and produced woolsey-lensey which is made from wool and plant fibers. They used black walnut shell for brown dye and copperas for the color orange. On a peice of this cloth is three small stripes and one wide stripe then it repeats. They raised the silk, spun it, wove it, and sewed it. My question is were did they get silk worm back then? Why did they not use cotton and wool instead of plant fiber and wool?
The Whitakers: supposedly one of the writers seems to think that the Whitakers came from Chester and Bucks counties PA. with the Boones, Canteys, and Grahms to Rowan county N.C. Now according to this research one of my relations was married to Katie Boone daughter of Squire Boone, the uncle to Daniel Boone. Now when Daniel went to KY some of my relations went there with them but did not like it there so moved to Mulberry, TN. All Whitakers in Lincoln county, TN descend from this line. Back in Pitt county, N.C. John Whitaker had married a Mary Williams it goes on to give tax list information with Hardee Keel, William Keel, John Whitaker, and Simon Sanders 1784 tax list Pitt county, N.C. It says a Thomas Williams gave John Whitaker both of Beaufort county 25 acres of land on Tranter’s Creek. Thomas Williams was Mary Williams father. The land area that was under the Keel and Whitaker families was on Trantor’s Creek which runs off another creek from the Tar River. This starting in Beaufort county and running west wards into Pitt county. Tyrrell county is due north, Edgecomb is due west, Dobbs county is due south west, and Craven county is south. The Pamlico Indians and the Secotan were in this general area along with the Tuscarora. This book, however does not even talk about Indians accept in dealing with their residence in the Cherokee Nation and the almost familial nature of friendship the Indians always had towards us.
So alot of questions remain. I hope this will be of interest to you and perhaps you may be able to shed some light on these matters as I am not all that familar with indentures or that area or state other than some history of the Indians there. And only scant history information at that.
On pages 208 and 389 of this book I see Hardy listed. I see a Thomas Howard Kennemer b.Aug.30 1941 in Benton, KY. He is or was a T.V. newscaster. He married a Mrs. Betty Ann Hardy May 29, 1976. She is the daughter of Mrs. Arvis Buxbaum. I went to page 389 but couldn’t find the entry for Hardy. I see Carter listed as well on pages 36, 97, 138, 148, 149, 302, 317, 319, 390, 446, 472, and 501. I will look them up if you wish. There are skads of names in this book with children and marriages etc… They really did a good job in putting it together I just wish they would have dealved into the Indian question a little more. I talked to Hilda Barnette my cousin by phone once or twice about some of this and she said that their main goal was just records and that anything else was up to us younger generations. So here we are now what?
Mecou, I have a few last comments. I would just like to say that I wished I lived there around you guys so that it would be easier to share and so you could actually see the things I have collected over the years. The lack of support I feel here in Texas on these issues can really get me down at times. I feel in some ways like a wayward refugee amoungst my family for I seem to be the only one here in North Texas that is aware of these things or that cares about them. I was trying to go over the Tutelo-Saponi language last night and realized that unless someone with a linguistics degree can create a better way to learn the language then we are all out of luck. I do not have a college education, although I am thinking of going soon, and the Occaneechi language program is for members only; so it is kind of like re-inventing the wheel or the a-bomb. Unless I can spend time trying to understand the grammer and the syntax of the language then trying to learn it in an English since will not do our language justice. It would seem, from my perspective, that one has to be linguast, historian, organizer, lawyer, and genalogist all at once. I do not know about ya’ll in North Carolina but here in Texas these are daunting tasks of which I am unsure I can accomplish. I am trying though. For now I am in efforts to research the history of our people to get a better idea of what type of culture they had, the artistic language of our people, the way they viewed the world and spirit world around them and so for right now this is eating most of my time. In the past I have been more focused on genalogy and getting legal documents to prove my Indian heritage. In doing this I was hoping to validate myself to myself and have relativly accomplished that goal for the most part. There is still work that needs to be done but I realize that others out of state are working on some of this as well. I pray blessings on you all and may we one day be one, unified in our common blood ties, and better able to present a whole picture of our peoples history, culture, and wonderous heritage. Bila huk oho!
Cotton Top
I hope I am not driving you guys crazy with this information. Hope it helps some one.
This is an excerpt from the Will of John Collins the Saponi arrested in Orange County,VA 1742
Dec.27,1749 Bertie county, N.C.
North Carolina Wills Book filed with the Office of the Secretary of State
(I will put this info. in my own words so you know the area it occured)
This document can be located on the MyFamily.com site
The land he owned was on the Casshi River. This is how it was spelled by him. It was about 200 acres purchased from a Jonathan Standlye. Then he owned 150 acres on the north side of Guy Hall Swamp purchased of Hardy Keel who is my mothers 5th great grand father. (Hardee-Hardy Keel)
I have tried to inquire about these locations and only know that they are just outside the old Tuscarora reservation area eastward. Guy Hall Swamp I know nothing about but it seems that I have read or heard it mentioned before in connection with either a tri-racial isolet community or an Indian community. The Casshi River is mentioned several times in the book titled The Tuscarora which I have sent off for again to take better notes out of. If anyone knows anything or can get information on these localities and their history please let me know. I know of the information that there was a John Collins who had come to the Saponi and acted as translator for them and that this may have been how the name was first recieved as a type of honorary thing. Also I am aware that a teacher named Griffin was sent to the Saponi to teach them and that several of my relatives became teachers due to this. The info. on John the interprator and Griffin was come by through Brenda Collins Dillion and Frankie Blackburn. The information about how many teachers I had in my family comes from the Trullingers of Missouri. These three sources along with information obtained by Heriberto Airy Dixon and Christopher Scott Everett, Donna Tower, Dorothy Wren, and Richard Haithcock have been my most volumanous sources. I have also done some research as well and have relied on the source materials from scores of books. I would like to take an oppurtunity to thank them all for all the work they have done over the years and let everyone know that these folks have done so much for the history of our people outside the state of North Carolina. On the educational side I am aware that the college William and Mary had an Indian program that was sponsored by Thomas Jefferson and the Presbaterians. I have inquired as to records for this time period and was told that the records burned. I, however, think that the Presbaterian Church may hold copies of records regarding their sponsorship of these Indians as they sponsored them for the purpose of making them missionaries to the Saponi. I have tried to send an e-mail to the Presbaterians but have as yet recieved no response on it. Purhaps one of you may have better luck contacting them than I. There are a couple of dynamics that you may need to be made aware of. First, as you may already know, there is a fued stewing over whom is the truest group or tribe of Saponi. Second, there are those researchers out there that may be in the works of compiling a book or two about our people and so this may account for the stand offish nature and secreting away of information. On the book issue I sure hope someone does get one published and soon cause personally I am chomping at the bit waiting for one. Thirdly, there is a contraversy on recognition becuase those already recognized already do not get enough support from the government and the efforts of others less fortunate maybe viewed as a threat to sovereignty, tribal money distribution, and the claims of a valid Indian anscestory made less valid. Fourthly, it appears that some operate on the level of fear that they will not get what they are seeking and so this causes them to be mean, nasty, and accusatory. I wish these people love and luck and prosperity so they may realize just how much damage they do to the rest of us just trying to connect and aid our people. This is the reality I live with, that we all live with. Some of us even have the extra burden of being so far seperated from the rest of our people that travel is so very exspensive and inpracticle. In some of the states, like Texas for example, it may still not be a wise decision to be open about our heritage. Not that it is shamful to be Indian it is that it is shamful to be viewed as someone that does not fit the sterotype and then to say you are Indian. This illiciates the “wannabe” name calling and the other derogatory words flung our way as an attempt to perpetuate the sterotypes our society has built up concerning Native America. We have Native brothers, who out of ignorence, do not know the history of our people and so see us as a threat to their Indianess. We have African Americans that see us and think we are trying to get out from under the Black catagory of race or that we are trying to pass as White or something other. We have Hispanics that basically are Indians themselves but yet view everyone in America as gringo or White or Black. Asians do not much think on us at all and so they are learning the same sterotypes a new. Even we ourselves are having a hard time in truely accepting ourselves as Indian becuase of the doubt we were brought up in and the bombardment of the sterotypes and Hollywood. When you go to the drum remember us for we all need the support of a community that you may enjoy. pray that we find our way out of the maze of depression and the dimensions of loneliness so rampent in our communities. Pray that the Peace Bringer will once again walk in our midst to light our collective path in the way of the rough terrain that is our reality. Pray for peace and healing for our people. Blessings to you all. Bila huk, Cotton Top
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