Black Hawk and his son Whirling Thunder.
Since 1990, November has been designated Native American Heritage Month. How many of you even knew that? Not entirely your fault if you didn’t, not much is ever said about Americas natural-born citizens. You know about Black History Month, we hear about it everyday during the month, and the news media shares a black history story. Not so with Native Americans.
I suppose Native Americans, if they wanted some notoriety could take some of their casino money and buy some airtime on the local stations, or maybe they no longer care what the nation knows of their history. The media could give a brief history moment each day of the month, there would certainly be enough to show. It would be educational for all of us, not just the children, to understand more of our lands original occupants.
There is much to learn and to enjoy about the history and culture of our Native Americans. It would be a shame not to take advantage of this month to become more acquainted. We should not wait too long, never is a missed opportunity. It is like having a great-grandfather when you were younger, you never spent the time to learn from. Oh, the stories they can tell. My great-grandparents were Indian. My great-grandmother’s grandmother was the daughter of Black Hawk, the great Sauk Chief. There are many generations between me and Black Hawk, but it is a heritage I am proud.
Ya know…I have been told that Hitler said that he admired Americans for one reason. The way they eradicated the Native American from the earth. Moved here and almost totally wiped every Native American from the face of the earth.
Eeire, I think.
It is very hard to believe that part of our ancestors sought to wipe from the planet, every one of another of our ancestors. The slaughter of old men, women and children, indiscriminately. Killing the deaf for not following orders. Killing native peoples for speaking in one’s native tongue, even though they knew not any other language. The Native American will haunt these lands forever for the injustice laid upon them.
Ooops and here comes Thanksgiving. How everything could have turned out so much more differently had the native american not trusted the European visitors…
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They should have never let them land and get off the boats.
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How things would have been had it happened that way, would be curious to see.
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I do appreciate yall sharing with me though. I see that I am not alone.
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You are not alone…
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Every time I think I am, I learn that I’m really not. 🙂
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When we were young, Mama would take us up to Cherokee on occasion. She always seemed a little disturbed by the Indian shows they would put on for crowds. Nevertheless, we went several times when we were young.
The fact that the records were so screwed up, the lineage cannot be shown, and I always felt like they would claim we did not belong with them, and didn’t ever really feel like I belonged with Daddy’s side of the family, who thought they were all Irish.
Strange mix native american/irish. Stay away from the fire water though! He, He, He… find that out fairly young, I did.
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Oh my…..my mother is Irish. Her maiden name is Mulvaney!
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I am a McDonald.
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I am originally a McGuire…direct defendant of John Alden who married Priscilla Mullens. It was Mayflower romance.:-)
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Reblogged this on J & J Ranch Stone Mountain GA.
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Having had my ancestors marched outa here like heathons, most of my family heritage was lost on the trail of tears. Then we were told not to say anything about being part native american, my Mama was afraid for her kids. Native Americans had been dealt enough discrimination to last several lifetimes, and she was not going to see it again… God rest her soul.
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Funny you should mention not to say anything about being part native American. My grandmother and her brothers (my great uncles) would adamantly deny it, they would get a bit angry if mentioned. However, my father spent time at his great grandparents home (my grandmother,s grandparents) they had head dresses, war bonnets, tomahawks, and war shields hanging on the wall going to the cellar of their farm house. They belonged to their family, not as antiques, but they had possession of them from their use. I realized when I got older my grandmother’s denial was because she didn’t want to put up with harassment.
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I guess that after living through it, once was enough. The only reason that we managed to be in Georgia, was that shortly before the trail of tears, my great, great aunt, who had been a slave, inherited her masters property when he passed away. By the hair of my chinny, chin, chin. I would have hated to see what it would have been like otherwise.
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There is a large population of Native Americans in my area. They also have the diamond mountain casino,as well as a very nice clinic that I actually go to as well. Over the years the term “Reservation” has become “Rancheria” There are places up here where we can still find arrowheads. I have to say I used to be a little put off as we drive by the Rancheria and so many of the homes are in disrepair while the tribal elders had very nice homes. I mentioned this to a friend and he said the homes in disrepair were just people that did not take pride in their homes as all the homes were built at the same time.I have mentioned before the county fairgrounds back up to our home. Every year we get to see the annual Pow-Wow and this means a week of native american dance, drums and culture which I very much enjoy.
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Pow-Wows are pretty cool. There is a site of an ancient city across the Mississippi from here, ancient aztec type, very old; Cahokia Mounds it is called. There is a museum with Native American History, and annually they have dances and Pow-Wows as well. They have art shows, some of the Native American painters are fantastic. I am especially awed with their paintings of reflexions.
Behind the home I grew up in there was a creek with slight bluffs on one side, we would find arrowheads there. Black Hawk was in the southern region of Wisconsin and most of the eastern part of Iowa, where they settled from being run out of the now Rock Island area of Illinois, which was near the Rock River and the Mississippi.
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In this area there were a number of tribes but few settled but they hunted and fished the area quite a bit. That is the reason there are still arrow heads to be found up here. I have found two without actually looking for them.
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And you should be. I appreciate the education.
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