Post by 2shadows on Aug 1, 2008 9:01:46 GMT -6
Osiyo,
This is my very first post on this forum so please be gentle. I normally do not participate in such things but after reading the posts and responses by the people here I feel safe enough.
I am "thin blood" and as much a mixed breed as one can get. After years of research my brother was able to show that we had enough blood to join a mixed ancestry association in west virginia (AAIWV#4705496). We have cherokee, choctaw and even a little kiowa ancestry along with french, scottish, irish and welsh and I am sure there are others. I was raised "white", in fact the only time my grandmother Oma stuck me was when I told her she looked like an NDN princess. Fear of losing their land, fear of white reprisals drove them into hiding until now the white government says I am not nor ever have been NDN. Truth is..I guess I am not. But while I know my journey will never be successful. It is the Journey itself that matters. I will never be part of the cherokee nation because some white men a long time ago made up rules. Rules intended to choke the cherokee into non existance. That is okay at my age I feel I no longer answer to them or their evaluation of what it means to be NDN. I have been studying cherokee language and culture for four years now and with every passing day I am more in awe of my long distant ancestors. The government says I am not NDN..but as someone else said in this forum, like the salmon from the sea I am drawn on this journey. My journey to my past..and that journey has brought me here.
So...I hope I can make friends here..
My name? Two Shadows? Well..I guess it is a reflection of how I feel..that I cast two shadows. My white name? Jay--like the bird...a loud, noisy, troublemaker *smile*...
with that being said...I hope I can be a friend to all here.
Jay -Two Shadows- Morris
jdm@cs.odu.edu
www.cs.odu.edu/~jdm
This is my very first post on this forum so please be gentle. I normally do not participate in such things but after reading the posts and responses by the people here I feel safe enough.
I am "thin blood" and as much a mixed breed as one can get. After years of research my brother was able to show that we had enough blood to join a mixed ancestry association in west virginia (AAIWV#4705496). We have cherokee, choctaw and even a little kiowa ancestry along with french, scottish, irish and welsh and I am sure there are others. I was raised "white", in fact the only time my grandmother Oma stuck me was when I told her she looked like an NDN princess. Fear of losing their land, fear of white reprisals drove them into hiding until now the white government says I am not nor ever have been NDN. Truth is..I guess I am not. But while I know my journey will never be successful. It is the Journey itself that matters. I will never be part of the cherokee nation because some white men a long time ago made up rules. Rules intended to choke the cherokee into non existance. That is okay at my age I feel I no longer answer to them or their evaluation of what it means to be NDN. I have been studying cherokee language and culture for four years now and with every passing day I am more in awe of my long distant ancestors. The government says I am not NDN..but as someone else said in this forum, like the salmon from the sea I am drawn on this journey. My journey to my past..and that journey has brought me here.
So...I hope I can make friends here..
My name? Two Shadows? Well..I guess it is a reflection of how I feel..that I cast two shadows. My white name? Jay--like the bird...a loud, noisy, troublemaker *smile*...
with that being said...I hope I can be a friend to all here.
Jay -Two Shadows- Morris
jdm@cs.odu.edu
www.cs.odu.edu/~jdm