Am I a "Wannabe"?

[StereoTypicalHarley]

Ok, i've seen all these threads trashin "wanabe's", and I agree.

But here's my delimma:

I'm tsalagi, with no card, because for whatever reason my ancestors didn't sign the rolls. I have brown hair, green eyes and light freckles. I would truly love to dance traditional tsalagi dances, so I've been talking to elders, and other tsalagi people for the past two years to make sure I go about everything in a good way. I want to do anything and everything I can to be respectful, knowlagable, and accurate.

All of these wannabe threads have got me worried. If/when I start dancing, would I be seen as a "wannabe"?


-Joshua

[dancinfancy]

To me a wannabe is a person that is always going around saying they are part native, like they just won some sort contest, and go around acting like they are on some kind of spiritual native trip. They tend to make themselves look like they are trying to hard to be something they may or may not be.

A try native person doesn't need to go around and tell the world who they are, they know they are and that is enough. Learning the ways of your ppl and participating in the styles of dance doesn't make you a wannabe. However running around saying your native name is "Runs with the Deer" and your part native will lead ppl to question if you are or not. But the fact that your eyes are not brown and your skin isn't darker doesn't mean a thing. I've known full bloods that have had green and blue eyes, so that doesn't hold much water.

This is just my opinion on the subject someone else could have something total different to say. I hope this gives you a little insight into what you want to know.

[Ginger]

You have to be a Cherokee princess to be a wannabe j/k

[timmy tiger]

LMAO--I agree with the above posts. But I am going to add a little more here.

You say that you have gone to Cherokee Elders--what "Elders"--I'm not asking for names--I'm asking you if they really are "Elders" or just "Older" and claim to have knowledge that they might not even have. I'm not trying to be mean here or to you at all. I'm trying to let you know that there are many people out there who CLAIM to have knowledge that they really don't have. Where did they get their knowledge? From a book? From a Movie? Or did they go right to the people actually on the Res who were born and raised and have lived those ways their whole lives and pretty much know nothing else?

A "Wannabe" is just a person who claims to be something that they are not. Many of them even know that they don't have any NDN blood, but will claim it in public to make a name for themselves or get attention. I've known a few of these in my life and though one time they will tell someone that they are not Native, and then other's (usually in a large group of people)--they will stand up and speak about the "old ones" or "the old ways" with such a tone that most of the people in the group listen and believe what they are saying. And they know that they don't have a clue what they are talking about--but they will talk.LOL

[New2itall]

You have to be a Cherokee princess to be a wannabe j/k

[StereoTypicalHarley]

I completely understand yor question. They are in virginia, and are from those who hid and stayed during "removal". And kept traditions alive. The traditions have been passed through their families. I will not get anything from books, or websites. These are all writte by people (mostly white) who are only trying to make money.

I make a point not to talk about anything I do not know about. I think people should listen ALOT more then they do.

I'm not trying to "toot my own horn". I'm just saying.

-Joshua

[timmy tiger]

I'm not saying that you are. I've heard many stories of people hiding in the hills of WVA or VA and many of them don't make sense, when you get older you will know what I mean. I'm not trying in anyway to put anyone down. But the removal did not go as far as Va. Because at that time the Gov had figured that they had already run the Indians out of VA (there was no WVA back then, yet) and even history records will tell you that. The removal was primarily in NC, GA, AL, SC and TN. I'm not saying that there might not have been some in VA, but as far as I know--the gov had removed them long before then.

[StereoTypicalHarley]

I apreciate what you are saying. And I will do my best to be cautious of who I go to. Thank you very much for your insight. :)

[StereoTypicalHarley]

Than you guys for posting and answering my questions. I feel alot better aobut starting to dance. Thank you all very much.

[ECSN]

To me a wannabe is a person that is always going around saying they are part native, like they just won some sort contest, and go around acting like they are on some kind of spiritual native trip. They tend to make themselves look like they are trying to hard to be something they may or may not be.

A try native person doesn't need to go around and tell the world who they are, they know they are and that is enough. Learning the ways of your ppl and participating in the styles of dance doesn't make you a wannabe. However running around saying your native name is "Runs with the Deer" and your part native will lead ppl to question if you are or not. But the fact that your eyes are not brown and your skin isn't darker doesn't mean a thing. I've known full bloods that have had green and blue eyes, so that doesn't hold much water.

This is just my opinion on the subject someone else could have something total different to say. I hope this gives you a little insight into what you want to know.

i'm in Georgia also :)

The part about saying part native makes a person wanna be is not entirely true...that falls upon to dilema mixed people run into...I mean If we say we are one race then we are insulting the other race and vice versa. Like me, I'm not only mixed with Native and Irish/Scottish but I'm also intertribal mixed lol I have Saponi, Catawba, Creek, and Cherokee.

My dad can pass for Full blood Native no problem....my uncle in law from Mexico when he first met my dad he was like...ohh you speak spanish...my dad was like I'm not mexican lol I told my dad one day he is going to be out in florida working and some imigration is going to pick him up lol But yea like my dad passes no problem.....and my mom she passes as mixed no problem (her father was 1/4th Cherokee). But now when it comes to me lol Whole other story lol Black hair, Blue eyes, and light skin lol It does iratate me sometimes....because people will be like..dude your not native, your white....but they see my dad they say he is either mexican or native lol....I mean how can people accept a person's parents as beng a certain race but can't accept the child of them same people as being the race of their parents just because they got one of their grandparent's skin or eyes. It's like I have to pull out pictures of my parents any time I want to write Native American as race on any documents lol But now my dad he writes white as race on documents and people give him funny looks lol Apprently my dad still goes by his grandfather's story....his grandfather would always say if you write white on a document then the Government can not take you off....he would also tell of the consentration camp style reservations...he would say.....you want to go live like your in nazi germany then you go ahead and write down native american or indian on a document and see what happens (You have to remember my famly has been in Georgia since 1820). I tell my dad many times that the government can't take people away like that anymore...but he is a hard head lol There is some truth to that story though because where that family story got started is my great great grandfather signed some form or was talking to some government person and he said he was indian at which point they picked him up for part of the cherokee or Creek removal thing even though he was not on a removal list....he was taken to some place in Ga which was apparently a holding facility.....somehow he was able to get back before they took him out of GA....when he came back he told the family that if you claim white on documents or if you have a white spouse then the Government can not remove you off your land. And that is one of the few family stories which was passed down to me :)

[dancinfancy]

I guess I need to clarify myself a little. I'm not saying that if you say your part native that that means your a wannabe. But you do need to be careful how you use that phrase because ppl, namely native ppl, here it all the time from every person that crossing our path. That has kinda become one of those things you don't want to here any more because you don't know if they're telling you the truth or not, because now everyone wants to be native.

[StereoTypicalHarley]

I agree with you.

[OLChemist]

In my experience there are three big Wannabe tribal markers:

1) They introduce themselves with their geneology rather than their names. And they always have a grandmother who hid *it* out of shame but had "raven" black hair and high check bones or a dark-skinned great-grandfather with braids who starved to death because he wouldn't "let the government give him papers like a show dog." Oh, usually, she was a medicine woman and he was a son of the tribe's greatest war chief. (None of them are descendants of the village nobody, who had a shaby tipi and two lame horses.)

2) They drop mentions of their last "sweat" or "going up on the hill" like a pairs of size 14 Wellingtons. (I haven't heard this much talk of sweat since a Gatoraid commerical.)

3) They want you to grant them the Ndn Good Housekeeping Seal of Love and Acceptance.

[NancyJo]

And don't forget the ever popular #4
To have an Indian name............or have you gift them with one.

[Josiah]

Ok, i've seen all these threads trashin "wanabe's", and I agree.

But here's my delimma:

I'm tsalagi, with no card, because for whatever reason my ancestors didn't sign the rolls. I have brown hair, green eyes and light freckles. I would truly love to dance traditional tsalagi dances, so I've been talking to elders, and other tsalagi people for the past two years to make sure I go about everything in a good way. I want to do anything and everything I can to be respectful, knowlagable, and accurate.

All of these wannabe threads have got me worried. If/when I start dancing, would I be seen as a "wannabe"?


-Joshua

Couple of questions...
1) What "Traditional Cherokee Dances" were you planning on dancing?
2) Where would you plan to go and dance these traditional dances?

Typically we don't say we are Tsaligi in English to people that don’t speak the language.
If you do speak the language to another Cherokee its not necessary to tell them that you are Cherokee. Since you are speaking the language to them and by the accent you use, they could get a very accurate picture where you come from.

I say this because I have never met a Cherokee from where I come from (Tahlequah) that says I am "Tsalagi".

We only say what is our family name and that tells us if we are Kin which is more important thing to know...
For instance:
I would say I am Josiah from Tahlequah
My father's name is _________
My Grandfather name is ______


It’s been my experience when I have met another person that called themselves Tsalagi they only say that because to them it makes them seem more legit.
It is a word that really has no real meaning in Cherokee for it basically means “the People" or "Human Being"
I think it was invented by the Monrovians when they were converting us to Christianity. Because they were trying to erase the old stories that made up our real name, those stories contradict the Bible's version of creation.
I know my Grandmother never used it as something to describe herself, she would just say her Name, People knew her and that would be that!!


I say these things as advice and through my experiences not to be mean or say that you not anything than what you claim to be.