erickacourtney
Ok today I wanna talk about something that has been bothering me. I want to talk about Tina Turner, Chris Rock, Maya Angelou, Don Cheadle and so many more black Americans. Who all think its somehow Good to have Engine blood in them. Oooh sorry, Indian blood that is. All of them proven to have less than 5 percent Indian blood in them, but in fact more than 15 percent white blood. Funny and ironic isn’t it? Tina Turner was tested and proven to have 33% white blood in her. What about her high cheek bones? Well my response is, What about them? Don’t you ever look at the native Africans in their own habitat? Have you ever looked at your own people? Haven’t you seen their cheeks or bone structure?
Lets go back in history to discover the African American History with the Indians. Should I say, Native Americans?
Alright here we go in a Nuttshell. Native Americans were slaves in their own land. Up until around 1750. Upon that time, African slaves were easily available. Therefore the Native Americans joined the already formed groups, Chocktaw, or Catawba for protection. That made it tougher for them to be victimized. Although they were forming strong relationships and banning together, their women were still being raped by European slave owners. Regardless of their slave status. Meaning, an Indian woman was still raped even if she were considered “free”.
Now lets take this thing to the next level, If I may. How many blacks have you heard that brag or believe that they someone had some Cherokee in their blood. Hmmm, is this a good thing? Lets see. Well being that the Cherokee, in order to appear more civilized and accepted amongst the white Europeans, they began to enslave Africans as well. They were attempting to gain notoriaty with their counterparts. Although it is factual that Native Americans did assist some runaway slaves. Many of them also assisted in the selling and distribution of Africans to whites for goods and services. Were they any better?
Now see, I’ve always put them on a pedastal, mainly because I didn’t know my history as well as I thought I had.
Lets take this further, shall we?
Why do you think that so many blacks believe that they have Indian blood in them? Well lets think or ponder on this for a moment. Lets see, why do blacks believe that it is better to be mixed with something than to be stand alone? Well for me, its a matter of brainwashing. Don’t you know that so many blacks feel that if they meet someone with curly hair or wavy hair that they are somehow superior to them. My response to that is, Why is it that you think that 100% percent African is not beautiful? Must I as an African American woman feel insecure in my heritage? I think Not. I am equally beautiful. So why do you want to identify with them?
You may wonder if this is geared towards anyone, well it is. However, you can see I am speaking to one particular race. Mainly because I am tired of the African race behaving like it’s ok to deny their own heritage. I can understand that it is not easy to mix your blood with white blood, but its highly likely that you are mixed. Whose fault is that? Not anyone whose alive today. Its something that took place a long time ago. Why deny your true heritage? Because its painful to think of what happened to our ancestors. Painful still, you cannot erase how you came to be. I don’t try to.
Now lets think on this. What made Native Americans think that they should own slaves? Well if you can’t beat em, join em. Right? Of course. But my question to the Native American sell outs. Why did you think it sensible to dismantle yourself from the darker skinned visitors? granted that many Native Americans thought it immoral to enslave and create a bondage status with their African friends. Some however, thought it feesible. Amongst it also being quite profitable. Now we’re not talking about how the Africans sold their own people into slavery, I know that. What I am talking about is why we as African Americans think higher of Native Americans. Mainly the Cherokee tribe. Lets talk about the Seminole tribes. Africans lived amongst the Seminoles, and because the Seminole Indians would not release the Africans, who had been enslaved by the Europeans, the Seminole war began. So that fact and the fact that the Europeans wanted the Seminoles to leave so that they could aquire their land, made the war in effect. The Seminoles refusal, caused our president, Andrew Jackson to get his ass kicked. Andrew Jackson lead that war.
Listen if you want to identify with something, at least identify with a group that did not enslave your people. Hell why in the world would I want to identify with the Cherokee Indian. Don’t just randomly pick some Indian race just to fit in. If you’re mixed with Indian, then let that be. If not, there is nothing wrong with being 100% black. And if you’re mixed with Cherokee, that’s fine too. But most of us want to identify with anything who we value strength from. Don’t you realize that your own ancestors were strong? Don’t you realize that your won African Ancestors were intelligent and elaborate, civilized people. Your hair is not a reflection of who you are. There are many natural Africans with silky hair. Why be so ignorant as to think that your people are subserviant to all other races?Are we as blacks inferior to all others? Are we more inclined to think that its better to be something other than ourselves?
These attitudes must cease if we want to become empowered. I’m not impressed with any black person who has any Native American race in them, despite the tribe or origin. Why should I be? Why should I really give a damn that your hair is curly and why should I care that your hair is silky straight? Its all superficial. Brought on by a foolish attitude that was inherited by foolish ancestors, be it white or black or the other. Either way, it’s another form of bondage. None is better than the other.
Filed under: Ericka Courtney | Tagged: african american and native american history, african blood mixed with native american, africans believe they have indian blood in them, Africans were enslaved by native americans, africans with indian blood, Cherokee enslaved africans, cherokee indians choose the white mans ways, cherokee indians had african slaves, ericka courtney and history of native american and african blood, how many blacks have indian in their blood, I have Native American blood in me, indians deny blacks as friends, Native Aericans enslaved blacks, Native Americans enslaved Africans, native americans enslaving blacks, native americans want to have white blood in them
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I agree with you to a certian point also. In my opinion its one thing to claim a Native American tribe as your own, but its a different thing to feel and embrace the tribe as your own with the knowledge that you belong, even if your are not federally recogonize. My mama’s family is Native American and African American I consider myself an Native Afro-American and I’m proud to say of both the Cherokee(Dalton,Ga) and the Seminole people are in my blood and also in my heart. And as “Ahyoka” I too wear my hair in a curly afro and in two braids when I feel the most free which is listening to my Native American music.
All in all, its an expression of who you are and what you believe in your heart, not what others want to say and think about you.
Hello, I just wanted to let you know, that I do agree with you to a certain point. There are many blacks who love to jump on the band wagon of being another race. They have been brain washed to believe that they aren’t beautiful because of the kinky hair, full lips, and wide noses and etc..
Alot of this was due to our own self, downing each other is you were dark skinned, or you had kinky hair. The light skinned blacks were looked at as being the more attractive black person. I think this is wrong, we are all beautiful people of color. We are all minorities, so it shouldn’t matter.
I myself dont have the long curly flowing hair, but I do have a fairly fine grain of hair. I am 60% Native American and 30% African, and 10% Caucasian. I consider myself African Native American. Yes…I look black to many, and some people think I have Asian in my blood. I am darker tone, big and beautiful. I accept my African roots, but I also accept my Native American roots…I have to, especially if I have more of it than any other race flowing through my blood. My family are originally from North Carolina, and South Carolina, where there were a lot of intertwining of Natives and Africans. I was blessed enough to know my grandparents before they died, and talk to them about our family history. Not only am I mixed with Cherokee, but also Blackfoot. My father is 75 years old and he always talk about his grandmother which was full blooded Cherokee, and his grandfather who was full blooded Blackfoot. This was on his mother’s side, now his father was half Blackfoot and Afican. My father consider’s himself Black but will tell you he is also Indian. My father is called the “Redman” in my family. My mother is also half Blackfoot and Cherokee, mixed in with African as well. I got a chance to embrace my other side of who I am. I love my African roots, and sometimes where my hair in a afro, I have being wearing my hair all natural for the last 3 years, but sometimes I will wear 2 braids in my hair to acknowledge my Native roots. So, every black person who claims to have Indian in them is just not always true…but there are many of us who are African Natives who are shunned or not talked about, but we are still here.