My dad was part Indian. Just what tribe and how much has been a matter of debate as long as I can remember. It seems as though there are a dozen different stories floating around my extended family. At some point I figured out the stories about Indian ancestry are concentrated around Rachel (Roberson) Horn, my grandmother’s grandmother. Rachel herself does not seem to have been Indian. The...
Early in my Roberson research, I investigated the possibility my ancestors were Melungeons. Strictly speaking, the term Melungeon applies to a group of families who lived in and around Newmans Ridge in Hawkins County, Tennessee. My Robersons, in contrast, lived at Wallens Ridge in neighboring Lee County, Virginia. “Beginning in the early 1800s, or possibly before, the term Melungeon (meh...
A lot of people are saying #LandBack. The idea seems to be settlers should give back the land their ancestors stole. I hear about it more from Canadians than Americans, but the idea is circulating in both countries. I’m listening, politely I hope, but I’m not really sure about what I’m hearing. How far do they want to go? How much do they want to take? What happens to the people...
I’ve been enjoying the increasing popularity of territorial acknowledgments. Here’s an artcle from CNN: Leah Asmelash. “This app will show you what Indigenous land you’re on.” CNN. Mar. 22, 2021, retrieved Mar. 25, 2021. And here’s the app it recommends. A bit confusing in the way it presents information, but workable: Native-Land.ca As expected, it says I live...
I wrote about Canadian territorial acknowledgments a few weeks ago. I wondered about doing them in the U.S. Turns out Denver City Council already does one. Embarrassingly, it also turns out I was at the meeting (via Zoom) when they adopted it (October 26, 2020). I made a mental note to come back later and get the text, then forgot all about it. So, here it is. The Denver City Council honors and...