Native American? Maybe one of you guys will know.

[Dollmanron]

OK, I have a question.

My wife's Great-Great Grandmother on her Dad's side was a full Native American Indian (Cherokee), and he is suppose to be the last generation to claim Native American status (1/16 from what we've been told). Also, my wife's Great-Great Grandmother on her Mom's side; was also a full Native American (also Cherokee), so they're percentage and status should be the same.

So with that, shouldn't their children, my wife and her three sisters (two even look Indian still) be the same percentage? Which means that they can claim (even though that means again they're also the last generation to be able to claim Native American status) to be Native American?

After doing her families family tree and learning this she is very interested in learning more about her GG Grandmothers and the Cherokee people.

I unfortunately, am pretty sure all my ancestors are of European descent. So I think I messed it up for our two children.

 

[The Ween]

OK, I have a question.

My wife's Great-Great Grandmother on her Dad's side was a full Native American Indian (Cherokee), and he is suppose to be the last generation to claim Native American status (1/16 from what we've been told). Also, my wife's Great-Great Grandmother on her Mom's side; was also a full Native American (also Cherokee), so they're percentage and status should be the same.

So with that, shouldn't their children, my wife and her three sisters (two even look Indian still) be the same percentage? Which means that they can claim (even though that means again they're also the last generation to be able to claim Native American status) to be Native American?

After doing her families family tree and learning this she is very interested in learning more about her GG Grandmothers and the Cherokee people.

I unfortunately, am pretty sure all my ancestors are of European descent. So I think I messed it up for our two children.

Give me a little time and I'll figure it out for you. Kinda hard to put it in words cause it can be confusing.

 

[The Ween]

Did both her Great-Great Grandparents marry Non-Native people? And did anyone along the line marry Natives?

 

[Mr. EcKo]

this hurts my brain , goodbye

 

[The Ween]

this hurts my brain , goodbye

It can.

 

[Dollmanron]

Did both her Great-Great Grandparents marry Non-Native people? And did anyone along the line marry Natives?

As far as all the records she has, from that one Native American Ancestor (on both sides mom and Dad) there were no other people married into the family (including their husbands) that were Native American.

 

[The Ween]

Okay then. You're wife is 1/16 Native.

I'm 1/8. My mother is Dutch and my father is Native, English, Welsh and German. I consider myself an American Mutt.

My father didn't claim status and I have no idea if my Grandmother did. She died when I was a child. I have no desire to. What would be the purpose really?

 

[Dollmanron]

She is originally from Abingdon, Va. where there is a lot of American Indian History (Smallpox epidemic), there are caves and pits scattered around the area where so many Natives where dying they were just throwing their bodies into pits (one pit was found and reported and the CDC (or some other organization) tested the bones and found the Smallpox virus still alive in the marrow of the bones. They capped the pit off with concrete. Other Natives who knew they were infected went into caves and just sat down and waited to die surround with their belongings, hoping to keep the disease away from their families (it didn't work unfortunately), cave explorers have found some of those caves (many go unreported because they don't want the caves closed off), and try to leave them undisturbed.

There is a very old grave yard there, it has a replica log cabin school house from settlement days near by. The school teacher from it was killed by Natives (maybe over the epidemic) and is buried there. Along with graves dating back to the 1700's (I'm pretty sure) or earlier.

The entire town is built over caves and tunnels that Revolutionary Soldiers used in fighting the British, they're closed to the public now for safety reasons, but one old guy claims that some of the bones of the dead who were wounded are still there.

There are still some buildings in the city that were build back in the Revolutionary Era (or earlier) and are still being used, one is a Bar.

There is a lot of old stuff like that, the Barter Theater, Martha Washington Inn, about that town and I guess she wants to be a part of it's history.

 

[Intruder04]

this hurts my brain , goodbye

Sorry, my post doesn't contribute anything but I literally fell off my bed laughing over this!

 

[Dollmanron]

We looked over the internet for over an hour trying to find information and couldn't, I thought of the Sandbox and figure, "Heck, what can it hurt to ask". So I did; heard and got more answers then from any where else, I figure it was a win.

Thanks The Ween.

 

[King Darkness]

What exactly was the question? How much native in you do you need to claim to be native? Claim for what purpose? Legal claims to native heritage or just to tell people "I'm a native american?"

 

[pixletwin]

I have a Sioux ancestor named Dancing Sun.

I have no claim though.

 

[Dollmanron]

After doing some more looking, some Native Americans it's 1/16, some will go as far as 1/32 (which I personally think is stretching it), to be able to claim to be Native American. My wife wants to know because she wants to be part of something she is proud of and has great respect for .

 

[King Darkness]

. My wife wants to know because she wants to be part of something she is proud of and has great respect for .

Then I would say it would depend on her upbringing, not the content of her blood.I know a lot of Navajos who range from living hard traditional lives to having zero to no pride or knowledge of where they come from, regardless of blood lines. Just cause she does or doesn't have a large portion of her blood claim to Native American status, shouldn't determine if she can be a proud native.

Now if she is some goofy a$s white lady running around with feathers on her head claiming native American heritage, thats a different story all together.

 

[pixletwin]

Dancing Sun>Mannley Grove>Mary Jane Grove>Catherine Roe>Leticia Harrison>pixletwin's Great Grandfather>pixletwin's Grandfather>pixletwin's Dad>pixletwin

That makes me 1/256th right?

 

[King Darkness]

I went to school with a Letisha Harrison.

 

[pixletwin]

I went to school with a Letisha Harrison.

Did she look like this?

 

[King Darkness]

Nope

 

[Dollmanron]

Then I would say it would depend on her upbringing, not the content of her blood.I know a lot of Navajos who range from living hard traditional lives to having zero to no pride or knowledge of where they come from, regardless of blood lines. Just cause she does or doesn't have a large portion of her blood claim to Native American status, shouldn't determine if she can be a proud native.

Now if she is some goofy a$s white lady running around with feathers on her head claiming native American heritage, thats a different story all together.

All her family have Indian paintings and statues, and dream catches around their homes (even we), it's just like none of them tried to find anything out. I guess over time it was more beneficially (racism and all) just to keep quit about it.

 

[The Ween]

Then I would say it would depend on her upbringing, not the content of her blood.I know a lot of Navajos who range from living hard traditional lives to having zero to no pride or knowledge of where they come from, regardless of blood lines. Just cause she does or doesn't have a large portion of her blood claim to Native American status, shouldn't determine if she can be a proud native.

Now if she is some goofy a$s white lady running around with feathers on her head claiming native American heritage, thats a different story all together.

King, you should see each year the people who come to protest the Cleveland Indians opening day. Red headed, freakled face people dressed in feathers and stuff. I just laugh. There are some Natives there, but some of the others are a joke. The press talks to them and they're all like, "They making fun of my heritage!" They should go to the Irish pub and get loaded.

I'm a proud American Mutt!