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Hello. I was wondering if anybody on this forum knew of or are related to the Shifflett family from Virginia, later WV. I have realtives in my past that are Saponi, Cherokee, Tuscarora, Lenne Lanape. I see the family connections through the names, but don’t understand how I got so many ancestors from different tribes. Could it be because the Saponi lived among these tribes? I want to learn more of the Saponi and thought that Saponi Town could help me, please.
Thanks
Suncerae
In the end, when all the tribes got assimilated they associated more with each other and the distinctions got lost, as well as the old grudges. How is it you’ve been able to determine which tribes are in your family? That’s unusual.
Suncerae wrote: Hello. I was wondering if anybody on this forum knew of or are related to the Shifflett family from Virginia, later WV. I have realtives in my past that are Saponi, Cherokee, Tuscarora, Lenne Lanape. I see the family connections through the names, but don’t understand how I got so many ancestors from different tribes. Could it be because the Saponi lived among these tribes? I want to learn more of the Saponi and thought that Saponi Town could help me, please.
Thanks
Suncerae
What does your family history say? I did a quick search on Saponi town, because I have seen the name before…I found it on Plecker’s list. If you use the search function you will find it.
If you are looking for genealogical help…put your family names and dates on the genealogy thread, Iam sure someone can help.
Shirley
OK, here I go again, talking about something I have no clue about…. Apologies in advance if this is not helpful.
We lived in Albemarle County, Virginia in for three years in the 1980’s, and I remember there were a HUGE number of Shiffletts there – spelled every possible way. My son’s babysitter was a Shifflett, married to a Shifflett. More than once I remember newspaper articles discussing the name and possible origins – there were theories that the name was initially “Shipless,” and that they were descendants of stranded Hessian soldiers after the Revolutionary War (there had been a prisoner of war camp there), and other theories that it was a French name, initially “Chifflet,” and that the first Virginians of that name were Huguenots.
In any case, from my friend Google I just found this:
http://www.shifletfamily.org/HHI/surname.html
which doesn’t touch on any Indian connections, but DOES list many many Shiffletts in that area (Albemarle and Orange Counties) in the Revolutionary and pre-Revolutionary era. And the author lists her sources, although she doesn’t provide links. And isn’t there is a known Monacan group in Albemarle County that has also been there apparently forever? There might be some useful leads that will take you to a Saponi connection, even though that doesn’t seem to have been on the mind of the author.
My family history is mostly oral and reliant upon other family researches. My mother’s grandfather had told my mom that she was part Tuscarora. My father’s mother and and his family said that we were Saponi Cherokee. My g-grandfather Shifflett married a lady named Peachy Self and my gg-grandfther married a woman named Lydia Chocahy. Family has told me that we were intermarried to the various tribes, that’s the only way I really know much, since according to oral history, Indian didn’t write down much geneology and some of my ancestors apparently got angry over their daughters marrying white that they disowned them.
Thanks for the responses.
Suncerae
Message #4:
Barbara is right;Shifflett and similar surnames are common in Central
VA.
She asks,”And isn’t there a known Monacan group in Albemarle County that has also been there apparently forever.”(Charlottesville,VA) I sure would like to know about them because my family has Albemarle roots.All I’ve seen so far is an historical marker and references in old dictionaries.
Where in Albemarle is this Monacan band located?I know the’re in Amherst,2 counties away from Albemarle.
If true,it’s news to me!
Roca
You’re right, of course, Roca, thanks for correcting me. Amherst County, not Albemarle. I was thinking of the collaborative relationship between people at UVa and the Monacans, and forgot where they were. (I need an “I’m an idiot” smilie here)
There’s a neat video here talking about the UVa/Monacan relationship here
http://www.researchchannel.org/asx/uva_nm_monacan_250k.asx
and the researcher does mention there that remains from mounds in Orange County were repatriated to the Monacan cemetery on Bear Mountain, so I guess it is accepted at least by some that their original territory spread further north.
It does seem to me, though, that Shiffletts are found in the right place and at the right time for Monacan to be a possibility.
Barbara Adair Bauer wrote: You’re right, of course, Roca, thanks for correcting me. Amherst County, not Albemarle. I was thinking of the collaborative relationship between people at UVa and the Monacans, and forgot where they were. (I need an “I’m an idiot” smilie here)
There’s a neat video here talking about the UVa/Monacan relationship here
http://www.researchchannel.org/asx/uva_nm_monacan_250k.asx
and the researcher does mention there that remains from mounds in Orange County were repatriated to the Monacan cemetery on Bear Mountain, so I guess it is accepted at least by some that their original territory spread further north.
It does seem to me, though, that Shiffletts are found in the right place and at the right time for Monacan to be a possibility.
Oh boy….I am getting so confused. I heard Monacan Nation, but only in the terms of it being a distinct nation and that the peoples kinda settled in with the Saponi, Cherokee, etc. I don’t know how true that is,again basing my info on what I’ve been told. I just want to know my roots. I don’t want any Federal cards, I don’t need one to “prove” to anybody my blood. I don’t want any money from the Federal Government. I just want my children and grandchildren to know their heritage. If indeed my ancestors were of this Monacan Nation, then there’s another tribe to add to the list. 😮 I KNOW I am Indian, I just don’t know what kind anymore!!! Saponi? Cherokee? Tuscarora? Possibly Monican…what do I do?
I’m sorry, I seem to have made things worse. There is a lot here about the Monacan – rather than bolix things up even worse here’s something from the Saponitown front page – read this:
Disappearing Indians? — a case for the continued inhabitance of the Virginia Piedmont by the Monacan Indians. The Monacans are one of the component tribes of the VA/NC Piedmont Siouan group of nations. This site, created by the University of Virginia, contains valuable and credible information useful to anyone researching the Piedmont Siouan. There is much information on the village of Monasukapanough, which many approach as an important “Saponi” (generic sense) site.
The associated link doesn’t work anymore but here’s one that does:
http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/encounter/projects/monacans/Overview/index.html
Haha! Suncerae, you sound like me!! At this current time, my aunt has found our ancestry to come from about 7 different ndn tribes along the VA/NC coast….plus African American and Caucasian….and that’s just on Dad’s side. I have yet to research deep into Mom’s side. I think all of us on here have gotten migraines from this stuff. I’m becoming used to calling myself just plain “ndn”! Good luck in your research!!! (btw….I love your name)
Well now….that’s comforting….:p Thanks for the compliment on my name..and that’s the other thing…my name is Apache, after Chief Cochise’s daughter. Nice, huh? I usually just tell people,when they ask, that I am Indian, if they press further, I tell them Saponi Cherokee, then when they ask “Are you full or part?” , I get a little miffed and ask them are they full or part of (insert ethnicity here). My husband is Irish. Well, part Irish. BUT, does anybody ask him if he’s full or part Irish? Noooo, same with any other ethnicities. See, I’m getting on my soap box now…why is it that Indians are the only group of people that in order to “verify” that they are Indian, must carry a “card” with a degree of Indian Blood in order to get that card and my direct ancestor has to be on a roll to get said card? Do we ask Irish Americans for a blood quantum or proof that they are a direct decendant of someone that came from Ireland? Noooo, we ask no proof of any other heritage than Indian. I just want to know more of what tribe(s) I came from so that I can document and teach my children and grandchildren. I was raised with some of my Indian cultural identity, but being raised with “some” Indian culture in a predominatent “White” culture is confusing also. And to top things off, my grandmother on my Dad’s side didn’t want to raise her children of a German guy as Indian because she feared that they would never be given chances to excel. For example, Indians couldn’t even own land here in West Virginia until 1965! Better to be Italian, Jewish, or whatever than to be Indian. Okay, now I’ll get off my soap box….
I guess it is accepted at least by some that their original territory spread further north.
Yes, indeedy.
I heard Monacan Nation, but only in the terms of it being a distinct nation and that the peoples kinda settled in with the Saponi, Cherokee, etc.
They’re one of the state recognized tribes of VA. Am thinking of one family that has different cousins identifying as Cherokee/Monacan, Monacan, a pinch Cherokee, and Catawba (Saponi). Those who stayed in Amherst Co. may be recorded, at least by Haithcock in his research. Don’t see the name Shifflett there, though.
“Are you full or part?”
Yes, I’m full of it. ‘N you?
:~D
hope that made ya smile
Honey, you can get on your soap box as often as you wish!:mad: I’m sure we’ve all been on there a good while ourselves. I was raised African American, but my aunts have been registered as Native Americans for a long time, because they already knew who we were. Not until I got interested in our family history did I realize how very much ndn we really were. My grandma still tell me stories about her ndn relatives and parents. When they see her coming they say, “here come the Indians!”
So I understand…blacks and whites may think or say “we just wanna be anything other than (black or white)”. And the ndns look and look and look already knowing who I am, and which tribe(s) I descend from…LOL. But when you think about it, in a day like today, why would we even want to claim to be ndn?….we were never treated right in the first place, so people ought to understand that it’s just to find our place and heritage. simple!:o
It’s funny to me now. But it was VERY irritating at first. None of your own races wanted to claim a “mixed-up” person (literally…lol). Now I don’t care what anybody says. I’m who I am. This world has become one big melted bronze ball!!!:D
It’s funny to me now. But it was VERY irritating at first. None of your own races wanted to claim a “mixed-up” person (literally…lol). Now I don’t care what anybody says. I’m who I am. This world has become one big melted bronze ball!!!:D
Oh! You are so right!! I always said that I was a member of the Tween Tribe….I’m between NDN and White…the NDN’s don’t think that I’m NDN enough to claim NDN and the Whites want me to “prove” that I have NDN, rejected by both races! I can’t stand the term “wannabe”, which I have heard alot in my endeavors to find my connections. I mean, oral history is to be valued, and for me it is, but let’s face it, unless one can draw a straight line to their ancestors, others will swear that there is “no connection”. Are not aunts & uncles family too?
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