How should mixed bloods honor Indian ancestors?

[trob226]

If I may, I'd like to ask a question of those of you who are full blooded Indian or mixed but living as Indian. I am mixed, but live as white and consider myself white. I'm not trying to make myself an Indian. I do try to learn about and honor all my ancestors and I've been learning about my native ancestors' people, too, but it gets hard sometimes because many Indians take me for a wannabee. I don't practice sweat lodges or carry crystals or any new-age stuff at all and never intend to, but I've met many Indians who just will not believe me. I don't blame them, mind you, given what the new-age industry has done. What is the best way for me to carry myself and behave to let the Indians I meet know that I'm not out to steal their culture or sell it on the market, but that I only want to learn more so that I can understand my own ancestors better?

[WocusWoman]

I'm Native, and definately NOT a crystal carrier, aka "new-ager!" I believe you have confusion about the differenc to begin with.

[CHEROSAGE]

OK, Throb, just afew (?)s then I will think of a way to give my answer.

What Tribe(s) do you descend from?
Do you have any NDN family who you can visit with or sponser you?
Where do you live now, just an area if you wish?
Where does your NDN family(s) come from?
Anything else you may want to share.

[k9soldier]

I think one has to first of all be comfortable with who you are be it whatever.... mixed blood but living white... what the f*** does that mean? One lives life, haven't we gotten to a point where the nametags aren't as important as the package? If you want to honor your native blood, live life with respect for mother earth, the two legged, four legged and winged brothers and sisters that share it with you... you don't have to be a crystal carrying tree hugger to do this... help an elder, mentor a younster, be yourself... don't try so hard.

[trob226]

I'm Native, and definately NOT a crystal carrier, aka "new-ager!" I believe you have confusion about the differenc to begin with.

I think you misunderstood me. I'm not equating natives with new-agers - I'm equating wannabees with new-agers. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

[trob226]

OK, Throb, just afew (?)s then I will think of a way to give my answer.

What Tribe(s) do you descend from?
Do you have any NDN family who you can visit with or sponser you?
Where do you live now, just an area if you wish?
Where does your NDN family(s) come from?
Anything else you may want to share.

It's not "Throb" - it's "Trob"
Probably Mohawk - not clear because it was not talked about
I live in Maryland - not Indian country
Upper NE Pennsylvania, adjacent NY
But to rephrase my question, how do I behave to let Indians know I'm not a wannabee; Ijust want to acknowledge my ancestors existed? Sometimes if I carry a beaded bag or wear Dine jewelry, I get the "uh-oh, twinkie incoming" look from the Indians around me. Buying from Indians working to support their families and wearing or carrying those goods seems to me to be a good way to start, but it tends to send the wrong signal to a lot of Indians. Sometimes I just can't get by that by talking to them, because they just won't believe me.l

[trob226]

I think one has to first of all be comfortable with who you are be it whatever.... mixed blood but living white... what the f*** does that mean? One lives life, haven't we gotten to a point where the nametags aren't as important as the package? If you want to honor your native blood, live life with respect for mother earth, the two legged, four legged and winged brothers and sisters that share it with you... you don't have to be a crystal carrying tree hugger to do this... help an elder, mentor a younster, be yourself... don't try so hard.

I am comfortable with who I am, that's the point. I'm NOT trying to be an Indian - I'm white. But I want to acknowledge ALL my ancestors, the red ones as well as the white ones. Asfor the rest, these are things I do. I guess I'm on the right track, andif there are Indians whowant to believe I'm only a twinkie because I do these things, I guess I should just forget about them? That's where I seem to be leaning with this.

[between2worlds]

OK trob - I'm gonna turn this around on you and play a bit of the devil's advocate for a sec.

You say you have white ancestors. White is no more descriptive of an ancestor than is ndn - there are all different nations (and groups within those nations) of white. So what kind of white are you? What do you do to acknowledge the generations of your white ancestors - and not just the ones from the 1920s onwards? (I choose 1920s because I know you are about as old as I am and that would be either your parents or grandparents era. Unless they were "off the boat" or Amish/Mennonite/Hutterite their way of life and values would've been mainly US popular culture. From my point of view the US popular culture is a hodge-podge of stuff - mostly hooray for me, I got mine, and to h*ll with everyone else.)

Examine your answers to these questions about white ancestors and see if you can turn your answers about white ancestors around and you may find an answer to your own questions in regards to your ndn ancestors.

[trob226]

OK trob - I'm gonna turn this around on you and play a bit of the devil's advocate for a sec.

You say you have white ancestors. White is no more descriptive of an ancestor than is ndn - there are all different nations (and groups within those nations) of white. So what kind of white are you? What do you do to acknowledge the generations of your white ancestors - and not just the ones from the 1920s onwards? (I choose 1920s because I know you are about as old as I am and that would be either your parents or grandparents era. Unless they were "off the boat" or Amish/Mennonite/Hutterite their way of life and values would've been mainly US popular culture. From my point of view the US popular culture is a hodge-podge of stuff - mostly hooray for me, I got mine, and to h*ll with everyone else.)

Examine your answers to these questions about white ancestors and see if you can turn your answers about white ancestors around and you may find an answer to your own questions in regards to your ndn ancestors.

Good approach, and it's somewhat easy. My white ancestors are German, Irish, French, English and Swiss. I have been to Ireland, I study Irish music and I have been to several ceilis (kind of an Irish powwow). I'm intouch with distant cousins who are full Irish-American and keep up with them. I know where the ancestral Irish home is and have been there. My German ancestry is almost entirely PA Dutch - they have their "pauwau" too but I've never known a practitioner. Mostly they have food, and I learned a bit from my mother who learned from her grandmother. I also go up to PA and eat it a lot, also visit the places my ancestors lived. The French is from my great-grandmother and is Alsatian - luckily, one of my ancestors was a vintner, and I love French wine. I studied French in school, too. The English and Swiss are minute amounts and I know very little as of yet. But here's the problem, and it's racial. All of these groups Have welcomed me (especially the Irish - as far as they're concerned, no matter what the rest of your ancestry is, if you've got any Irish, you're a long lost cousin). Indians often have the opposite reaction when I wear Indian jewelry or learn Indian words - show too much of an interest, and you're suspect. Like I said, I understand that and I don't fault it, but I don't load down with the jewelry or wear buckskin to the powwow. I'm sure I'm not overdoing it. I'm just wondering how to act so as not to set off the twinkie alarms, or at least work around them so that I honor my Indian ancestors without leaving the alarms ringing permanently. The history between Indians and whites has just really complicated things. BTW, am I behaving properly by even asking this question, or have I got the alarms ringing again?

[between2worlds]

No alram bells set off in my head, anyway - but you live up the road from me (so to speak) and we've been chatting in various threads here for about a year. You're a "known quantity" to me. And I've shared some things about me, so you know who I am and some of my background too.

As a beige ndn I get the flat-eyed stare too sometimes when I'm some place where no one knows me. I have a white wife (Irish born - glow in the dark white) and while I have 'shinob features - around here a lot of people dunno what one of us looks like and some tend to rely on the light meter test for anyone not known to them. I just wait for 'em to figure me out, the ones worth knowing -will- eventually.

If you're asking my advice - just like you don't know that much about your English and Swiss ancestors - it doesn't seem that you know much about your ndn ancestor. Knowing what Nation (for sure) would be a good place to start. Second, get yourself known in a community that has people of your ancestor's Nation in it. Just walking up to random ndns and saying "Hi, I've got ndn ancestors" does make you sound in the twinkie category. OTOH, talking at dinner break with someone you have seen a few times at pw and have (at some other previous time) introduced yourself to is an appropriate time/place/way to ask a question or two.

I would wonder about the Dine jewelry or the beaded bag too. If you're not Dine, how does wearing the Dine jewelry honor your (possibly) Mohawk ancestors? Does the beaded bag have the appropriate designs for the group you think your ancestor belonged to? If not it's like wearing the Stuart tartan to a Campbell reunion (if you get my drift).

If you just want to honor a generic connection to the ndn people of North America (I think your ancestor probably fits in as a North American ndn), I agree with k9soldier:

"If you want to honor your native blood, live life with respect for mother earth, the two legged, four legged and winged brothers and sisters that share it with you... help an elder, mentor a youngster, be yourself... "

[trob226]

Thanks, B2W. Some good advice there, and I've enjoyed all our online conversations. BTW, I wear Dine jewelry 1) because I like it and 2) helping Indian families make a living may not directly honor my own ancestors, but it's something. I buy from other nations, too. I haven't been walking up and saying "Hi, I've got Indian ancestors too." But apparently the jewelry says something to some people without my saying the words. And before I mislead anybody, not all Indians I meet see the alarm bells going off. Many are friendly to me and I've had good conversations with them. My ancestry may or may not come up, just depends on where the conversation goes.

[NotAllWhowanderRLost]

"I am mixed, but live as white and consider myself white. "




So you want to know how to carry yourself and behave? So you claim to be of Mohawk "Haundenosaunee" decent? Who do you get your Mohawk blood from? How much Mohawk are you? Not that blood quantum should dictate one's 'Indianness'. But you say you live as white. But want to honor your Native Ancestors?

I agree with between2worlds, just honor Sky Woman and Mother Earth and all of our Animal Brothers and Sisters. You said you don't go to sweats? I've been for years. Perhaps you might want to go and do a sweat with some of your Indian friends or find some real skins who practice that particular part of our spirituality. It just might open you up to your ancestors.

Research your Mohawk people my friend. Seek some Mohawks out and be sincere when you ask them questions. I don't think that any NdN person would begrudge you for asking in a good way and by offering tobacco when you do ask an Elder or member of the Mohawk Nation for that matter.

Try attending some Pow Wows up that way. The 6 Nations are always having Pow Wows both Contest and Tradish. And talking to your Elders up that way.

[trob226]

Thanks to all for taking the time to respond.

[BettinaBear]

Living as a White??

Not sure what you meant by "Living as a white"
I am a mixed Blood: Mohawk (Haundenosaunee)Mother, Italian Father. I don't need to prove it to anyone. I knew her, I know what she taught me. I wish she had lived longer to teach me more. I was raised the first 11 yrs of my life with many traditional ways, then my father took me and my mother died not long after....Being a mixed blood can be hard road if you are dependent on being accepted. I have been told by many I can't call myself Native American at all, I have been told by many I am Native American. What am I? I am a mixed blood. The Gov't wants me to be white, I know I never met a white Italian or a white Native American. I have been rejected by some Native Americans and embraced by others. I learn what I can from the few who will share. I have gotten past the feelings of having no place with either culture. An old Taos Pueblo man who told me this - "What I can tell you is that what you need to learn is to not need someone else to tell you who you are, you know who you are, it is others that make you question it...respect all cultures...seek the truth and you will find it. Honor life, the earth, your ancestors, whoever they may be, walk the good road and thank the creator for your existence, your food, your life, your family and never let go of things your mother taught you. Ask the Creator for assistance with good intentions in your heart.....anyway, sounds like you just need to get to know yourself first and may it be a wonderful journey.

[JinglnCrazyLilBird]

I need to learn to write shorter posts... lol

I think if your intentions are good then with time people will see that and open up to you. I can usually tell a wannabe from someone who is truly interested in learning. It seems that wannabes always want to cut to the chase with actions and questions that are demanding rather than inquiring. Your passion to learn will reveal that that is your only intention… and a noble one at that.

If there's one thing I learned while growing up its patience. My mom and I would go to visit elders when I was younger and I always would ask a lot of questions as kids do. :P The elder would tell stories for hours and never give me an answer which always frustrated me and my squirrel-like attention span. lol When I was older, I realized that he was giving me something better than an answer. So just listen, just observe, I suppose is what I'm saying. Don't expect your search for answers to be easy, but don't get discouraged either because I think learning about your indian ancestors is a good way to honor them. Slighting them and claiming you are only white is not. I also advise that one should be conscientious when asking questions. Often ignorant questions can be offensive thus the instinctive reaction maybe strange looks and no answers. Ndns ain't perfect either and sometimes we react badly. I run the booth for our native student organization at university events. After standing there for 4 hours answering questions like "What percent are you?" "Why are you so white?" "My mom was a Cherokee princess, can I get ndn scholarships?" I am rather cranky by the end of the day and I have to remind myself that these people are only looking to understand. Someone once asked me "How do I know I'm asking the right questions?" When you've learned all you can on your own, from listening, observation, and careful study, then you'll know which questions to ask.

As for the wearing of native items, I have some silver bracelets and coral bead necklaces that I purchased from friends who are Dine artists. I think its okay to wear these things because I am proud of the work that my very talented friends have done... plus, its free advertisement for them! lol However, I have some qualms about people who wear Zuni squash necklaces or things of that nature because I realize that these symbols have special meaning to that tribe. So I guess the summary of this long talk is that if you are truly thoughtful in your actions, then they cannot be wrong.

As a khaki indian, lol, I grew up experiencing my mom's native culture along side my father's German culture. I find it hard to separate myself out and say that I'm white or indian. After all, I cook spaetzel on the same stove I cook fry bread. lol Go ahead and be who you are! To this day I live my life by the idea that it is our actions that define us. It’s not a blood quantum, a number or card, or a skin color.... it’s a way of life.