What is the history of this?

Question

I was just wondering, What history does African Americans (blacks) have as American Indians. This is not a racist questions, so please don't go there with the attitudes.

I've noticed that alot (mostly all) of my black friends or acquaintences have said that they are part Cherokee Indian and I never came around and asked about the connection between the two.

Answer 1

Native Americans and African Americans share several points in history. For example: during the civil rights movements led by African Americans such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and the Black Panther Party - Native people were having their own movement, the American Indian Movement (the Black Panthers actually helped this movement).

Native people also helped to free slaves. Since Native people were considered a soviergn nation, if an African American person lived on a reservation they could not be taken back as a slave for White people. Unfortunately I have heard that some Natives had slaves themselves, although I don't know much of the history behind this. I do know that they helped.

Because of the shared points in history many African American people "got with" Native people and had babies. Many many African American people have Native blood for these reasons.

By the way, I am a Native Woman.

Answer 2

At certain point in American history, both blacks and the Cherokee were "displaced" people. They had a lot in common that way, and therefore, it's not really surprising that relationships formed.

On the other hand, your friends probably have other ancestors as well who don't get mentioned because they don't seem quite as "exotic" as having a Cherokee in the family tree ... English, Irish, German, etc. The plight of the Cherokee, having had too endure the Trail of Tears, makes then somewhat "romantic" in some people's eyes.

And actually, it's not just blacks. I'd say at least a quarter of my white friends claim to be part Cherokee, too.

Answer 3

In some areas, notably the south, Indians and blacks have been known to get married and have children together. These kids will carry certain traits that we in the black community say are Indian like. Some have high cheekbones or long beautiful hair. Some can honestly trace their ancestry to an American Indian ancestor. Being oppressed at about the same time, it wasn't strange for some to get together. In my case, my grandmother had at least an aunt that was Indian or mixed. My mother and my aunts and other family members have traits that people in our community acquaint with Indians.

Answer 4

Until the 1830's, most Cherokee lived in the Southeast (particularly Georgia, but also Tennessee and the Carolinas). The Cherokee had a highly structured society that, in many ways, mirrored the political and economic realities of the United States itself. They had a written constitution, published newspapers, owned large plantations and some Cherokee even owned slaves.

Given the large numbers of slaves and free blacks in that part of the country, it isn't unlikely that there would be considerable contact between the two groups and perhaps even marriages or shared households.

Answer 5

The Cherokee people live in thee South and were a prosperous farming nation. In the early 19th century many owned black slaves. When the government move the Cherokees to reservations, The African-Americans went with them. They inter-married with the Indians and became full members of the tribe.

Answer 6

the same as whites and native americans

Answer 7

Try some of these, they are very good.