Here is my own line back to William Asbell Sr.
Hopefully, people who
come here are looking for ways to find out how they can determine if they have
Cherokee ancestry. Please don’t think
you’ll find any sacred wisdom or rituals here…
Too many people spend
too much on the internet searching for all the wrong things and arguing about
who is and who is not something. I don’t join in on those arguments anymore,
however, I will make a couple of statements that I hope will help you with your
research and avoid some pitfalls.
In the interest of clear thinking let's not succumb to the wannabe
ethic, which is an insistence that you be considered Native in every
sense and that you have some god given right to demand knowledge, both
cultural and ceremonial, from your recognized cousins.
When addressing
Native people always identify yourself as a direct descendent. It will save
you a lot of grief and bad feelings. If you want to know what it takes to be a
tribal member go to the Tribe’s website and they will tell you. Don’t be
surprised if you don’t meet the criteria.
Think of it this way;
I can prove I am of Irish descent but that does that make me a citizen of
Ireland? Do I have right to demand that I should be a citizen of Ireland? Do I
have right to demand that the Irish Catholic church teach me their rituals and
let me perform Mass? We
all know the answers.
Many tribal Native Americans are frustrated by
people claiming Indian blood with little or no documentation. Worse, there are
frauds who try to make money from claiming sacred knowledge and rituals known
as “plastic shamans.”
If you are or think
you are a direct descendent, this is about genealogy research, not just about proving you
have Indian blood. I have listed a number
of resources as links and they are the best ways to start your journey. If you have Native and especially Cherokee ancestry you
can find it but it takes some hard work.
When I started my
genealogy research over then years ago I had no idea I had Native American
blood, however I found out I did. This was important to me because this
was my mother’s paternal family. She was born out of wedlock and never knew
her family personally or its history and died not knowing it. It was important to me to
claim her complete heritage, not just the Native heritage. Nevertheless, I was
proud of the Native heritage and it explained much about the differences in my
mother’s physical appearance from her siblings.
Ruth Ann Dooley,
Billy Jean Watts, Dean Dooley, Grandmother, Dora Stiles
I wish you good luck
in your search.
On being a
Cherokee Mixed Blood Descendent
The Celtic immigrants to the new world often found much to admire in
American Indians and there was a great deal of intermarriage, especially
with the Cherokee. The Dawes rolls are filled with Irish and Scottish
names. Chief John Ross was more Scottish than Cherokee being only 1/8
Indian.
The difference today is not in who is a mixed blood but in who is
registered and who had an ancestor on the Dawes rolls and whether a
person was raised in white or Cherokee culture. In this country you are
one or the other, again, not because of blood quantum but because of the
federal government's definitions and the tribe's right to establish
membership.
In Canada we would be known as Métis (Pronounced Meh-Tay) and have a
standing of our own. In this country we have no standing with either the
U.S. Government or the Tribal governments. The Chief of the Cherokee
Nation of Oklahoma has admitted that there are many unregistered
Cherokee, but that has not led to any offer of recognition, other than
having an ancestor on the Dawes rolls. Proving descent, especially in
the Cherokee Nations given the various tribal rolls, can be done. But
that only proves descent, it does not establish a right to membership in
a tribe or nation.
We can take great pride in our Indian blood for we come from a great
people, who have a long and rich cultural heritage and who have survived
as much as any people in history, but we can't say that we are the same
if we have not been raised in the Native cultures. There is blood and
then there is culture. For most American Indians whose tribes have
federal recognition culture can win out over blood but in some cases
blood quantum is the minimum requirement.
But what of us who are direct descendents?
The path to claiming your blood is not an easy one, but bear in mind
that no journey with a worth while goal is. Be aware that you are not
alone. There are thousands of us whose ancestors left the tribes and
mixed with the whites. My approach to understanding my American Indian
ancestors and my living cousins is done with great respect. I wish only
to honor this heritage and will make every effort to conduct my creative
endeavors in music, art, and the written word in a way that I hope will
not be misunderstood if I make any mistakes in my understanding. I hope
they will correct my understanding in a friendly way.
