# Are there any Amerindian (Native American, American Indian) Dopers? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 5, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336 "2003-07-05T03:02:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nichol\_storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nichol\_storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nichol_storm)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/1 "2003-07-05T03:02:55Z")
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a member of a Metis group called the Melungeons, but I’ve never considered myself in any way to be an Amerindian (that’s my preferred blanket term for the diverse group of American aboriginals, commonly known as Indians and Native Americans). We’ve never been recognized in that capacity, though another Metis group, the Lumbees, have gained some recognition from the government. Anyway, a thread in Cafe Society on Indian movies got me thinking. I’d like to know if there are any Dopers who are members of the [federally recognized Indian tribes](http://www.artnatam.com/tribes.html). For that matter, are there any South American Indians or Inuit Dopers? .:Nichol:. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/2 "2003-07-05T03:22:00Z")
Yes there are. I am part Cherokee, although not officially…My ancestors escaped(or were abandoned) off of the trail of tears(so the family legend goes), and therefore there is no record of them. They refused to talk to anyone about it, not even their own children and grandchildren. When I was younger I used to get people asking me all the time what sort of indian I was (I usually told them Hekawi). I also got called all sorts of racial slurs. I don’t get that so much now that I am older. There are some here though that are officially…Lib comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/3 "2003-07-05T04:52:14Z")
I’m one-eighth Cherokee but don’t consider myself any more Amerindian than I do Italian, the other predominant nationality in my blood. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/4 "2003-07-05T04:55:19Z")
D’oh. Forgot to add that I consider myself as a typical white American. [slight highjack] You’d think with Native American and Mediterranean blood in me, I wouldn’t be as pale as I am but noooo, genetics aren’t as straightforward as my teahcers led me to believe. A pox on their houses! [/sh] ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/5 "2003-07-05T05:15:13Z")
According to family legend, I may have some (pretty much negligible) amount of native blood. But it seems to be pretty much overwhelmed by the extremely European rest of me. My boyfriend’s a quarter Algonquin. His mother’s half and has actually been quite involved in things related to that aspect of her heritage. (She has a master’s degree in Canadian studies, with emphasis on heritage preservation, and did her thesis on Algonquin humor, despite a lot of resistance to it.) And yet they’re both nearly as pale as I am, though his mom’s siblings are considerably darker. I guess my dreams of sunburn-resistant superchildren will come to naught… _sigh_ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MamaHen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@MamaHen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MamaHen)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/6 "2003-07-05T05:19:44Z")
Muscogee (Creek) tribal member here. I also have Cherokee in my blood. Since you can only pick one tribe to belong to I went with the Muscogee tribe. ---
**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/7 "2003-07-05T05:21:40Z")
One quarter Cherokee. My biodad’s mother was full blooded. ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/8 "2003-07-05T09:40:57Z")
My father was half Cherokee. My mom’s mom was Choctaw. Both my folks are dark-skinned. I have very dark hair but fair skin, so I don’t look Native (unless I’m well tanned). I was not allowed to learn of either heritage. I speak more Sioux now than either the Cherokee or Choctaw. I know more history of Plains Tribes than my own from living in Wyoming for 5 years and having Sioux, Arapahoe and Cheyenne friends. As for self-identity, I mark Cherokee on ethnicity monitoring forms here in the UK. In US census information, my folks always made me mark _white_. I am proud to be who I am, but regret not having learnt more about my family’s past. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/9 "2003-07-05T09:50:57Z")
3/4 Cherokee by blood, fully Cherokee at heart. ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/10 "2003-07-05T10:55:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Washte \* > My father was half Cherokee. I _cannot_ believe that I posted that. What a flipping typo. It is meant to read “My father’s mom was half Cherokee and his dad was full-blooded.” I blame the hormones, the hyperactive puppy bouncing on the both the 'puter and my bladder, together with really crappy proof reading skills. ::slinks away in shame:: And **Libertarian** , it’s good to see you posting again. I missed you. ---
**Author:** ![Kiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiger)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/11 "2003-07-05T11:24:56Z")
My great grandmother was Crow. She married an Dutchman. ---
**Author:** ![chattywine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@chattywine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chattywine)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/12 "2003-07-05T11:44:42Z")
1/4 Tolowa here. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/13 "2003-07-05T13:21:18Z")
Typical American Mutt™ here. Maternally, my grandmother (who looked very typically indian) is the result of a Comanche/Cherokee woman marrying an Irisher (who may have ben mixed, too). Doing some research of my own, I now think GreatGranny was full Comanche, not Cherokee at all. You know how family history is… Mom and some cousins look part Indian. Dad’s fam came from Prussia to San Antonio in the 1880s or 90s, so all Eastern European there. FTR, I don’t look very typically Indian because of my blonde hair, and I consider myself ethnicly White. But, looking at photos of the younger, thinner, more outdoorsy me, you would clearly see both sides of my genetic heritage. ---
**Author:** ![robgruver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@robgruver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robgruver)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/14 "2003-07-05T13:59:03Z")
My maternal grandmother was 1/2 Natchez. I don’t know if they are federally recognized or not, but my grandma was always proud. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_griffin-kentzel/32/14787_2.png) [@Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Griffin-Kentzel)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/15 "2003-07-05T14:45:16Z")
Since this is more of a poll, I’ll move it to [**In My Humble Opinion**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=12) for you. * * * **Cajun Man** ~ SDMB Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/16 "2003-07-05T14:50:37Z")
1/4 Aleutian on paternal side; 1/8 Massasoit on maternal side. My older brother is very dark, but I got all the Nordic/Russian genes of my parents. I’ve been told I can’t be “Indian” cause “You don’t look it.” ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/17 "2003-07-05T15:34:34Z")
> [@](#): > > And Libertarian, it’s good to see you posting again. I missed you. Thanks, Washte. I’ve been busy, but I’ve dropped in here and there from time to time. God go with you, my dear. ---
**Author:** ![Zhen\_ka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zhen\_ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zhen_ka)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/18 "2003-07-05T15:40:23Z")
I am a member of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe. [http://www.itcaonline.com/Tribes/mojave.htm](http://www.itcaonline.com/Tribes/mojave.htm) [http://www.villageprofile.com/arizona/mohavevalley/03div/topic.html](http://www.villageprofile.com/arizona/mohavevalley/03div/topic.html) I work with kids, and three of my students this year are Lumbee. Glad to meet other Indian dopers! ---
**Author:** ![jesleigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@jesleigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesleigh)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/19 "2003-07-05T15:57:44Z")
I’m a small part Creek, but I couldn’t tell you how much (I get it from Mom and Dad). All I have to show for it is high cheeck bones and my grandma says I have indian shaped legs, but they look like everyone elses to me. My Irish shows through much more (fair, rosy complexion, green eyes, and strawberry-ish hair). ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_On_My_Sleeve)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336/20 "2003-07-05T16:23:00Z")
**monster** and I are part Mescalero Apache, but we are estranged from our father so we don’t know much about it. **moster** got the skin tone, I however am as white & freckled as can be. I would love to be a tribal member, but I can’t really trace it. I need to get the census records since they lived on the res somewhere between 1934-1940 or so. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-amerindian-native-american-american-indian-dopers/186336.md?page=2)