American Indian Muslim Debunks "Cherokee Blac

[JosephSWM]

I have just finished reading all of the posts again and have a few more comments to add. Below I quote and educatedindian is quoted in single quotes and Mahir in double quotes. My comments are not in quotes.

"There are no apparent connections between the Cherokee and the Blackfeet. The language of the Cherokee is an Iroquoian language. The language of the Blackfeet is an Algonquian language."

Many people feel that the Cherokee use to be part of the Iroquois based on language and some customs. However our customs and traditions have more in common with other southeastern tribes and Native people in Mexico than the Iroquois. At events held by the MD Commission of Indian Affairs I have talked with archeologist who feel the Iroqoius migrated north from the Cherokee and that the similarities in language and customs came from the Cherokee. One even stated that he felt the Cherokee descended from the Maya.I was surprised at this comment. It has been something that I have been taught by Cherokee Elders for many years, though I have never seen this written or mention by a non-Cherokee.


"As far as the turbans are concerned, this was adapted by the Cherokee after a delegation of them visited England's Royal Family and decided they should cover up their tattooed heads because the English were terrified by such a sight, so they borrowed the wearing of the turban from some royal servants who happened to be Muslims from India. The Cherokees brought back this form of head dress with them and it ended up becoming fashionable among the Cherokees. The Cherokee gave the turban their own unique "style"."

You know I see both men and women at powwows wearing turbans and those robe style coats. In the very, very few paintings that show this style women never wore them. And the fact that so many people based a tradition and style on a couple of anglo paintings is bewilldering. In one of these paintings it does show a Cherokee man with his ear lobes done traditional; the lobe sliced open along the whole outside of the ear. Why don't these folks try that one.

""Native Americans, remnants of the Lemurian race, call on or recognize the same power that the Hebrew Israelites did. If you study Native American culture and you study language, you will find that they pay respect to the same deity. They are not Jews. Allegedly, Native Americans are from one of the 5 planets within Sirius. The Hebrew race is from another planet in the Sirius Star System. They both adhere to the same type of culture in that star system.""

This is the first I ever heard of the Sirius star system. First, Sirius is not a star system but a single star. Its bad enough that James Adair wrote about the Cherokee being one of the lost twellve tribes. (This has been reprinted in a book called Out of the Flame). But us Cherokee are taught that we came from the Pleiades star system.

Thats all I have to add.

Joseph

[VHawkins]

I have done a lot of researching on the topic of "Blackfoot" Cherokee, after I saw some claims of it.

The best I ever saw it explained is at www.Saponitown.com. There the term "Eastern Blackfoot" is used. I was very skeptical when I first went there, but gradually I have come to accept a lot of what they say. But there was a "Blackfoot Town" Maryland later changed to Dagsboro or something like that, I forget. There was also a "Blackfoot Church" in Pike County, Indiana started in the 1790s. The people at that website think the term referrs to Saponi,  Eno, Tutelo, Occonechee, Catawba and other eastern peoples who were Siouian. They have gathered quite a bit of evidence there. Why the Blackfoot-Cherokee connection is another matter.

To be a member of the Cherokee natoin you have to have had an ancestor on Dawes and they accept any blood quantum. To be eligibe for Dawes you had to 1. be living in the Cherokee lands. 2. had to be on 1880 and 1896  census of the Cherokee nation, meaning your ancestors couldn't have moved from Arkansas to Indian territory in 1885. The Cherokee Nation considered people who had Cherokee blood but left the nation as no longer citizens, just as a German who came to America gave up his German citizensip to accept American citizenship.

But there are so many fake Cherokee tribes and groups it makes your head spin . . . there are legitament unenrolled Cherokee, but there are so many fakes it makes one have to be skeptical of all, and this is a shame.

vance

[VHawkins]

Where are these Pow-wows where you saw men and women wearing turbans?? I've never seen turbans except in history books.

I thought the only Cherokee Pow-wow was during Labor Day national holiday at was held just outside of  Tahlequah.

thanks --

vance

[JosephSWM]

Vance,

I live in Baltimore, MD. I go to powwows in MD, VA, PA mostly, and thats cause my car won't go much farther. At some of the small powwows, real and twinkie, I occassionally see the turban.

Also, I have heard Saponi (which up here most say is just another name for Lumbee) and Catawba make Blackfoot references. These language similarites may or may not have been in the past considering the Saponi do not have a language and have not for many hundreds of years. I think their official name is Haliwa-Saponi. Like the Lumbee they have not followed any type of Native traditions for a long, long time. Most are southern baptists. I have a lot of exposure to them since the main Indian population in Baltimore is Lumbee and Saponi.

I know the site you talk about and there is not much anyone can say to make me think that any of these people are Blackfoot, ton names or otherwise. Quite mixed over centuries with Black people yes, not Blackfoot. And the same for Catawba.

Joseph