Natives dating/marrying non-natives

[wyo_rose]

I'm closing this thread. It's giving me a headache just browsing over it.

If anyone wants to discuss this matter further, start a new thread.

[chet69]

Well 80% of natives marry non-natives in 9 generations there wont be anymore indians. Unless indian men start acting like indian men, indian women have at least 7 children or everyone starts marrying other indians.

Besides most indians dont follow their own culture anymore or even speak their language is there really a point anymore to being indian.

Im really tired of seing slutty, alcohol drinking, ghetto wannabees talking of preserving culture when they dont even know how to say their own tribal name in their own damn language.

For God's sakes! Why are indians acting like whites or blacks!Indians have so much to be proud of! We have our own culture our own language our own look, our own world view we dont need anyone elses to be a success in this world!

Im sorry off the soap box now

That's what I notice too. Must be lack of role models.

There aren't many indian women around where I've always lived. I could dig being with a nice indian woman.

[TurtleWoman]

Give this thread up already. It almost died and someone breathed a little air into it.
Geez.

Lol, and yet more air for the lungs as it's brought back to life again...

[Joe's Dad]

it doesnt really matter what color your other is. My lil sister is half black and half ndn it doesnt bother anyone one bit my boyfriend is black and thats b/c like what 1badazzndn said native guys aint doing nothing for themselves i know a handful from my rez taht are going somewhere but the rest are going to live on the rez for the rest of there lives going to parties four times a week. I moved off the rez not by choice but i feel my kids will be involved in culture and i would like them to be with a GOOT NATICE MAN not some nobody thats how i feel

I'm just wondering...

Why wouldn't you want them to find a good Black man and follow his culture?

[lil_nativemother3]

it doesnt really matter what color your other is. My lil sister is half black and half ndn it doesnt bother anyone one bit my boyfriend is black and thats b/c like what 1badazzndn said native guys aint doing nothing for themselves i know a handful from my rez taht are going somewhere but the rest are going to live on the rez for the rest of there lives going to parties four times a week. I moved off the rez not by choice but i feel my kids will be involved in culture and i would like them to be with a GOOT NATICE MAN not some nobody thats how i feel

[yellowthunders mama]

Agreed

Oh my goodness, it's like listening to a Nazi! You guys, LIFE IS NOT ABOUT PRESERVING RACE! It's far too late for that in Indian Country even if it did matter. Race is a term defined by humans that has no true biological or ethical definition. What matters now is the preservation of our ways of life, our culture, our languages, and our world views. Every racial group has something amazing to offer humanity. Do not exclude yourselves from others. We've been intermarrying since first contact with Europeans! It is a way to promote ties between different groups. To go against that tradition now is to insult your ancestors. We do not have to completely assimilate, but we don't need to go the complete opposite direction and cite race as the justification.

I do believe that you should marry someone who shares your personal outlooks and even cultural processes, but this very well could be someone "outside your race". My fiance is Native, but he's Navajo. Should we not be getting married because we call the creator by different names?

For once, Zeke, we are in concurrence. I will enjoy this while it lasts

I am not certain that I could agree more with recent posts: because race means, definitively, nothing and -- even if it did -- we are too far behind the curve to maintain relevant quantum. (Besides, it is culture that is permanent and living, not static bloodlines.)

Quantum will be reduced, over time. If Nativeness is tied to quantum, so does Nativeness.

I recommend a better marker.

"Culture" works.

And the social contract of the social construct is that we all agree that race is something when, indeed, it is not anything.

[Zeke]

Race is a social construct and it is culture that needs to be preserved.

I am not certain that I could agree more with recent posts: because race means, definitively, nothing and -- even if it did -- we are too far behind the curve to maintain relevant quantum. (Besides, it is culture that is permanent and living, not static bloodlines.)

Quantum will be reduced, over time. If Nativeness is tied to quantum, so does Nativeness.

I recommend a better marker.

"Culture" works.

[yellowthunders mama]

Oh my goodness, it's like listening to a Nazi! You guys, LIFE IS NOT ABOUT PRESERVING RACE! It's far too late for that in Indian Country even if it did matter. Race is a term defined by humans that has no true biological or ethical definition. What matters now is the preservation of our ways of life, our culture, our languages, and our world views. Every racial group has something amazing to offer humanity. Do not exclude yourselves from others. We've been intermarrying since first contact with Europeans! It is a way to promote ties between different groups. To go against that tradition now is to insult your ancestors. We do not have to completely assimilate, but we don't need to go the complete opposite direction and cite race as the justification.

I do believe that you should marry someone who shares your personal outlooks and even cultural processes, but this very well could be someone "outside your race". My fiance is Native, but he's Navajo. Should we not be getting married because we call the creator by different names?

For once, Zeke, we are in concurrence. I will enjoy this while it lasts

I totally agree! Race is a social construct and it is culture that needs to be preserved. Preserving culture is about sharing world view and passing on traditions. There is no such thing as racial purity.

[Kaina1128]

hmmm this topic looks off topic lol.

stearing back to the original....

you have to marry who you love but as far as saving your race goes you also have to marry within your race. if you only date within your race eventaully you'll probably find someone you love in your race. if you don't date in your race...then you better find someone with an open mind cuz relationships don't really work if the two people have completely different views..

Oh my goodness, it's like listening to a Nazi! You guys, LIFE IS NOT ABOUT PRESERVING RACE! It's far too late for that in Indian Country even if it did matter. Race is a term defined by humans that has no true biological or ethical definition. What matters now is the preservation of our ways of life, our culture, our languages, and our world views. Every racial group has something amazing to offer humanity. Do not exclude yourselves from others. We've been intermarrying since first contact with Europeans! It is a way to promote ties between different groups. To go against that tradition now is to insult your ancestors. We do not have to completely assimilate, but we don't need to go the complete opposite direction and cite race as the justification.

I do believe that you should marry someone who shares your personal outlooks and even cultural processes, but this very well could be someone "outside your race". My fiance is Native, but he's Navajo. Should we not be getting married because we call the creator by different names?

For once, Zeke, we are in concurrence. I will enjoy this while it lasts

[*Brown Eyed Gurl*]

blah i have no interest in debate--ugh another Zeke? do i have to break out the thesaurus?

[Kaina1128]

so ur judging us on OUR opinion(exclusionary/racist/ANGLO)? the great thing about opinions is that we can ALL have one

Um, I never forbade you from sharing your opinion...

So, pray tell, what is your legitimate reasoning to justify the seclusion of Native people from non-Native partners? Personal bias and race purity do not hold water outside of the KKK. The sad truth is that the BIA has a "looser" definition of an American Indian than tribal governments. It is tribes, not the federal government, who continue to endorse strict blood quantum regulations. Hopefully, their reasoning for doing such is to ensure that their people are allocated the resources they need, and that their justification is not purely based on race.

If it wasn't for such mixing of races and cultures, I wouldn't be here today! Neither would the vast majority of "card carrying" Indians.

[*Brown Eyed Gurl*]

so ur judging us on OUR opinion(exclusionary/racist/ANGLO)? the great thing about opinions is that we can ALL have one

[Kaina1128]

Wow, it was upsetting to see that 22% of us think that it is unacceptable. That's not an indigenous way of thinking, that's exclusionary, racist, and dare I say...Anglo??? If my ancestors hadn't done that, I wouldn't be here today! "Nativeness" is determined by cultural beliefs and personal world-view.

[CaliChoctaw64]

I have not read every post on this subject, so if I am repeating stuff I applogize in advance. I notice that non native usually refers to white or black people, now out here on the west coast many ndn's marry pacific islanders (Samoan, Tongan, Hawaiian, Filipino, and Chamorros). Hawaiians have been marrying native people in California for over 100 years, so many Maidu, Pomo, ect. have polynesian blood. My dad was 1/4 Kanaka Maoli o Hawai'i (native Hawaiian). I am just curious how people feel about that, is that different then marrying black or white folks? Also many skins marry people of Mexican, Guatamalan or other latin American decent. The interesting thing about that is many of the people who come here from Central America have more native blood then many of us who claim ndn. I am not making any judgment on whats wrong or right for someone else. Every person, family, tribe or nation needs to do what it feels best to ensure their survival.

[SuzzeQ4]

I don't really know what to say to this. The phrase, "save the race," has always given me the heebie-jeebies, but I cannot really put my finger on why. And it sort of indicates that there is an implied mantra -- amongst Natives -- to "have babies."

Having married NDN (cause why the hell would I want to be with someone who isn't?) & expecting #5 this March, this whole idea doesn't bother me in the least, I am glad to be contributing to expanding our peoples population especially when non-NDN's have a declining population. This will be good for us one day.

Suzze