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James Hakeem Sweeney, his sister Nzingha Beverly Sweeney and Charline Habiba Tramel traveled from Buffalo, New York, to attend the pow wow. "There is a part of my history here that I need to know," Mr. Sweeney said. He said his grandparents came from Oklahoma. Nzingha Sweeney said that she always felt that her grandparents, aunts and uncles were keeping secrets about their Indian heritage. "I remember looking at my grandfather with those cheekbones and high nose, and I would say there is more to where we come from," Ms. Sweeney shared.

"I have been to other pow wows because I am always searching for my Indian history. I have grandchildren and I want them to know where they come from, so they will know where they are going," Ms. Tramel said.

Today, organizations, such as the Black Indians United Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Freedman Descendants of the Five Civilized Tribes, argue that the history of Black Indians has been left out deliberately by government agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

"Our current struggles arise from what seems to be a concerted effort by the highest levels of U.S. government agencies responsible for the fiduciary and trustee duties to deny Black Indians their rights under the Treaty of 1866, giving slaves held by the five tribes equal rights, as full members of the tribes.

"I charge the BIA with ethnic cleansing, racial discrimination, ethnically exclusionary procedural systems and breach of contractual obligations," said Angela Molette, Freedmen's Descendants spokesperson. She said the main purpose of the First Annual Black Indian Pow Wow in Enid was to call "members" of the five tribes back home so that they may re-claim the heritage that was lost due to the forced exile. Historians have estimated that at least 18 percent of the Indians that survived the Trail of Tears were Black.

In his article, Brent Staples cites the Choctaws, Seminoles, Cherokees and Creeks, four of the Five Civilized Tribes that were marched out of the southeastern United States—with their slaves (Blacks/Africans)—and onto land that became Indian Territory and Oklahoma.

The Seminole and the Cherokee tribes have employed discriminatory policies to prevent black members from receiving tribal benefits—and to strip them of the right to vote in tribal elections. Like the white slave owners they emulated, Native Americans often fathered children by enslaved women and occasionally treated those children as family. As a result, millions of black Americans are descended from black people who were either members of the tribes during slavery or adopted into them just after Emancipation.

In the Civil War, these slaveholding, formerly southern tribes joined the South, fighting for the Confederacy. Their territory became a battleground of some of the bloodiest guerrilla fighting in the war: All-Indian Union brigades from Kansas fought all-Indian Confederate brigades in a free-for-all that resulted in the slaughter of lots of civilians, who by the way also were Indians.

When the war ended, the North punished the Cherokees and the other tribes who dared to side with the South. The federal government forced the tribes to accept their freed slaves as tribal members—regardless of any aforementioned fathering. The feds also took land away from the Cherokees to create a dumping ground for dozens of tribes left homeless by white expansion—and that land became Indian Territory.

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Any-one has an opinion about this issue which seems to become a major problem after the Indian tribes were allowed to operate Casino's and now black members are being kicked out. Also can one be an African American Indian, or you just Black Indian? VK.

I remember looking at my grandfather with those cheekbones and high nose, and I would say there is more to where we come from

This could mean anything. Not just association with 'Native Americans'. But we as living being are vain.

The federal government forced the tribes to accept their freed slaves as tribal members—regardless of any aforementioned fathering.

I think the federal government is the one who started it and are currently doing the kicking out also. Just like this statement below.

The feds also took land away from the Cherokees to create a dumping ground for dozens of tribes left homeless by white expansion—and that land became Indian Territory.

Any 'black' or African person can claim being Indian also. But is it really communicating the message of peace to Native American which seems to be an issue above. Because if a 'black' person did a 'wrong' to a 'native' person, how would that be handled. In this case 'indian' person or group would administer justice as in the case above. If so that means 'black' indians even if they join will be marginalized with full benefits. It's much easier to tell a fellow black or African I identify as 'black' 'indian' (not marginalized) then to tell a 'indian' we are 'black 'indian' (candidate for marginalization).

As in all things 'black' people do in this world it will turn into a fight.

For 'black' 'indians' it will be a political fight spread wide and far but those organized and identify as such are not big in numbers anywhere.

Sometimes we have to consider things beyond just identity.

But i've by far met more 'race' 'indians' than 'indians'.

What did she meanby her grandfather's cheekbones being Indian? They could be African. They originated in Africans first.

alabamagirl wrote:
clp)...what foolishness some people speak. Anyone can look at Nelson Mandela



...or many other south Africans and see so called "indian cheekbones". Comments like that are more out of ignorance and Black folks desire to be anything other than African.

Shemsi en Tehuti wrote: I agree with this , it's very true. I'm suprised she's taken a big step just to find that small part about herself. I myself, I am 1/4 Indian, as my grandmother is from India, she's a beautiful indian woman, but at the end of the day I am still BLACK !

The funny thing is most Native American tribes don't even reconize alot of the 'black Indian' tribes,but quickly except the 1/4 native indian Chuck Norris and Johnny Depp types. These people are of African ancestry,why can't they take pride and research that?

Maybe they hate their African roots.

Maybe they hate their African roots.

This Kiley troll chats a whole load of shit. Ignore it.

TheDogon wrote: _______________

It took the lumbees a long time to be reconized by the Native American Associations in the Carolinas becausesome have40% african blood.

And I'm only tellingyou what a blackNative American said, the black natives are look down upon.