Quote:
Originally Posted by CSign
If she's 1/8, that would mean that it's her Great Grandparent? Did that person not talk about their heritage? It might be relatively easy to figure it out, depending on where the person came from...
My 2nd Great Grandmother was Coast Miwok, a tribe located primarily in Marin County, CA. She lost her parents at a very young age, and became a servant/slave. I found her in the 1900 census as a servant, and she married a few years later.
I don't think my Great Grandma or her brother ever knew about their heritage. I think she pretty much kept mum about it until the day she died, to protect her family. Even after the Emancipation Proclamation, Indians could be essentially slaves up until 1925 (I believe, might be off by a year or two). Because Indians were discriminated against in finding jobs, housing, etc., my belief is she was trying to protect them against the evils of this world.
I discovered the connection a few years ago, which my family knew nothing about. My goal is to learn more, and openly celebrate where I come from. I like to educate people about them, because too often their significance gets lost in the shuffle.
People are so concerned with what is going on today, that they don't take time to reflect on the past that allowed them to get to where they are. I like to honor my history, especially in an effort to celebrate and give reverence to that which my GG Grandmother had to deny.
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Very thoughtful post,C-Sign!
Here in VA,some people have had difficulty proving their heritage because of
Walter Plecker,the former director of Vital Statistics.
Plecker believed that VA had no Indians and the tribal remnants thereof were
heavily mixed with W African ancestry. Acting on that belief,he rewrote many
birth certificates and other documents
You might also want to read "Black Indian Slave Narratives" by Patrick Minges. I met Mr. Minges several years ago at a book signing in VA. Some NAs owned African slaves,had mixed race Afro-Native slaves,and enslaved
those from other tribes.
One tribe in VA,who I will not embarrass by naming,once had a "blackout"
clause. Their anti-miscegenation law excluded those who didn't marry whites
or other NDNs from residing in "Indian Town". However,I haven't,as one of
Afro-Indian background,been discriminated against by modern day members
of this tribe because of my physical appearance. (Brown and kinky-haired.)
I descend from this particular nation,for better or worse.
Genealogy is one of my hobbies. You're right,many young people nowadays don't want to talk about the past and how their ancestors "got over". (Made it) Sad!