White Americans claiming Cherokee ancestry (blonde, descent, French, Hispanic)

[Radrook]

Some famous people with Cherokee ancestry:


David Carradine

Kevin Costner
　
Johnny Depp
　
Chuck Norris
　
Burt Reynolds
　
Cameron Diaz

Elvis Presely

Jack Dempsey

Loretta Lynn

Dolly Parton

[le roi]

This forum has opened my eyes to how emotional people get about the whole "native american" thing. I had no idea it was such a hot button issue for some people.

[yarddawg]

Originally Posted by le roi

This forum has opened my eyes to how emotional people get about the whole "native american" thing. I had no idea it was such a hot button issue for some people.

Yeah no kidding. Native ancestry is common enough where I'm from (rural southeastern Tennessee mountains) that telling someone you have Cherokee ancestry is more likely to get the response "who doesn't?" than "no way you're not brown enough". My ancestors chose US citizenship over tribal membership in the 1800s, to me it's never been about that. It's about how much of the remote southern Appalachian culture I was raised in originated with my native ancestors as opposed to my European ancestors. Which is an interesting intellectual journey. We really don't fit well at all with mainstream "white" culture and while some of that is due to isolation a considerable amount, from a sprinkling of words and stories to everyday bits about how we live and what we eat, originated with the Cherokee.

And I'll have to admit some of the "most tribal members aren't really native" or "you can't be native because you don't look central american" posters tick me off. I have a deep suspicion of the motives of people who are obsessed with other people's ancestors.

[le roi]

Originally Posted by yarddawg

Yeah no kidding. Native ancestry is common enough where I'm from (rural southeastern Tennessee mountains) that telling someone you have Cherokee ancestry is more likely to get the response "who doesn't?" than "no way you're not brown enough". My ancestors chose US citizenship over tribal membership in the 1800s, to me it's never been about that. It's about how much of the remote southern Appalachian culture I was raised in originated with my native ancestors as opposed to my European ancestors. Which is an interesting intellectual journey. We really don't fit well at all with mainstream "white" culture and while some of that is due to isolation a considerable amount, from a sprinkling of words and stories to everyday bits about how we live and what we eat, originated with the Cherokee.

And I'll have to admit some of the "most tribal members aren't really native" or "you can't be native because you don't look central american" posters tick me off. I have a deep suspicion of the motives of people who are obsessed with other people's ancestors.

i think people are just stupid.

if some guy says, "I'm Cherokee," he might mean, "I'm 0.00000004% Cherokee", or he might mean, "I'm 100% full blooded Cherokee." The fact that people aren't clear leads to these really ridiculous arguments that are based primarily on someone's sloppy language.

It's no different than all the jackasses in New Jersey who say, "I'm Italian." No you're not. You might have 4 grandparents born and raised in Sicily, but you're not Italian. You're not even Italian-American. You have Italian ancestry..... get it right!

[LeeLee77]

I am from the appalachian mountains and I think many white people there may have this mixture. I think blacks lie about it the most, because they dont want to admit they are from the thomas jefferson tribe.....

I took a blood test and only am a 5% native american mix, which really isnt hardly anything, considering the other 95% is all white european...BUT would you believe that my family look mongolian!, I actually just started another thread asking for ideas about possibly a mongolian tribe in west virginia called 'menguleans' (spelling?) There are people I know from Appalachian communities who have been there since the beginning and you can tell they are not ALL european...they have the highest foreheads and cheekbones imaginable.....I dont know what it is, I am confused by this myself. There is def something to it though!

[Agnapostate]

Originally Posted by yarddawg

And I'll have to admit some of the "most tribal members aren't really native" or "you can't be native because you don't look central american" posters tick me off. I have a deep suspicion of the motives of people who are obsessed with other people's ancestors.

Native Americans experience specific treatment from others (including negative discrimination) based on phenotype. It doesn't seem accurate for people who do not share that phenotype to identify as Indian even if they possess a minor degree of admixture, just as African-Americans do not identify as white despite their possession of a far more significant percentage of European admixture.

[Fullback32]

Originally Posted by Agnapostate

Native Americans experience specific treatment from others (including negative discrimination) based on phenotype. It doesn't seem accurate for people who do not share that phenotype to identify as Indian even if they possess a minor degree of admixture, just as African-Americans do not identify as white despite their possession of a far more significant percentage of European admixture.

Ya know, that's a damn good point. If a person claiming NDN goes to places like South Dakota and they don't get the stares, being watched in a store or downright feeling some heat, then chances are they are a thin blood.

Now, that doesn't mean that they might not be enrolled tribal members or even grew up in the culture, but a large majority of these guys are not and did not. Having married a white woman myself (she claims no NDN blood BTW), my children are 1/4 Comanche and enrolled, but they rarely get mistaken for NDN...they just tan real goot.

But even here in Colorado, I get the stares, especially when walking beside my blond wife. Sometimes it's the "oh wow an NDN...I didn't know you guys still existed" look. Sometimes it's the Newager/twinkie guys giving you the "would you bless my beads" look. Sometimes it's more of the "I'd just as soon kill you...what are doing with one of our women" look. On my one visit to South Dakota, I got followed around in stores and watched at the Rapid City Mall. Wouldn't it have been nice if they had just asked if they could help me instead of assuming I was going to steal something or couldn't afford their stuff? If some of these guys claiming to be NDN haven't had things like this happen to them, they definitely haven't been part of the whole "American Indian experience" for sure.

[Nighteyes]

Originally Posted by Fullback32

... If some of these guys claiming to be NDN haven't had things like this happen to them, they definitely haven't been part of the whole "American Indian experience" for sure.

[pvande55]

Is this so they can claim some of the Casino revenue?

[Fullback32]

Originally Posted by pvande55

Is this so they can claim some of the Casino revenue?

Some might be, but in most cases, probably not as they know dang good and well that they cannot get enrolled with whatever Nation they are claiming. You must be enrolled to receive any kind of per cap from whatever source. In the case of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma (CNO), it is a little easier to get enrolled as all you have to do is prove you are a descendant of someone on the Dawes Rolls, regardless of blood quantum. This, of course, is why the CNO has some 300,000 enrolled members making it one of the largest Nations in terms of population. It also explains the vast number of "white looking" members. Contrast to my Nation, the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma, we only have around 20,000 enrolled members and we do have a blood quantum requirement.

The other two federally recognized Cherokee Nations, United Keetoowah and Eastern Cherokee, both have blood quantum requirements. Some of the other federally recognized Nations have a descendent requirement like the CNO (can't remember exactly which ones), but most Nations have blood quantum requirements.

I think most people who make claims due so because either a) family stories or myths, b) they think it's cool to have NDN blood, or c) they are the Newager types who think that having NDN blood gives some sort of credence to their spiritual beliefs (but that is a whole other topic in itself).