Question for the other Americans

[buddy]

Just wondering, how many of you can claim any Native American ancestry? Personally I have no such ancestry, so we can cross me off the list.

I know Josh has some, and since Jack Reed is mixed with 14 or so ethnicities, my guess is that there is a NA in the family hehe. Who else?

[Crimson Guard]

I'am Native American,3rd generation to ..

A better term/phrase would Amerindian or American Indian...Native American is a dubious term.

[aroundtheworld]

My BF is of Amerindian ancestry. It is distant but he looks at least 1/4 or more. I believe there is more recent admixture and maybe a relative didn't know. He has Amerindian mouth, jet black straight mongloid hair and skin that stays "tan".

[Jack Reed]

My great grandmother was half Cherokee. I know; it's always that tribe. <G> My ancestors lived among the Cherokees and Shawnees for years. Those were the only two tribes in the area. I consider myself to be White when I have to choose. I've been lectured about going too far in that direction. It's just lame when blonde-haired and blue-eyed people claim to be Native Americans to be trendy. I have dark coloring, which I probably got from my NA ancestors.

[murphee]

I don't have any Amerindian ancestry that I know about, but my husband does on both sides of his family.

[buddy]

crimsonguard said:

I'am Native American,3rd generation to ..

A better term/phrase would Amerindian or American Indian...Native American is a dubious term.

Come on Crimson, you knew what I meant. BTW, Amerindian is actually the wrong term even though we use it here, including me, for simplicity's sake. Groups which are indigenous to the New World are not "Indians" in any way. If we want to get technical, sure, I'm a 3rd generation "Native American" on my father's side, and 4th generation on my mother's.

[buddy]

jackreed1 said:

My great grandmother was half Cherokee. I know; it's always that tribe. <G> My ancestors lived among the Cherokees and Shawnees for years. Those were the only two tribes in the area. I consider myself to be White when I have to choose. I've been lectured about going too far in that direction. It's just lame when blonde-haired and blue-eyed people claim to be Native Americans to be trendy. I have dark coloring, which I probably got from my NA ancestors.

Jack,

Is your ancestry mainly from the South? BTW I think it's interesting that your dark coloring may have come from your 1/16th Cherokee ancestry. Do you think you have any Melungeon ancestry? If so, it means you are likely to have some Mediterranean ancestry via the Turkish slaves and Moorish exiles from Spain and Portugal.

[murphee]

American Indian, no knowledge if there is admixture

[ndrthl]

murphee said:

American Indian, no knowledge if there is admixture

He does not look pure, imo.

[Jack Reed]

buddy said:

jackreed1 said:

My great grandmother was half Cherokee. I know; it's always that tribe. <G> My ancestors lived among the Cherokees and Shawnees for years. Those were the only two tribes in the area. I consider myself to be White when I have to choose. I've been lectured about going too far in that direction. It's just lame when blonde-haired and blue-eyed people claim to be Native Americans to be trendy. I have dark coloring, which I probably got from my NA ancestors.

Jack,

Is your ancestry mainly from the South? BTW I think it's interesting that your dark coloring may have come from your 1/16th Cherokee ancestry. Do you think you have any Melungeon ancestry? If so, it means you are likely to have some Mediterranean ancestry via the Turkish slaves and Moorish exiles from Spain and Portugal.

Buddy, the majority of my ancestors migrated to the northern colonies or states and moved to the southwestern frontier where they remained. Some of them migrated to Virginia, but they seemingly were in the minority. It's funny that you mentioned Melungeons, because my ancestors settled in their territory, so to speak. I would be surprised if I *didn't* have Melungeon ancestry, and I'll mention more about that when I return.

[Planet Asia]

I am partially Native American myself, Blackfoot, Seminole and Creek.

[buddy]

jackreed1 said:

buddy said:

Jack,

Is your ancestry mainly from the South? BTW I think it's interesting that your dark coloring may have come from your 1/16th Cherokee ancestry. Do you think you have any Melungeon ancestry? If so, it means you are likely to have some Mediterranean ancestry via the Turkish slaves and Moorish exiles from Spain and Portugal.

Buddy, the majority of my ancestors migrated to the northern colonies or states and moved to the southwestern frontier where they remained. Some of them migrated to Virginia, but they seemingly were in the minority. It's funny that you mentioned Melungeons, because my ancestors settled in their territory, so to speak. I would be surprised if I *didn't* have Melungeon ancestry, and I'll mention more about that when I return.

Cool, sounds interesting. I've heard that Melungeons are a mix of these founding Mediterranean groups (with the word "Melungeon" coming from a Turkish word meaning "cursed soul" or something like that), who later intermarried with Native Americans, Scotch-Irish and other European settlers, and runaway African slaves.

[buddy]

ndrthl said:

murphee said:

American Indian, no knowledge if there is admixture

He does not look pure, imo.

I don't know if this is true, but I remember hearing that the last full-blooded Native American (in the U.S. that is) died in the early 20th century. Obviously many near full-bloods still exist among NAs, but I'm sure nearly all have a European or African ancestor somewhere down the line.

[tikitorch]

That injun looks like Billy Bob Thorton. Does he have injun blood?

[anodyne]

tikitorch said:

That injun looks like Billy Bob Thorton. Does he have injun blood?

He has some Choctaw, I believe. Not sure if he's 1/4, 1/8, etc.