The question came from Elias Provitt: "Why do so many White individuals and White mixed Natives get so angry at the thought of Blacks Natives? Many get so upset, have anyone else noticed this?" The responses came in a flood. Here are a few including mine!
Tanya Joubert-Auzenne Yes, it happens all the time...even with black people. My great grandmother's tribe doesn't want to hear about any blacks "claiming" to be part Native. They think people are after their money which comes from the casino. Also, most blacks think I'm lying about being part Native American.
Cathy Nottingham Well whites think they r the true natives n blacks natives for some reason want to proved they have more native blood then most black natives.
Sherri Eddowes-Plummer Elias Provitt: Yes, I have noticed what you mention . . . But the matter of "Bloodline" is a long-standing "Value" in so-called "American Culture/Society" . . . Perhaps it's a response to the presumption of Privilege/Authority derived from & enforced by European Nobility/Aristocracy(?)
Edward Brownbear I guess it depends on the tribe, cause most natives I know absolutely despise white folks and only accept a handful of a chosen few.
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| Black Indian children in regalia |
Yolanda Rowe I've noticed it. I'll share a bit (well, maybe more than a bit) on the subject.
My cousin who lives in Norfolk, VA was approached by a member of one of the southeastern tribes. Out of the blue, he asked my cousin where he was from, meaning which tribe. My cousin explained that we are not affiliated, but identified the locations where kin are found. This dude was not pale, blond or blue-eyed. He'd recently attended a pow wow in Virginia (don't know which one) and was made to feel most unwelcome. He told my cousin that the attitude was best conveyed by, "Boy, you don't belong here." The attitude didn't change much, even when the gentleman presented his tribal identification.
Memories are long. The Virginia Indians have lived through the efforts to disestablish their tribes and remove them from their reservations because they have too much African blood. So, they fought in the courts and their mixed relatives moved off the reservation. Isn't it funny how It only ever mattered if the non-native blood was African? English or any other European group never counted against them.
Family may recognize you, but not when it comes to anything official. They are still just as determined to keep what belongs to the tribe. That's my experience. I have found more acceptance here, but I did have a 'lady' come up to me at a pow wow and berate me for photographing. The sign said, "No flash photography." Lots and lots of cameras and cellphones cams were out and flashing. I was the only one who had a bit more color and was using fancy gear. I wasn't the only one with pro-level gear. She walked right by one guy using a big ole strobe to attempt to intimidate me. Can't imagine why that was...
Virginia being Virginia, many of her residents of European ancestry never got the memo that the Confederacy lost the dang war, slavery has ended and not every person of color has to kiss their behinds.
Cypreunia Simmons I agree Tanya lot of Native Americans have an issue with blacks.I experience it ALL the time here in AZ. Native Americans have had more of an issuse with me being Native then any other people. Thats sad Smh
Cathy Nottingham Well Edward FBI's we're not the problem with me. My experiences in the 70's were with black individuals n it were not positive. Has it changed I think so but still has a very long way to go. I attended a hobbiest powwow in the early nineties in Illinois. My daughter n I were dressed in our regalia n as we approach the circle I noticed it was roped off. We simply lift the rope up n sat dw. A white lady came up n said, miss I am sorry that section is for dancers only! I stood up and said what the hell do u think I have on a Halloween outfit!! Are do u think indians are white? If u think that then I will filed a law suit against u. She immediately said she was sorry n walked away. I looked around n behold every one was a pale face. There are many non indians that blends in with Indians and passed with no problems. If u noticed in the circle there are many mixed natives claiming family ties to full bloods and they are not related. Why hmmm maybe it gives them a feeling of acceptance?
Yolanda Rowe Cathy Nottingham, you're on point about non-Indians passing as and blending. Folks put too much stock in appearance. There are people that would willingly believe that I'm Latina/Hispanic before they would believe that I am of African and Native American descent. And with some of the hoops that a placed before us, I'd more likely qualify as Latina; I can read and speak Spanish. I do not speak or read Virginia Algonquian.
Tanya Joubert-Auzenne It's true, whites are accepted more by Indians. Many are married to them and have children where I'm from. You will never see them with blacks.
I am not affiliated with my Native relatives in fear that they wouldn't accept my family and me .
Years ago, I worked with a member of my great grandmother's tribe, and I explained to her about my relation. All she said was "they did that back then". What she meant was they were with blacks.
I also asked her how I could go about contacting the tribe concerning my ggmother. She told me a few things, and made me promise I wouldn't mention her name. Her response told me a great deal about what to expect.
I would love to find out more about that part of my heritage, but sadly I don't feel confident nor comfortable pursing it.
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| Cathy Nottingham on the left in yellow. December 12, 2010 |
Yvonne Almore Cathy Nottingham, when my family started participating in pow wows in California, covertly the issue was there. However, we had visited our reservation, MS Choctaw, and we had contacts that helped us in many ways. We had some Mexicans and Samoans, who were perpetrators of Native Americans, felt justified in questioning our ancestors surnames. I had family oral history and research on my own and the help of the reservation. The coup de gras was when a tribal member attended the Long Beach pow wow and came up and embraced us. Never heard another mumbling word!
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| Jay Winter Night Wolf (Cherokee/Shoshone/African) clowning with Swift Otter (Ojibway ) |
This has been an interesting read and revelation! Here in Washington DC a small group of us have decided to organize into the National Congress of Black American Indians and "All Our Relations". For more information contact, or pay attention to my wall, or Verona Iriate's wall, Jay Winter Night Wolf's wall. We are gathering July 19 of this year at a church in DC...
Scholarship shows there are more Black Indians than 'other' Indians recognized by the Federal government. That being said we are in competition and war with the blood quantum laws and the defensive motives of white Indians and full bloods which has to do with survival, desperation and a peculiar affiliation with white American's fears in rather complex ways. Many of us African Indians, like myself, have spent their lives deep within the teachings of our Elders, grandparents and the spirit of the land (Turtle Island). That connection is deeper than the political ties and the adoption of white ways of existence. We need to focus our connection to Turtle Island. We need to listen to our ancestors stories and what they are telling us.
The reason we decided to create this group is based upon the experiences similar to most Black Indians and focus on what is most important: who we are and why we became important in history and the survival of many tribes! ~ Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 6.4.14
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| Tanya Joubert-Auzenne November 6, 2013 |
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| Cathy Nottingham November 17, 2013 |
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| Yolanda Rowe May 20, 2014 |
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