Should I Become A Native American

[JohnT]

In which JohnT starts channeling the spirit of TCO...

From TCO as if in a dream... or a PM

"You are a native American if you were born here". If you came from somewhere else and became a citizen, you are a naturalized American. QED."

[MrFun]

Re: Should I Become A Native American

Originally posted by Sprayber
Although I may not look it, I have a sinificant about of Native American blood in me. In fact, I have enough to become a member of the Cherokee tribe. I got to thinking about some of the free stuff I should be entitled to. Even though only half of my ancestors were oppressed. And I more closely resemble someone from Ireland than someone from the reservation. Anyway, I think I deserve my portion of the gambling money.


What would you do?

Free stuff??

Oh -- you're talking about the material compensations for their loss of hundreds of thousands of acres in property over the nineteenth century.

[JohnT]

He really needs to get in on some of those government contracts.

[David Floyd]

The premise of this thread ---->

I mean, **** - using a part of your ancestry you didn't even know you had, probably don't care about, and certainly hasn't affected your life one bit in order to get free stuff? Come on.

[Theben]

I tells ya, our ma better hurry up and git her fair share of native american goodies 'cuz her kids don't qualify.

[Theben]

Originally posted by David Floyd
The premise of this thread ---->

I mean, **** - using a part of your ancestry you didn't even know you had, probably don't care about, and certainly hasn't affected your life one bit in order to get free stuff? Come on.

It's the American Way, Dave.

[JohnT]

"I mean, **** - using a part of your ancestry you didn't even know you had, probably don't care about, and certainly hasn't affected your life one bit in order to get free stuff?"

Well, it makes more sense than to feel a part of a heritage you never considered your own in the first place.

[JohnT]

TCO sent another greetings via PM:

"You are breaking the rules by posting stuff from someone banned. "

He told me to post it here, so here it is. Hell, I didn't even notice he was gone.

[JohnT]

And TCO? Clean out your damn mailbox, you lurker!

[Ted Striker]

the indians in california are getting mad payouts from the indian casinos

i'm talking insane amounts of money

red man's revenge

[Sikander]

Re: Should I Become A Native American

Originally posted by Sprayber
Although I may not look it, I have a sinificant about of Native American blood in me. In fact, I have enough to become a member of the Cherokee tribe. I got to thinking about some of the free stuff I should be entitled to. Even though only half of my ancestors were oppressed. And I more closely resemble someone from Ireland than someone from the reservation. Anyway, I think I deserve my portion of the gambling money.


What would you do?

You are like a lot of people in my family, who are also from Arkansas btw. Some of my cousins lived on a reservation for a while, but most of us pass for white completely. I don't think most of us could get enrolled as members of a tribe even if we pursued it though. Do you know what percentage Indian blood you need in order to become a member?

I personally wouldn't try to take advantage of my heritage in this way, mainly because I am more than half white by blood, and 100% white by culture. I look white enough never to have faced any discrimination due to being Indian, and I don't feel like I need to tap into that oil or gambling money. I think the people who get it now need it more than I do.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by PeteH

Hmm perhaps a sense of perspective for you first:

from http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum...0.02.07.x.html

So if nothing else, they certainly have a much longer relationship with the land than any european colonists.

Other more recent studies seem to indicate that the arrival of humans in America came somewhat later than previously indicated. Estimates vary considerably, though your 40,000 year estimate is at the very long end of the spectrum.

Originally posted by PeteH
Second, if the europeans had come to live alongside the indians, things would have probably adjusted over time. But that was never an option, due to a multitude of factors, but primarily stemming form the fact that the europeans were 'civilized' and therefore not interested in living alongside the 'savages'. It was just a question of how fast could they wipe them out to make use of the space they occupied.

The only reason that the Cherokee are one of the largest tribes in existence (despite being located right on the doorstep of some of the first colonies) is because they did live along side the White man both early on and more recently. There was very little policy or real effort put into "wiping them out". The worst excesses were mainly from relocating Indians away from areas populated by whites, but aside from Andrew Jackson, Indian policy in the U.S. has been all over the map historically, including some respect and concern for the Indians at least as far back as the Jefferson administration.

Originally posted by PeteH
So there is a bit of a difference. As to the original post, it is a very personal decision. Personally, however, I would want to find out and become a part of the tribe in the hope of learning some of the things that are going to be lost in a generation or so if things aren't changed, as the last people to have known any Native Americans who lived before the reservations die out without anyone to carry on the stories. To try to just firther expand the conquest by getting on the inside would just make you part of the genocide

We are already part and parcel of the genocide. I'm related to Andrew Jackson as well as part Cherokee, and I'll bet that Sprayber's family includes both victims and agressors in the Indian wars as well as many others. One thing that I like about our people is that they are warriors on both sides of the family tree.

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by David Floyd
The premise of this thread ---->

I mean, **** - using a part of your ancestry you didn't even know you had, probably don't care about, and certainly hasn't affected your life one bit in order to get free stuff? Come on.

Please get out of this thread David. You really have no sense of humor what so ever do you. I guess you didnt read the part where I said I was joking did you?

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by Sikander
We are already part and parcel of the genocide. I'm related to Andrew Jackson as well as part Cherokee, and I'll bet that Sprayber's family includes both victims and agressors in the Indian wars as well as many others. One thing that I like about our people is that they are warriors on both sides of the family tree.

That's how it is here. Those that came to the region in the early 1800s have a lot of Native American blood.. Not so for those that came later on in the 1900s. Cherokee and Chocktaw seem to be the most numerious.

[MrFun]

Again, just to make sure people understand -- Amerindians do not receive "freestuff" -- it's material compensation for their territorial losses.