# The Eastern Band of Cherokee is currently accepting only infants for membership **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 12, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735 "2009-07-12T04:01:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735/41 "2009-07-14T00:37:45Z")
> [@Auntbeast](#): > > My Great Grandmother was Kaw Indian. She not only avoided being labeled as an Indian, but wasn’t fond of being labeled a mother either. From what I understand, she was able to “pass” as white and did so. She isn’t on the official tribal roster for that tribe. What do you do if you know damned good and well that you are part Indian, but the link avoided the rosters? > > No, I don’t want to open a casino. Just wondering since there has been a large part of our history where it wasn’t much of an advantage to being Indian and I’m sure she wasn’t the only roster dodger. Oh, certainly not - my husband’s great-grandmother really was Cherokee, we have pictures, names, documentation, etc. Nothing about “passing” - I’ve seen photos, the woman looked like a Native American regardless of what she wore or what age she was. Really, there is _no question_ that she was Cherokee. However she never claimed to be a “princess” nor did she want to be a member of the tribe - she was a fully assimilated into the mainstream society person of Native ethnicity _and that’s exactly how she wanted it to be_. Nor has any of her descendants (so far as I know) expressed any interest in asserting any claim on any tribe, though some certainly could have. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735/42 "2009-07-14T01:40:39Z")
LoHD, you’ve made some great contributions. Thank you! Same to to you, CateAyo (Red Hawk). And really, almost everyone! I was sort of surprised that Ms Hull was as sympathetic as she was. She talked about what a tragedy it was when the nation became divided, and understood completely why (and the fact that) the Baker Roll is incomplete. Like CateAyo touched upon, registering on these rolls depended on your being informed and/or found first of all. And then, there was fear of lynchings and rapes and beatings and just plain becoming outcasts in their communities, that put an awful lot of people in a really big pickle. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735/43 "2009-07-14T01:57:01Z")
My great-grandfather was half Cherokee, and certainly looked it, in his old age. He had moved to California and passed as White enough to be a Postmaster of Los Angeles. good position for the times. In his old age, he kept telling my mom that we were Cherokee, to not forget that. Yet, I have no knowledge of his full-blood Mom, I don’t know her at all. He was born in N. Mississippi, on the way to Missouri. The photos as young man, had the cheekbones, as do I. There’s the family lore,looks, and compassionate tales, which I cherish. And i truly wish I could know that part of my blood. But, I would never presume to get benefit from claiming Cherokee blood, no way. My forbears went to California at the turn of the century, and went on from there. They did not live on the Rez and know that hardship. I am very proud of my Cherokee blood, and wish I could know my great-greats in their minds, but, I have had every opportunity as a person of all passing blood. No problem with The Tribe making a statement now of giving membership to newly born, to negate , “Yep. I’m Cherokee, too!” I have no trouble at all with the Eastern Band’s decision. ---
**Author:** ![CateAyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@CateAyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CateAyo)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735/44 "2009-07-14T13:36:43Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > When you’ve got douchebags like Ward Churchill stealing reserved jobs\*, money and benefits from legitimate Native Americans, I don’t see that there’s a choice. > > If there’s gonna be government benefits, quota-jobs\*, etc for Native Americans, there’s gotta be a way to make sure that the government doesn’t give bennies to frauds like him. > > \*“special opportunity position.” I agree with your assessment of “Dr.” Churchill. I once jokingly asked another Indian academic (whose name most would recognize) how his colleague was doing. My dear friend’s office was in the same department as Churchill’s. My friend’s response, in his usual understated manner, was “Who? I don’t believe I’ve ever met the man. An Indian, you say?” Churchill was pegged as a fraud a very long time ago, by some. ---
**Author:** ![CateAyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@CateAyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CateAyo)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735/45 "2009-07-14T13:45:46Z")
> [@elelle](#): > > My great-grandfather was half Cherokee, and certainly looked it, in his old age. He had moved to California and passed as White enough to be a Postmaster of Los Angeles. good position for the times. In his old age, he kept telling my mom that we were Cherokee, to not forget that. Yet, I have no knowledge of his full-blood Mom, I don’t know her at all. He was born in N. Mississippi, on the way to Missouri. The photos as young man, had the cheekbones, as do I. There’s the family lore,looks, and compassionate tales, which I cherish. And i truly wish I could know that part of my blood. > > But, I would never presume to get benefit from claiming Cherokee blood, no way. My forbears went to California at the turn of the century, and went on from there. They did not live on the Rez and know that hardship. I am very proud of my Cherokee blood, and wish I could know my great-greats in their minds, but, I have had every opportunity as a person of all passing blood. No problem with The Tribe making a statement now of giving membership to newly born, to negate , “Yep. I’m Cherokee, too!” > > I have no trouble at all with the Eastern Band’s decision. I attempted to send you a PM regarding this. Your inbox appears full. Send me a message when you get some room. You suggest that the important thing is to know who you are, not tribal affiliation. I must agree with that. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735/46 "2009-07-14T13:53:54Z")
> [@Auntbeast](#): > > My Great Grandmother was Kaw Indian. She not only avoided being labeled as an Indian, but wasn’t fond of being labeled a mother either. From what I understand, she was able to “pass” as white and did so. She isn’t on the official tribal roster for that tribe. What do you do if you know damned good and well that you are part Indian, but the link avoided the rosters? My father’s family completely buried their Native American side. Not surprising in those days, when they could have been marginalized as “half-breeds” and other such idiotic terms. I’m 1/16th. Big whoop. I’m also German, French, Irish, Scots and English. Also big whoop. As far as I can see, all that makes me “American”. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735/47 "2009-07-14T15:42:52Z")
I really don’t know why anyone would consider it strange that so many people claim/have Cherokee blood. My great-grandmother was half Cherokee. She had 8 kids. Those kids mostly had 2-4 kids each. Each of those kids had 2-5 kids each. Many of those have 2-3 kids apiece (except me and two cousins who have none, and my brother who has one.) And one of those kids is already having kids. And that’s all from ONE woman. And that’s just one one side of the family. My mom had a Cherokee ancestor (great-grandfather?), too–her family is from North Carolina–and I don’t even begin to know how many descendants he has. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735/48 "2009-07-14T18:50:05Z")
It was the nature of the Cherokee themselves to blend with other populations. They were, in a sense, the original non-segregationists. They built homes like the White man’s homes. They took up gardening and tending domesticated animals. They even devised an alphabet, so they could write down their words — just like the White man. And so, when they were evicted from their homes in Georgia, the Carolinas, and elsewhere, white people moved in and just pretty much carried on. There was no major work to be done to make it more “homey”. Plus, they had the possessions that had been left behind, like pots and tools and things like that. I do agree, in the end, with **elelle**. The fact that the Eastern Tribe is “cleaning things up” so to speak is good. But it is at the same time sad for those of us with ancestors not on the Baker List. But I’ve said enough about that. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735/49 "2009-07-15T03:36:04Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > ETA: My wife claims to be a small percentage Cherokee which, plus four dollars at Starbucks, will buy you a crappy cup of coffee. I used to claim to be fractionally Cherokee. I now claim to be possibly part Crow. But I look Kree. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735/50 "2009-07-15T14:31:10Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > But I look Kree. [Whoa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kree). ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735/51 "2009-07-15T15:15:42Z")
It sees to me that Cherokee has to be the most latch-ed upon tribe; everybody in the south seems to have a “cherokee great grandmother”. Melungeons claimed to be Cherokee, in some cases, as well, back when they needed to. I can’t really blame the Cherokee tribe for being strict these days; however, from what others have posted, it wasn’t so strict back in the old days, so it’s a bit of a sticky wicket here. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735/52 "2009-07-18T05:30:18Z")
> [@Hunter\_Hawk](#): > > [Whoa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kree). White Kree, the mutts of the Kree race. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee-is-currently-accepting-only-infants-for-membership/502735.md?page=2)