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“Ask an Elder” – Which Nation?

There are hundreds of First Nations and thousands of families( clans, houses, wilps)  all over Native America.

Please feel free to comment with which Nation you would like to ‘Ask an Elder’ a question. (examples: Cree, Blackfoot, Sioux …)

I will establish a Blog and an informative page dedicated to that particular Nation. I will then populate the blogs with the Q&A provided in the comments, for future viewers to read.

Participation is key …

 

81 thoughts on ““Ask an Elder” – Which Nation?”

  1. Please can anyone help me? my grandfather who did not read or write, use to make us repeat this phrase over and over until we spoke it to his satisfaction, i do not know what it means, it was important to my grandfather and he never told us what it was, his answer was always, say it, remember it, ill try to type it out how it sounds, i hope someone can identify it for me, HOe nO wah ne chea, (long vowel are in caps). he also had us say, ye ta hAy. my grandparents are long past, there are perhaps a few of our family left, I know my grandfather lived most of his life in north or south Carolina, his father traveled a lot and did not see fit to teach his own son how to read and write, nothing is known of my grandfathers mother, My Grandmother his wife was from Illinois, my cousins think we are from the Cherokee, but I believe that phrase will help me find where we came from. Many others of first people tribes say my spirit is more native first people than those they know to be, it would be nice to know what my Grandfather had us say. What it meant what language it was. Please and thank you.

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  3. I was adopted from Florida. The only thing I was told is my father was Native American. The Florida adoption laws were very strict on privacy at the time of my adoption. Can anyone help with any regard to figuring out my ancestry, natural parents, adoption laws esp concerning Native American rights? Thank you for your time.

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  4. I was wondering if someone could help me find out more about my Great grandmother she was apart of the Chickasaw tribe. Not sure of her maiden name but her married last name was Davis. Can someone please help me with this?

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  5. Bryan – if you can get a copy of your great grandmother’s birth or death certificate (if she is no longer living) it will contain her maiden name. That will get you started. Then there is a site called Cyndi’s list (www.cyndislist.com or directly to http://www.cyndislist.com/native-american/) which contains many links for native american ancestry sites. Ditto for ancestry.com. It’s a long process sometimes – sometimes its easy – but all journey’s begin with one step…..

    I’m Cherokee – and fit the elder category but grew up without much info re; heritage. Dad and Grandma did not want to talk about their ancestry or their time on the rez in OK…..much of what I know has been thanks to other people’s help in tracing things back.

    I believe that a lot of the Chickasaw’s were moved to OK and are on the Dawes Rolls and perhaps some of the other rolls too – good luck!! (Oh – and I’m not the Cyndi of Cyndi’slist.com)

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    • I too am part cherokee…my great grandmother named ouida was half cherokee half Irish…her last name Mckinny or MCKENNY…. I have been trying to do a family tree so my children know and get more involved but time has passed so quickly that my grandmother is in bad health and I fear her dimensia is not going to allow me to ask more information on our family just have to research…they were from tennessee…I called my great gram grandma tennessee other than that an her first name I have no clue where to start so ty

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  6. i was adopted when i was 11 noone ever told me bout where i came from until recently i am part cherokee. i have a uncle who is cherokee. and my girls are cherokee/blackfoot my uncle says i can see the good and bad in people and things.how is this
    my daughter brooke and hayden and i are in a powwow
    how can i obtain a indian name

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    • The Sacred name should come from their mother, grandmother, aunt or if they have a godmother.
      If you have no female relatives you can ask an elder woman who you respect. Tell her that you wish for your daughters to have a sacred name, so that when they leave this world, their anscestors will know who they are & who their family is!
      This name should be held in high regard & should only be used for your traditional doings. It’s not usually used like a non native name we go by for it has true meaning & is a connection to our Origin!

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  7. I am 3/4 Danish, 1/8 British Isles/Germanic, and most importantly 1/8 American Indian. Everything that I have is verbal history.

    My paternal Grandmother was 1/2 American Indian and 1/2 Germanic/British Isles, with her Mother being 100% American Indian and her Father 100% Germanic/British Isles, and was raised as an American Indian. I am told that her Father married her Mother in the Tribe and in Civil Court. Her last married name was Daisy Joan Graham. I do not know her Mother’s or Father’s names.

    I have no information because my “natural ” father never shared any information about her. I believe that he, Paul Francis Graham, tried to claim relationship and Indian benefits. I was adopted by my step-father and now have a different last name (Cademartori). I am only interested in finding out more about My Grandmother and our shared heritage. I have always been so proud of the person she was.

    I believe that she had family in the Mariposa area of California. I also have heard that her first husband, Paul Pedersen, was is in the US Army in Texas. They had two children = my father Paul Francis and a younger brother who was crippled. Paul Pedersen left with the younger crippled brother. He told the older brother, Paul Francis, that he could come … if he left his Mother behind. He stayed with her and she later married Alfred Graham who was also in the US Army in Texas.

    She was my Grandma who I can still “smell” and see. I have always loved her because she was MY Grandma. She is buried in the Chapel of the Chimes, Oakland, California.

    I hope that you have resources to connect me with my Grandmother’s heritage. I have gone to many museums around the country … and any where I find any connection I try to find out more. I an currently at a dead end and need your help to continue my journey.

    Thank you!

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    • … Can we narrow the focus down to a particular Nation … I can direct the blog to elders within a Nation … Names, places and dates will help tremendously … thanks for your participation …

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  8. My Grandmother on my Father’s side was a Lamoureaux, and my Great-Greatmother on my Mother’s side was a LaBreck. I was told that we were French-Indian or Metis. I am trying to find a connection. Both were originally from Quebec. My Father’s mother’s family left Quebec and settled in the Catskill mountains and the the Hudson River Valley. My G-Grandmother also came from Quebec, her Mother was a LaShance, and married a Labreck and then relocated to Ontario. She married a Brit named Churchill and they relocated to Michigan and then to Washington State USA.
    My Grandmother’s name was Overtta Lamoureaux. My Great-Grandmother’s name was Philoman LaBreck. I believe them to be both of Cree descent. How can I find out?

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  9. I was adopted 61 years ago. By now,I’m sure all of my birth family is long gone, but I have some questions. I know I am part Creek. This is known as was published in the ‘Indian Leader’ (the newspaper at Haskell Institute at Lawrence Ks.) My adopted father was superintendent there for many years. My birth certificate says I was born in Oklahoma City. Is there some way I can be tracked back to any family I might have?

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  11. Anscestory information for Native Americans wasn’t part of vital sactistics but if there was a church established on your anscestors reservation then they might have records such as births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths.
    The National Archives in Washington D.C. has put together a data base but it takes time to go through it as I found.
    Also believe if or not the Mormon Church has a data base under ancestory.
    Good luck in finding your Origin as that’s very important for all who exist in this world!

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  12. My paternal grandfather was from Danville, Virginia area. He was “said” to be Native American. His surname was Adams and mother was a Haden. He may have been of Saponi or Occaneechi ancestry. He married my grandmother who had the maiden name of Adams as well as her married name. She may have had Lost Colony connections and had native ancestry from Hyde County, N.C. possibly Hatteras or Mattamuskeet. My father was orphaned as a baby and he died when I was seven. A big hole is in my heart. I spent 20 years in ND and worked at Fort Yates with the Lakota. I felt as if we were family. I believe the Saponi or Occaneechi elders could help me the most. My paternal grandmother’s side is more difficult as Coastal NC peoples assimulated well. Thank you for any assistance.

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  13. My father was a Seneca wisdom Keeper, he said this prayer in many of his ceremonies. I will contact a few people. PLEASE let me know if you still need help translating, you can contact me via email. Jeweltippedroses at yahoo

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  16. I am mixed too much to ask a specific Elder. I wish to speak to the Six Nations. I have an oral history passed down from the women of my family. I am Cherokee, Comanche, Chippawa, and Chickasaw. In the aftermath of settlers, my line was created. I live in Bishop, GA and a male black deer has been spotted on my land. With all the hunters here, I offer refuge to animals. The tribes should know. This is bigger than me and I seek counsel as I also struggle to keep this land as a single mother of three. What wisdom can be given, not just to me, but to all?

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  17. I tried this a few days ago. I try again. My blood line was created in the after-math of the settlers. I am Cherokee, Comanche, Chippawa, and Chickasaw. I have no nation but I am native.

    I am christian avalon and I am an adult educator. I teach adults what adults want to learn I have been coaching learning in Georgia since 1991. I originally come from Southern California and have travelled as a military brat. I am a mixed breed native raised in the ways of the land I began my work as a facilitator of communities of learning that gathered to discuss topics of interest. Through the years I have continued to develop communities of learning for alternative religions and alternative ways of living and officially began running a folk school in Bishop, GA since 2010 at no fee to students.
    Inanna House is a folk school teaching sustainable environmental practices, Native American studies and indigenous ways of knowing and living, and local tree and plant identification. In addition, learning has been facilitated for food and medicinal plant harvest, preparation, and use.
    Students have also had access to a full library for learning a full variety of topics for the love of learning or more intently, in searching personal interest for their life journey planning (email for full listing of available subject matter learning) which amounts to incidental transformational learning experiences for most students. I mean, learning at Inanna House will change your perspective and consequently, life because of the practical applications learned with every subject.
    There has never been a student fee but Inanna House is going under. I have been left with environmental decay that has had severe health effects on me and past due taxes that I haven’t been able to completely catch up on. After the environmentally induced illnesses of this year, I decided to give up on this project and leave this work behind because I can’t afford the necessary repairs needed to avoid dying from the home environment. It was a hard decision to make and while I wait for the real estate season, I have been making my peace with it.
    But in trying to make my peace, begging the beautiful trees to let go of me so I can release my dream, the animals speak. A male black buck has passed through with a small herd, taking refuge from hunters. A day later, a sparrow flies right by my head, flying through a dark rainy night. I cannot ignore what the animals say. I am reminded of what animals have shown themselves here over the eight years I have lived here. I am reminded of why I was sharing my land as the Inanna House. And I am told to speak.
    I have seen the Indigo snake sunbathing in a sapling. Red-headed woodpeckers lived here when everyone else thought they were extinct. I have had a blue heron sleep the night during migration, every fall. I have listened to frogs see-saw sing on summer nights. I have seen a bald eagle glide overhead. I have buzzards lay a hatch every summer. I have seen a hawk play in the wind. A horned owl that eats possums and cats lives in these tree tops. A turkey has perched on a branch 50ft in the air. Panthers and bobcats traipse through every spring. A black deer has come to remind me.
    I have turned all students away this year. Building repairs are needed and taxes paid to continue the project. I do all this as a single mother of three. I cannot carry this project alone. As the sparrow directs, I sing of Inanna House in hopes that even in the dark rain, others will give their support. If not, it is a dream my children and I must let go. If not this education need will go unmet again and not enough people will know. Come spring, we ourselves have no place to go.

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  18. My great grandfather and his brothers were of the Machapungos and Algonquin tribes of Hyde County(Swan Quarter, NC) but we can’t find out much information on that. We have heard stories about Lost Colony and the Native Americans drifted down into our area but I am not sure how true that is. Can you help?

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  19. I would love to find information on the heritage and ancestors of my Wampanoag/Pokanoket background in my family. My mother when she was living tried to go back as far as she could to find information, but then came to a standstill at a certain time period and name and could no longer find connections for our family to show our belonging to the Wampanoag Indian Tribe. We still celebrate our heritage and attend pow wows and gatherings when we can…but it still not enough for me inside my heart where a flame is still blazing…

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  20. I just found out that my grandfather attended the Carlisle Boarding school back approx 1900. He was from Montana, the Crow tribe, we believe as the census showed his mother living on the rez there around that time. She died. His father was also gone. Is there any way to find out if he truely was there and where can my cousin go for genetic testing. (male). All we have are various stories passed on to different cousins along the way. We have found out that our great grandmother who was a Swedish emmigrant was buried in an unmarked grave because she married into “Indian ” blood, left her religion and married against the wishes of the Swedish committee. So grandpa would have only been 1/2, dad 1/4, myself 1/8. I doubt enough to be registered but we wish to learn more about our heritage. Thank you and may this year bring many blessings to you. Finding this about our grandfather has been a blessing for our family. Our goal is to eliminate the fact from the fiction.

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  21. I am having trouble finding what tribe my family is from. All I know for sure is that my grandmother was born on Indian lands in Oklahoma. Being that so many tribes were moved there I am not sure if she is from one that was already there or was moved there. I know her fathers last name was Hibbs. At least his white name. My grandmother was taken away from her father when she was very young and any papers proving where she came from were destroyed. I have been searching for over 20 yrs now to find out where we are from. My grandmother forgot the tribe name as the whole experience was very traumatic for her. She did tell my dad however he passed when I was 13. My mother thinks it is either Chickasaw or Choctaw. However I have tried so hard to find out and so far I hit road blocks. If anyone can help me it would be great. Not sure if this means anything or helps in anyway. However I have always had a very strong connection with the wolf. A friend of mine even went so far as to call me Spirit of the White Wolf. Again any help woudl be greatly appreciated

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  22. im part cherokee and was brought up that my heritage was frowned on but as an adult i want to know all that i can of who i really am. Like what are the order of our colors and the prayers. My husband to be is cherokee he speaks the language and is trying to teach me but im nt grasping it as fast as he thinks i should. Please help me find all i can. Leeann

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  23. I am trying to find information on my families history. We are decedent from the Modoc tribe. I have not been able to find much on this tribe, all I know is I am somehow related to chief Kintpuash. If anyone can help with more information on the tribe or where I could find out more, please help?

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  24. Would like to know which nation I am from? Also would like to know I keep to my praying and trust the creator has things under control but the last few weeks been hard 😦 and seems like he not helping with a certain issue in my life I pray and it seems to get worse ? What is it that I am doing wrong ?

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  25. Hello, I have a general question to any of the elders that would like to answer. I was adopted at birth. I have no knowledge of either birth parent. The only thing I know for certain is that I was born in the United States. Blood line, to look at me I would say that obviously there is some European in me, but any other mix is unknown.

    Basically, I want to help First Nations in whatever way I can. Like a lot of people, I feel connected to the Earth and all beings that inhabit it. Wherever I have visited in the world (ex Navy I’ve visited many places) I’ve felt the connection, so it’s not only here in the U.S. but everywhere.

    My question is, how can I help. Not belonging to any nation, or known heritage. But I want to help. My fear is that I will disrespect indigenous people and that is the last thing I want to do. Especially since I believe that the Indigenous people all over the world are the world’s hope for a better future by reminding us of the necessary interconnection of everyone, and everything.

    If I’m out of line, I apologize.

    Thank you.

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  26. I am interested in having my daughter’s birthmark read (interpreted). I heard that different tribes read them different. I have some Creek in my veins and my husband is part Cherokee. There are many things I think a reading may help explain. I’m in WA state, so if any of the tribe members around the area know of someone that would be great.

    Also, my husband doesn’t really know much of his heritage other than names. If anyone has any information on a set of brother named Dera and Omega, please respond. I can offer more details for those who seem to have information.

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  27. I was told I have Native genealogy but have been told Cherokee or Miami. An ancestor with last name Porter was said to have married a Margaret Way or Wade (not sure of last name) who was supposed to be Native. There was no mention of what tribe. This is on my mother’s side of family.

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  28. I am Turtle clan with no history, we fully adopted european ancestry and our grandmother only passed on the fact that her mother was a native american and nothing more, I can recall being called a dirty indian as a very young lady by a stranger one day passing by me on the street. Now I know why she hid her heritage. I am thirsty with knowledge to immerse myself into the culture where I belong. I am a member of a tribe with no roots…

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  29. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TRIBE I AM FROM . I’M HOPING YOU CAN HELP ME….. MY MOM WAS MARCH 2 1947 IN SOLANO COUNTY CALIFORINA . BIRTH PARENTS WILLFRED NORMAN HANSON OR HANSEN AND SARA AMANDA VIVIER . HER FATHER BEING NATIVE AMERICAN… WAS ADOPTED ON THE FITH OF MARCH TO RICHARD AND GAYLEEN CRANSTON OF WOODLAND CALIF….I’VE TRIED DAWS ROLLS AND THE NAVY SITE…..MY SISTER AND I HAVE GORLIN SYNDROM AND I HAVE THROMBOSTIOUS. WANT TO FIND MY RELATIVES FOR THAT REASON AND MORE …I WANT TO KNOW IF I LOOK LIKE MY GRAND FATHER…I WANT TO KNOW WHO I AM AND WHERE I BELONG…. MICHELLE

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  30. I am Ojibway, I live in Western Manitoba, Canada but my grandma told me that our tribe migrated here from the southern states. I would like to know more about the history of my people, the Anishanabe. I am from Long Plain First Nation, Manitoba

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  31. Powhatan. My family can trace back to Pocahontas. But unsure where the tribe is now. I trace through my mother, grandmother, gereat-grandfather side. We have kept the truth of our heritage, and I have been taught honesty and truth. Don’t want any handouts but want to have more information besides Disney about my many-greats grandmother and the tribe. Some info has been passed down.

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  32. for the Chokta nation: does anybody know about Chokta Billy. He was a Baptist preacher in/around Acton Texas (I’m sorry if I misspelled the tribe)

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  33. my great grandma was full chippewa from leech lake minnesote. we do not know her band she came from and i am having a hard time finding information to lead me in the right direction.we know a portion of her indian name. we believe her father was a medicineman as he listed himself in the us census. the souix st marie michigan band could not tell me if she was milli lac or what. can you point me in the right direction. my mother attended a chippewa cultural center her in mi. but i wasn’t allowed to go because i am 1/13th. my mom is gone and the native american heritage is lost. she may have signed the treaty between the us goverment and the seven unknow original nations.she recieved payment when she came to michigan. according to documents from old fort wayne. can you help me to find her.

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  36. I sometimes as a traditional tribal elder, find myself asking the same question over and over again as to the children of the 7th generation. What will be left tomorrow, if the youth of today do not follow the traditional ways of our Grandfathers whom followed in the footsteps of their forefathers?

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  38. Please direct to Inuit: I have been in an abusive relationship with a Nana shareholder who is the father to a set of 13 yr old twins. Knowing the culture, why doesn’t the father, who’s from Noorvik area, want anything to do with his son. His son wants to know him so bad. What can I do to help the kids? Please help me to explain why their father is treating them so bad. They feel like it is their fault. He has been an abusive alcoholic in the past. Now all of his free time is devoted to his new girlfriend instead of setting some time aside for his teenage son. I do hope you can help me. Thank you, Ginger.

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  39. hi my name is rodger Larsen I have been doing a lot of reseaching on my family history and come across my 5th great grandmother that I was told was from the Shawnee tribe and that also her daughter was on the rolls.i have hit brick walls every where I turn can yll help me please would like to find out more about them and stuff there names are Keyawhe ‘ susan’ tullis born in ohio abt.1755 death was around 1800, her daughters name was Qutting Barbee born abt 1794 and no death on her but I have found some barbees in the creek rolls and some of the other rolls how do you find out who applied for them to.again I just want to say thank yll and my yll have a blessed day

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    • Tullis family of NY, Pa, Oh, In, ky, Ok, Tx is lenapai. Barbee family is Shawnee plus other peoples. Many families are mixed bloods. I have both these families in my line. After getting pushed out of the east and into the Ohio river valley, people married people form other people, so many of us are more than just one people, with white mixed in and sometimes black. It’s difficult to track non-rez people because they leave no record. We were forbidden to speak of it in my family because we had moved to a new area where people just thought we were white and the family was afraid of being persecuted like we had been in other areas. I grew up thinking I was white only to find out after most everyone had died, that I was two thirds. In the summer, my friends mother’s would say, “you’re as dark as a little indian!” Lol!

      If your family didn’t register with certain agencies, between certain periods of time, then you can’t be a real indian in America. You can only be a real indian if the Gov’t says you are. For instance, my Chickasaw gr grandmother didn’t register in Indian Territory because she and my gr Granddad had a ranch already. So, because she didn’t register between 1896-1907, I’m not a real indian. My cousins took gov’t land allotments on the rez, so they have a card and are real indians. My Lenapai/Kickapoo Grandmother didn’t go on the rez in Kansas but my aunt did. My cousins are real indians because they have a card, but I’m not a real indian because I don’t have a gov’t card. Being indian isn’t about having a card from the gov’t. It’s about what you keep in your heart.

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    • Rodger….we may be related. I too, have lineage from Keyawhe. I discovered her on my father’s side of the family through his mother. I have hit a brick wall myself. No one seems to know anything about her parents, from what I have found. Feel free to email me at wolfmountain333@gmail.com. Deborah

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  40. I have a serious question, even though I am ignorant about the politics of the First Nations. Please forgive my ignorance, but my question comes from my heart.

    “They made us many promises, more than I can remember. But they kept but one–They promised to take our land…and they took it.”

    Chief Red Cloud – Sioux

    “In 1868, men came out and brought papers. We could not read them and they did not tell us truly what was in them. We thought the treaty was to remove the forts and for us to cease from fighting. But they wanted to send us traders on the Missouri, but we wanted traders where we were. When I reached Washington, the Great Father explained to me that the interpreters had deceived me. All I want is right and just.”

    Chief Red Cloud – Sioux

    Elders, I am a older white woman who was told as a child she was part Cherokee…but that it could never be proven due to a fire long ago. As a result, I began to “identify” strongly with Native Americans as a child. I read stories that had Indians in them. I was the opposite of what most other kids would be – the cowboy. No, I was the Indian. I rode horses bareback, and I followed the style of Native Americans by mounting from the right side, not the left. I wear my hair long, and sometimes in braids. These may sound like nonsense things to you, and quite trivial in the grand scheme of life, but when I was a child, they were part of my identity…which has never left.

    When I see what is happening to the land – the water – the air – everything going so wrong – all I can think is, why aren’t the First Nations gathering together as One Voice and rising up in strong protest? I would join you and I’m sure many others would as well. The politicians are ruining things more than the people…but there are more people than politicians here. It could be a strong force for change.

    The First Nations have always been the best stewards of Mother Earth. In my heart, it seems time to return to the old ways again. Elders of the First Nations, you possess the wisdom and the knowledge. I’m asking you for action. I am one person who has no tribe, her family is grown and gone, and no elders of her own. I am nothing and no one. Just one small voice.

    Please take back the land that was stolen from you, and save us all. Thank you.

    Wolfmother

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  41. How can I find information such as birth record for my grandmother who was Yaqui? I have her full name and birth date sometime in the 1880’s, but all I know is she was born in the Southwest area of America, possibly in Mexico.

    Thank you and peace.

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    • Good Day Ms. Madura, I would say that you have two sources. First contact the Yaqui tribe and second contact the LDS Mormon church as both may have some records of the South Western United Sates. Are you speaking of the country Mexico or the state of New Mexico?

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  42. hello my name is jennifer I don’t know who to ask im from katzie first nations west coast Canada wandering any one can help with questions where im suppose to go in the right road or paths im suppose to take I think I know I got dreams like any one!

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  43. Yesterday I had a vision (I guess that would be the right word) of a symbol. I took it for evil but I could be wrong. Does anyone know how to interpret symbol meanings? Or can point me in the direction that I need to go to figure it out it would be appreciated! I know it means something, I’m just not sure what. I wish I could post the symbol that I drew of it but unfortunately I cannot.

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  45. My question is about my heritage, my grandparents (both sets) were from Texas and the other from New Orleans. I have heard there is Blackfoot and Cherokee blood I come from. How could I possibly find out if this is true? Thank you for your attention and I look forward to your reply. BJ

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  46. I wish to know more about my tribe I am part of the yaqui tribe I do not want money just my culture where did we come from our beliefs language and if there are any meetings in southern California please let me know

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  47. I have been told since a very young age that I am a decendant of a full blooded Indian Princess, sometimes was told she was an Indian Squaw of the Lenni Lenape tribe. My grandfather was born 1885 in Hunters Mill NJ His name is Harry Clark his parents are Jabus or Jabez Clark and Margaret Veal or Veale. Have searched and can’t get any info. Was also told that my 5x great grandmother is buried at the head of the river, she is supposedly the Princess or Squaw. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I would just love to get information of my heritage for something to hang on to and also my family. Have had DNA testing done through Ancestry, that gives very little to go on, showing I have native American blood.
    Thanking you in advance for putting me in contact with someone who may be able to help
    Lillian Gareis
    email lgareis@bellsouth.net
    phone 803-331-4842
    address 51 Groover Circle Cayce SC 29033

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  48. I found out my birth mother is from Guymon,Oklahoma n grandmother n grandfather is either from there or Texas and would like to know how to find out what tribe I might be from or away to narrow it down any ?? Or is there places that do that type of blood work ?? Although I would prefer to start with cheaper methods 1st, lol since disabled n on fixed income, but very interested in my heritage as to pass down to my kids n grandchildren..

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  50. I would like to know how to find a Shawnee clan elder to marry me and my fiance but all i know is that he is from Kentucky and has a very long bloodline back into the clan. How do I find someone from his clan to help us?

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  51. Hello, I, was told by my grandmother that, my great, great grandmother was. Delaware: Lenni Lenape naticoke, turtle clan. Her last name was Blizzard (this may be spelled wrong), full name Ann Blizzard White. My grandmother told me she had links to the blizzard tract of land in Delaware. I am asking if anyone may know if this clan, family or any information that may help me in my quest to,find more info on Ann and her tribe. My grandmother also said we had Cherokee and ansestory also, we can not prove either of these, but I dont think my grandmother could pull the name of the lennape tribe out of her hat by her self, she only had a sixth grade education.

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  52. I am not native American but I had a very interesting encounter that has had me asking “What did that mean?” for a lot of years. I am a 41 year old man of mostly dutch, and Irish descent. This experience happened to me when I was fifteen years old In Owen county Indiana where I grew up. It was summer, and I had a girlfriend named Rachel that lived in Spencer by the white river. That summer I was employed by a corn detasseling crew, and we of course started very early in the morning at sunrise. One day I went to town to visit Rachel. We spent the whole day, and evening together, and I eventually walked her home at around midnight. Having walked six miles into town that day, and all the rest of the day, and night in town with her I was way too tired to walk the highway home. It was also very late, and I figured I could just meet the corn detasseling bus at the gas station at 5:00 am, and instead walked down to riverside cemetery to sleep. I ended up sleeping under the roof of the civil war memorial that stands in the middle of the graveyard. My parents house is built next to a cemetery on hgwy 46 so I grew up with one practically in my side yard, and because of that I am not afraid of them, in fact I find cemeteries to be very pleasant, and peaceful places to visit. when I woke up I was very sore from laying on concrete for four hours but because I was a kid it wore off quickly. by the time I walked the six to ten blocks to the gas station it was just getting light out. In those days the clerks in gas stations didn’t card teens all that much and I went inside and bought a drink and a pack of cigarettes. As I sat smoking on the curb a man aproached me. He surprised me a bit because I had never met a native american before. Spencer is a very white very conservative small town a town that I have little love for then, and now to say the least. At the time I had very long hair, hair almost to my waist because I loved music, and played drums in a garage band. I mention this because I thought maybe because I looked nothing like most of the population of the town that maybe I was more approachable to him. He was very friendly, and he wore jeans a t-shirt and denim jacket he did have a native american looking necklace, and bracelets on. He asked me my name, and then asked why I was sitting on a curb at the gas station. So I told him about my visit with Rachel the day before, and that I had to meet up with the bus there early, and had slept in the cemetery. He seemed sort of bemused when I told him the part about sleeping in a graveyard and we talked a bit more. After a few minutes he wished me a good day and I to him and he walked away. The direction he walked was around the corner of the local video rental store. He stopped next to that brick building and as I watched he produced a feather. I am not sure where he got it from it may have been on his necklace or maybe it had been in his braided hair, but I hadn’t noticed it before, he stuck that feather into the corner of the the building and it stuck in the set mortar. I was very curious about why he did this, and I stood up. He then turned away, and disappeared around the corner of the building. I walked over to the corner of that building, and looked at the feather. I believe it was a crow feather, and wondered what it meant. I really wanted to take it but not knowing why he had placed it there I felt I had no right to do so. I walked around the corner to follow him so I could ask him why he had done that, but when i cleared that side of the wall and looked around he was nowhere to be seen, it was like he had vanished into thin air. I stood there for a few minutes looking around for him but soon heard the diesel engine of a school bus it was my ride driving up 46 towards me, that sort of broke the spell. I walked back to the gas station lot to wait for the bus to pull in. This may not have any meaning at all, and I have no Idea what tribal nation he was part of, but I thought I may as well ask someone who could give me some insight into this very special experience that I had. I have had a few very memorable experiences happen to me in my life, things that I sense are somehow important, and this one I have always wanted to find an answer to, so if anyone could help, I would be eternally grateful. Thanks.

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  53. Hello.
    I’m simply attempting to clear up a small scholarly/sociological question:
    When it comes to ritual/magic, I’m curious as to how the word ‘medicine’ came to be used instead of -for instance- magic or power…
    I know there is a poetic explanation as far as the positive result-seeking of said rituals (sweat-lodge, etc), but I am more curious as to the hard etymological reason that the word ‘medicine’ came to be used. Was it a retaking of a European designation (similar to witch-doctor with the African religions) or…

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  54. Hello,
    I have been following the Ya-Native facebook group for a while now and decided to finally reach out and maybe ask for some guidance. I grew up being told I had Native American heritage, though my percentage might be very small… like 1/32nd Native American. I was told it was the Hopi tribe. I spent years trying to find any and all research on the Hopi Indians (which I did find a little). However, I recently found out that another relative, from the same direct bloodline, found out he was something else. Which is kind of crushing… to find out that I have done years of research, on the Hopi Indians and that I am probably not Hopi, but a different tribe. I must admit that I have not gone and done any blood work or testing myself. I wish I could remember what tribe I was recently told he is, but sadly I don’t remember. I know it is a more well-known tribe. I am just kind of confused and crushed after such news. I could really use some guidance. I am not sure if I should take the step to find out, beyond a shadow of a doubt, where my ancestry comes from. Even if I did, I would then have no clue what to do next to educate myself. I believe that the Native American culture and way of life, in general, is beautiful and should be preserved. I would love to educate myself more and learn more, regardless of my own ancestry. I am just a bit lost right now and would appreciate some guidance. I apologize if my words are confusing or if they are a bit all over the place. It is a bit difficult to explain how I feel about the whole situation… Considering I thought for 20 years, or slightly more, that I was part Hopi, but now I am not. I hope you guys understand and are willing to help me with any form of guidance. Thank you so much, for everything.

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  55. Hi,
    I guess I’m very late to the party, but I’m Mahican on my mom’s side but I’m the first in 3 or 4 generations to acknowledge it and try to reconnect. I can’t enroll in my tribe and have no relatives who are elders, so I’m trying to find a tribal elder I can talk to to learn about my people. I have no idea how to go about it, though. Any help you could give me would be so appreciated, thank you!

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  56. Hello! I’m Anita Walter and I am a direct descendant of Chief Powhatan/Pocahontas and I want to contact the Powhatan Renape Indian Nation regarding tribal enrollment but I cannot actually get a hold of their up to date contact information. A few years back, the Powhatan Renape Indian Nation were relocated from their home on the Rancocus Indian Reservation but where they were relocated to and their contact information are unknown to me at this time. I have tried calling them at two phone numbers and sending emails to two email addresses but all of their contact information that is available is out dated and is from their old address on the Rancocus Indian Reservation. On the Powhatan Renape Nation’s website it states on the home page that the tribe continues to thrive and pass on the Powhatan Culture to the next generation in their new location, however as I mentioned earlier this new location is unknown to me at this time. If you have any idea or knowledge of them whatsoever and their contact information, or if you know anybody who you think might know please do not hesitate to let me know. I have already traced and proved my ancestry all the way back to Pocahontas’s grandparents and I desperately want to reconnect with my ancestor’s people. I am also of Cherokee descent through several blood lines from Kentucky, and possibly Tennessee. I appreciate your help and time. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon! Thank you!
    Anita

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  57. Hello, I’ve got a general question, as I am not Native myself, though I have great respect for all the human family.
    Is it possible for a human to have an animal spirit and a human spirit in the way a two-spirits has both male and female?
    This is something that is weighing on my mind pretty strongly.

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  58. For a Choctaw elder; Having just learned of Choctaw relatives from the Dawes Rolls, How do I go about learning the procedure of joining the Choctaw nation for myself. I am not interested in any of the monetary benefits, just to be a part of the Choctaw family.

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