Are you part Native American?

Question

If you are, do you know your language or background? If you dont know either one, why do you let other people know your part indian and you dont know a thing about your culture?

Im asking because its Native American Heritage Month. I was asked to do a performance, and I am full blooded indian, I said yes proudly, I know my background and language. When I asked others, they said yeah Im part cherokee or comanche, and so I asked if they could speak about their tribe or language? and they all said no, I believe being part of a culture, you should learn it and pass it on, because the tribes in the U.S. are steadily declining.

Answer 1

I am Shoshone, Paiute, Chippewa & Cree. I am enrolled with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. I was born and raised on my reservation but now live near my husband's people. He's Shoshone and Paiute too but from a different reservation. He and I are teaching our children to speak Paiute. Both of our families have fluent speakers. Living among our people and speaking our language is one of the things we hold most valuable.
In regards to descendants...All I can say is, I feel you.

Answer 2

I am part Native American, but I don't know what tribe (I hear it is Cherokee from my older relatives), and I don't know the language.

I have never once ever volunteered to anyone that I have Native American ancestry, but I have been asked repeatedly "what are you?" and "Are you part Native American/American Indian?" Before I knew my family history, when I was a little girl, I would answer no,and get rather annoyed at being asked the same thing repeatedly.

But then my father taught me about his grandfather and his people, and our family traditions that I took for granted and had taken for granted.

Later on, I did some ancestry research on-line and discovered many of the family members in my family tree on both my mother's side and my father's side were native American, and had taken on African American identities to avoid certain taxes, so their history and legacy in my family had almost been lost.

Sure, I don't know the language, and am still researching as to exactly which tribe, but to deny the Native American blood that runs through my veins would be to deny the people that my parents and grandparents dearly loved, to deny their role in my grandparents, parents and ultimately my own upbringing, and to deny a part of myself.

It's not like I go around bragging about it or anything, but now days, if someone asks me if I have Native American ancestry, I smile and say "yes" and leave it at that.

Answer 3

I'm part Maliseet, I don't speak Maliseet but I do know some parts of our culture and history. Part of the reason why I don't know much is that where I'm from being native wasn't something that was accepted by a lot of people. My family had to sit in a different part of the cafeteria as children because they were "dirty indians" . There was and still is a lot of prejudice and discrimination so a lot of people even now, even in my family won't say that they are native. I am proud of my native heritage and I would like to know more. I think if someone say's they're native but doesn't know their history it doesn't necessarily make them a bad person it just means that they need someone to teach them. Culture is something that is passed from person to person, maybe they're saying that they're native hoping you are too hoping you're from the same tribe and you can teach them some of your knowledge to help them more fully understand who they are.

Answer 4

I am 1/124th Cherokee. Can you tell I'm a math nut?

Anyway, Lavannah Harriet Greenberry Sharp was born in time to be eight at the time of the Trail of Tears.

I have taken many spirit journeys and have come to know her very well through them.

My grandmother could be considered an enrolled member if she desired, but she is not connected to the culture and was raised when native americans were considered "dirty indians" to use the words of another post. My grandmother's father broke the female linage, which I don't know if that is of particular importance nowadays.

I am also part French, German, English, Irish, Dutch, and Welsh.

Answer 5

YES I am part indian.
No I don;t know my language.
Why do I tell people I am? I don't EVEN have to tell them I LOOK very much indian. I have long hair, down to my waste , its naturally curly, but I straightened it so I look even more indian, I have the skin tone, bone structure, I am short.
Also Im going to a powow tomorrow so I will learn a little about my culture tomorrow. I am excited and it's my first one.
Ashamed to say it, but I do not know anymore about indian culture other than what's been taught in school.. everything else is so hidden or not so much talked about that you have to go research it and learn for yourself and its not easy. I was watching a documentary on TV about native americans and in california.. iw as sooo shocked they have like their own church, and neighborhood/community there many of them live.. and in north carolina in a city called Cherokee there's a school thats almost mostly native american, and they teach the cherokee language, and my dad drives 18-wheelers alot, and he went to i think arizona and he went to a walmart.. almsot ALL native american there. I know i need to go to these places especially north caroline i wouldlike to learn the language, i wish it was still as alive as it was before they are like trying really hard to keep everything alive. but tis not easy.. But I know family history and who was indian and i have lots of it... like on all sides.. mom's mom, mom's dad.. and dad's mom and dad's dad im not sure about indian but there was german and puerto rican on that side. and black too. And back in the old days some of my family actually had to fake it and pass for black because if u were indian and Still in the state you were supposed to move out of (trail of tears) you would be killed.

Answer 6

I'm like 1/16 or 1/32 and it's Shoshone(I think, because I asked my dad what tribe we were once and he said a tribe that sounded kinda like how this one was spelled). Idk the language but I have looked up Shoshone on the computer before because I wanted to learn about it. I let people know I'm part Indian cause it's in my blood, whether I know the culture or not.

Answer 7

My grandmother was half Anishnabeg and a quarter Metis, but at the tail end of the boarding school experience she was removed from her home and sent to a Catholic orphanage. She grew up out of her parents culture and raised my mother and aunt out of her culture. I don't consider myself a culturally raised Indian and I am not a legal Indian, but I am currently an Indian studies student to learn about my family and ancestors.

Answer 8

I'm part Cherokee (I even have the monolid and cheekbones along with a redder skin tone). I can speak phrases in Cherokee but I don't have anyone to teach me and there aren't many resources where I live to learn Cherokee yourself. But I know history and stuff about my family.

Answer 9

Way far back but I have seem to get the Native American shaped eyes trait

So No I don't know how to speak it and I don't even know what tribe but I know it's in there somewhere

I don't tell people I'm Native American(exceptionally you) It's so far back I don't count it
ack so it doesn't count for me

Answer 10

Nope