My father's mother's family and both sides of my mother's parents families were in Texas while Texas was still a part of Mexico. My mothers fathers grand father had been given a Spanish grant to 50 square miles of ranch land up near Weatherford TX. My fathers grandfather although not native to Texas purchased his bride from a Cherokee reservation. Heres the deal. If you add up all the native American women (and it is all women) in my blood line I end up between 1/8 and 1/4 native American Dependant upon which one of the genealogist old women in the family you believe. Problem is it is all speculation. The easiest to prove would probably be the Cherokee great grand mother but she never had a reservation number. The Texas side is all Comanche scattered from down near the coast up into the panhandle. Its funny when they married into German families they took German names and when they married into Scotch or Irish they took their names. None of them was ever on a reservation. From what I understand it was pretty common for men in the 1830's to not only take Indian wives it was almost a necessity, as it granted you a certain amount of protection.

I will be brutally honest. I was raised not knowing any of this. It has only come to light as people even 2 or 3 generations (the ones that knew these women) removed from it have died, and also as society's attitudes have relaxed. If anyone ever brought it up at family reunions they were quashed. I have not ever suffered any injustice due to the fact that I was a native American.

But my heritage is something I am proud so I was just wondering what it took to be a tribesman. Even if I qualified I would need to ponder on it as I might not accept it due to the fact that I am just an old white guy with native American great and great great grandmothers.

This post has been edited by gyrhed: March 6th 2009 8:04 PM

to the Armory. If you are close to a reservation...go in and talk with the folks in the Central Office. You would be surprised how helpful they can be helping you to back track family history. Some tribal council offices have historical records...and the ones that don't maintain them can refer you to agencies/companies (some that will charge for searches) that can help you figure it all out.

Do you have a AR? What kind? Any pics? Enjoy the fever

This post has been edited by nitehawk1946: March 6th 2009 9:00 PM

Here in Alaska, the Federal Government requires a person to have to 1/4 blood quantum that can be verified to be considered an American Indian or Alaskan Native for the purpose of receiving benefits.

I, of course am not implying that anyone with less is not an American Indian or Alaskan Native. I have met and known and am related to people that have less than 1/4 Blood Quantum that are more "Native" or "Indian" than other with more Indian Blood Quantum.

The Moniker "Tribesmen" is something of pride to me and the others that carry it. I know I had to have "proof" that I was a Yupik Eskimo before gaining the designation of Tribesmen.

Like Nitehawk said, if you go to the reservation/tribe that you are a descendant of they most likely will be able to help you.

Isn't it lovely how the government recognizes us as someone would a horse or dog (how pure is your bloodline?)? Yet they don't apply the same standard to anyone else. Our beloved furor is an excellent example; even though he's only half black, he's considered 'black.'

It's sad that most tribes across the country don't take into consideration, inter-tribal relationships when figuring out our 'blood-pureness.' My wife and I are a great example. I'm from one tribe, and she's from another. My tribe only takes into consideration what blood comes from theirs, as does hers with her blood. By current blood-quantum requirements in both of our tribes, our children won't be eligible to be enrolled in either tribe, even though our combined blood is almost 'pure' native blood. They'll be mutts, no AKC shows for our kids. My sister got lucky though. Her husband is an inter-tribal child, however one of the tribes he comes from takes into consideration blood-quantum from other tribes. As long as the children have ancestry in that tribe.

Yeah, I hear you on the whole pure-bred thing...if you look at it in that view it is demeaning.

In Alaska, it doesn't matter if your blood line is mixed as long as the bloodline is from one of the Federally Recognized Tribes. If you go to the local BIA office and show proof of your Blood Quantum and your wifes, they should issue your kids a BIA card to get benefits, even if they are from different Tribes.

What is your Tribe, if you do not mind me asking?

Enrolled on mother's side with Minnesota Chippewa Tribe-Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Pillager group. I was enrolled with White Earth when I was young. (Leech Lake and White Earth are both MN Chip, I have family on both reservations.) There has been chatter for as long as I can remember about them revising their blood-quantum requirements, I haven't seen anything come from it though.

My father is Colville in Washington, he doesn't claim me though.

The BIA, in my experience, hasn't been too helpful when dealing with inter-tribal unions. This is why my sister's children are enrolled somewhere else with more lenient enrollment requirements.

Thanks Mr. Dawes...

what gets me is that it is the heritage that has to be proven is native american. If I could find one black women or man in my lineage I would be black, same for hispanic or asians.

I did make a call to the cherokee nation 20 years ago when I lived in Oklahoma, and honestly they didn't seem like they wanted anything to do with me, but then again they probably don't want to bother with anyone who isn't serious about it. Unfortunately the cherokee side will only account for 1/8.

The comanche side would probably be impossible since they were married in the early 1830's when there were no records and the comanches were in little bands all over the area. None of these women were ever on a reservation. In fact they dies living as white women like nearly all of them did. That fact alone is enough to disqualify me for most, and I can understand that.

I have been a gun nut since my grandfather took me shooting at 6. But, I actually use to be one of those people that use to look at the AR and think why does anyone need that gun. I shot my first one when I was in college in the 70's. Back then they were expensive and as I remeber you were pretty much stuck with colt. Ammo was expensive too. Almost as much as .270 as I remeber. I liked shooting it but I still didn't have the fever.

Then one day the adulterer from Arkansaw weasled his way into the white house in one of the most under publicizes conspiracies in history. You know when the democratic party conspired with that little dweeb H. Ross Perot to take votes away from that mealy mouthed bush #1.

No I don't really believe that, but I do htink its funny and wouldn't rule it out.

Anyway when the adulterer opened up the import market and let all that cheap ammo and old WWII returns back into the country I went out and bought an M-1. Well it was just a downhill slide fromthere. When he passed the assult weapons ban I went out and bought my first AR just because one day I might not be able to. I sold the clinton ban gun to finance a non ban gun. Never know with these people. They might decide that old ban serial numbers hae to remain per the ban and I would have to take the bayonette lugg off or something.

I am new here and have been posting all day. I had oral surgery totay so I have been posting between naps. My goal is to make 30 without posting too many irrelavent posts or replys. One I hit 30 I will slow down and maybe never post again ;)

Not sure how to post pictures.

gryhed,

Hope you were joking about not posting after 30, this is a great site and we need as many active members as we can get.

Yea I am already hooked.

There seem to be a lot of good people here.

Gyrhed and Teufel, Sorry I missed this thread,,, welcome brothers. I am an enrolled member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and am what we jokingly refer to as an Ojibawegian, ¾ Norwegian and ¼ Ojibwe,, the actual term for a mix blood Ojibwe is Sagawade-Anishinaabeg. I spent my youth on the reservation and still maintain a residence on the rez..

I hear ya about the blood quantum requirements for enrollment; White Earth has been at odds with the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and the BIA for years about this. We feel that the MCT and the BIA has no business telling us who is family and who is not… Even though I am enrolled with the tribe my children are not. About 10 or so years ago, in an attempt to revise their blood-quantum requirements, White earth started to issue “descendent cards” to children of members who did not meet the MTC’s blood quantum requirements for tribal enrollment. This card allowed certain tribal benefits to the card holders such as gathering rights (hunting, fishing, ricing) on all land with in the reservation boundaries with out a state license. Well that didn’t sit to well with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and started a two year battle between tribal DNR and state DNR with the kids caught in the middle. The state finely won and the descendent card holders had to buy a state hunting license and had to abide by the states game season. Our tribe said OK we can play that game two, and posted all our tribal land reserving it for descendent card holders and tribal members. If non Indians wanted to hunt on the rez they were required to buy a $100 permit through the tribe. Descendent card holders could hunt on tribal land but still had to abide by state game laws and only hunt during state seasons. The tribe also granted other rights to Descendent card holders free from the BIA/MTC control such as health care…

The original descendent cards that were issued to our kids were green to distinguish descendent cards from enrollment cards and became to be known as “green cards” The tribe has since change the color to purple…

This post has been edited by scotto: March 7th 2009 6:10 PM

This is purely tongue and check but it seems you would have to be a direct descendant of Quanah Parker himself to get into the Comanche nation and he was only 1/2 Comanche himself.

Good point, and I am pretty sure that the great Ojibwe Chief Hole-in-the-day had some French blood in his veins.. Some Ojibwe words even sounds like it has a “French” influence.

WOW, And I thought I was screwed up............. Dad was Cherokee and mom is full blood 'Heinz 57 Variety AND Sioux. Dad had the most beautiful bronze skin you've ever seen and could double for the Indian head nickel model. Mom looks lily white, except when she gets mad. Then she looks mad lily white! Guess that makes me a mutt too, even though Mom is 1/4 Sioux and Dad was full Cherokee. The problem is that Dad's folks never lived on a reservation and were never registered into the archives. My paternal Grandpa was born at home in Lynchburg, TN in 1883, Grandma was born in Tullahoma, TN in 1903. My Mom's dad was an orphan born in Dakota Territory and her mom was born in Missouri. The Sioux comes from mom's dad. And that is about all I know.

I wonder what that makes my kids, Their Mom is Asian from Rangoon, Burma by way of England.

Cool! I'd really like to know Dad's side of the family more though. He and I were real close.