re: White people who claim Native American ancestry

My father married a pure Cherokee. My mother's people were ashamed of me. The Indians said I was white by law. The White Man always called me "Indian Baw."
Half-breed, that's all I ever heard. How I learned to hate the word. He's no good they warned. Both sides were against me since the day I was born. We never settled, went from town to town. When you're not welcome you don't hang around. The other children always laughed at me. ""Give him a feather, he's a Cherokee." We weren't accepted and I felt ashamed. Nineteen I left them, tell me who's to blame. My life…

My girlfriend is 17% eastern band Cherokee Indian. Even at that percentage, some within the tribe have never truly accepted her despite her father sitting on the elder council. The idea of "pure blood" is going to destroy the tribe. At some point, they have to begin to accept a lesser percentage or there will be no one left to continue the traditions and manage the casinos/land.

quote:

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but seldom is the truth.

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You get a nice check from the government if you are native American. Do you have to submit to a DNA test to qualify for that?

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are the wealthiest and by far, most profitable tribe in America. They should be the example and set the model for all other tribes to follow in terms of monetizing their culture and profiting from casinos/businesses on sovereign lands. I don't agree that they should cease to exist. However, corruption within the tribal council needs to be rooted out. You are correct that clinging to the past and the old way of operating under the "good ole boy" system has damaged the tribe. Unfortunately, the last chief was doing just that, even initiated an FBI investigation to stop the corruption, and was promptly impeached by a majority vote from the council. Against the wishes of the people.

I could spend hours discussing the dynamics of the tribe and the problems within its leadership. It's not unlike our own government Unfortunately, many of the "pure blood" Cherokee people are accepting of the corruption, so long as their checks show up in June and December.

Misappropriation of federal funds by the Ms Band of Choctaws is criminal. The entire tribal counsel should be imprisoned. Run a tractor out of fuel by a new one is the mentality. Don't want to pay for a fire truck, use sovereign immunity. Nothing can be done. You either suck it up and do business with them knowing it's wrong or someone else will.

This is a common misconception. The federal government doesn't pay any tribes. The money some Native people receive is from their tribes profits from casinos and other businesses on sovereign land. Most tribes are not financially able to give their people anything.

Casino cash $$

I recently test drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee for my wife, despite having zero native heritage.

My mom is from Nanih Waiya, and I hung out some with Freddie Joe Nunn at the old Athletic Dorm when we were both at Ole Miss. His mom was my mom's cook when she was a girl so we knew each other..I know CSB..and now I realized I should have gone to Harvard for free

You misquotin Cher baw?