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IndigenousAmericans.org©
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NEWS!
As
this year progress it is our hope to form a 501c3 non profit
corporation. The purpose in this is that we may be able to raise
monies needed to further the knowledge base for Indigenous Americans. My Thoughts In this time of so much fear and concern over the rights of seemingly select minorities, where are our leaders? Have we no one that speaks for the indigenous peoples of the Americas? Why is it okay to ask an Indigenous American how much native blood they have and not expect us to be offended? We possess a great history and talent that is almost unknown and seldom mentioned. While in school, our children are required to memorize other peoples speeches, who learns the words of Chief Joseph and other great leaders. The tribal history for each is different, but there would seem to be a lack of knowledge shared about the indigenous peoples in general. Our musical talents are mostly ignored, except for the traditional songs and chants heard at pow wows. Mato Nanji a great guitarist, is not heard in the mainstream media. Is it widely known that Jimi Hendrix was of Cherokee blood? Indigenous Americans have clothing lines, that would show forth the pride we share, such as Native Threads . It seems, that while others outside this country rate help and news coverage, the peoples to whom this country was taken are forgotten. A good book to read and consider would be IN THE HANDS OF THE GREAT SPIRIT by Jake Page. It sets forth many ideas that will help those seeking to understand more about the Indigenous peoples of the Americas Also, the book 1491 offers much needed instruction to those who seek to increase their knowledge of Indigenous Americans. Are we like the shadows, seen only dimly and of no substance? Have we no one to speak words for us, not as one but of one. Your comments are appreciated. I would be glad to read and post some of the responses. All tribes are asked to participate. It is my hope that this site can grow and become a point of knowledge to those who wish to learn and teach others. Analysis of the 1970 and 1990 US Census data shows that the Indigenous American population has grown from 827,000 in 1970 to a total of approximately two million in 1990. The 1990 total of the Indigenous American population was a compilation
of Eskimo, Aleuts, and those commonly referred to as American Indians.
The Census Bureau estimates projected that by July 1994 the Indigenous
American population would be 2.2 million and by 2050 this number would
increase to 4.3 million. If this projection is
correct, the number of Indigenous Americans would amount to over one
percent of the USA population. In 1990 approximately fifty percent of the Indigenous American
population abode in the western United States. The proportions were
twenty-nine percent in the South with six percent in the Northeast and
the remaining seventeen percent in the Midwest. Approximately sixty six percent of the families of Indigenous Americans in the 1990 census were married-couple families. This is a smaller group that the nearly eighty percent of the nearly sixty-five million US family groups. Also there was seen a trend for single parent households that was ten percent larger that the general US population. Comparing the national poverty rates for Indigenous Americans and the general US population would show another despairing statistic. In this, Indigenous Americans had a thirty one percent total of its group living below the poverty level in comparison with the thirteen percent of the remaining US population.
INDIGENOUS AMERICANS 274 Airport Rd Vidalia, LA 71373 Indigenous_Americans@Yahoo.com
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That's the universal question many mixed-blood Native Americans are asked every day. How many times have you mentioned in passing that you are Cherokee to find your conversation interrupted by intrusive questions about percentage? How many times have you answered those questions? Well stop! That's right -- stop answering rude questions. Have you ever been talking to someone who mentioned that they were part Hispanic, part African-American, part Jewish, part Italian, part Irish, part Korean, etc.? Have you ever asked them what percentage? Hopefully your answer is no, because if your answer is yes then you're rude. It would be rude to ask someone how Hispanic they are, but we accept that people can ask us how Cherokee we are. This is a double standard brought about by our collective history as Native Americans, and is one we should no longer tolerate.
Many tribes would capture members of neighboring tribes, white settlers, or members of enemy tribes. These captives would replace members of the tribe who had died. They would often be bestowed with some of the same prestige and duties of the person they were replacing. While the transformation from captive to tribal member was often a long and difficult one, the captive would eventually become an accepted member of the tribe. The fact that the adoptee was sometimes of a different ethnic origin was of little importance to the tribe.
When considering these numbers it is important to remember that the Cherokee were in direct contact with white settlers prior to the American Revolution. Many prominent Cherokee families included intermarried whites very early on. The Ward family - descendants of Nancy and Bryant Ward (an Englishman) -- is a good example. My own ancestor, Granny Hopper (daughter of Old Hop), married a Scottish trader (McDaniel). The Cherokee people has been intermarrying with whites for over two hundred years, so many families have some very confusing fractions to spit out every time someone asks, "How much Indian are you?"
Throughout history the Cherokee people have believed that if you're Cherokee, you're Cherokee. If you're not, you're not. Percentage doesn't matter. In addition, many people now make a distinction between quantum Cherokees and cultural Cherokees. How Cherokee you are is more determined by how you live, how active you are in the tribe, how you grew up, and what you know of Cherokee history, culture, and language.
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