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GOING NATIVE IN AMERICA - The Benefits of Becoming Indian
DER SPIEGEL (German magazine) ^ | ---- January 16, 2006 | Jörg Blech

Posted on 01/18/2006 5:43:33 AM PST by Atlantic Bridge

In the United States a growing number of white people are discovering their Native American roots. Some are doing so for financial gain, but most are just looking for the meaning of life.

A few weeks, Betty Baker was still just a white housewife. But now the woman, with her piercing blue eyes, goes by the name "Little Dove" --and has jettisoned her apron for an elaborate deerskin dress.

"I am an Indian and I've sensed this my whole life," says the 48-year-old Baker, who lives in a wooden house on the edge of the small town of Pinson, Alabama.

Five years ago, after her parents told her that her family probably had some Native American ancestry, she assembled documents and birth certificates and last September was accepted into the Cherokee Tribe of northeast Alabama. The cultural neophyte is now zealously learning the rituals and dances of her newly discovered ancestors.

(Excerpt) Read more at service.spiegel.de ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: americanindians; cherokees; indians; nativeamericans; sioux; spiritualjourney
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To: loreldan
But I guess that's the good thing about being American. You can be whatever you want!

LOL! We all are a tricky mixture! It is just perfect to take of everything just the best.

Greetings from Lake Constance!

Andreas

41 posted on 01/18/2006 6:43:54 AM PST by Atlantic Bridge (O tempora! O mores!)
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To: Atlantic Bridge
It will be interesting now that DNA profiling can objectively establish "racial" background to see what standards we set to determine "Native American" status.

See, for example:

http://indiandna.com/

This question could get pretty complicated if someone is from more than one recognized minority group, for example:

http://cacreview.blogspot.com/2005/06/freedmen-descendants-use-dna-to-show.html
42 posted on 01/18/2006 6:46:05 AM PST by M. Dodge Thomas (More of the same, only with more zeros at the end.)
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To: Atlantic Bridge

Good grief

These people should see how Real Indians see them.

This would be laughable if it wasn't so embarassing.


43 posted on 01/18/2006 6:46:05 AM PST by Leatherneck_MT (An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens.)
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To: ryan71
When people claim to be part indian and I ask, "What tribe?", they ALWAYS answer, "Cherokee". The Cherokee Nation must have been very prolific at reproducing.

Well, there are a number of Appalachian people knowns as Melungeons, who are sort of a mixed Scotch-Irish/black/Cherokee strain. This may be the source of a lot of it. But I suspect that a lot of people are just trying to enhance their kharmic resume', if ya get my drift...

44 posted on 01/18/2006 6:47:10 AM PST by Kenton
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To: ABN 505

No, but I did see something on TV about them once. Yeah, pretty good scam.


45 posted on 01/18/2006 6:50:35 AM PST by Kenton
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To: martin_fierro

.--- ..- ... - / -.. .- -- -.


46 posted on 01/18/2006 6:52:18 AM PST by Tijeras_Slim ("We're a meat-based society.")
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To: OldSmaj
And I can just imagine her family standing behind her, with much eye-rolling and smirking, caused by yet another of mama's silly forays into idiocy and stupidity. Some body needs to check this womans hormones or something.

HeHe! That was just what I have been thinking. But if you would have read the article to the end you found out that her husband is calling himself "Running Bear" now. This strange attitude seems to be infective. Maybe you guys have to deal with the "indian flu" just like we Europeans have to face the bird flu.. But do not worry - as long as John Kerry isn't wearing feathers, moccasins and a loin cloth it can not be that severe.

:-))

47 posted on 01/18/2006 6:56:21 AM PST by Atlantic Bridge (O tempora! O mores!)
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To: Atlantic Bridge
Greetings from Lake Constance! Ahh! Beautiful area! I've been to der Bodensee many times. Nice profile page, by the way.
48 posted on 01/18/2006 7:01:20 AM PST by loreldan (Lincoln, Reagan, & G. W. Bush - the cure for Democrat lunacy.)
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To: yankeedame

I'm a bit puzzled about the ancestries figures at the end of your post:
'Ancestries: United States (21.4%), English (11.3%), Irish (11.0%), German (6.9%), Italian (2.4%), Scotch-Irish (2.2%).'

Surely the 21.4% listed as United States ancestry must also be part of the other ancestries (ie English, Irish etc) or they must be native Americans? As far as I know, there are no people in the US whose ancestry is purely from the US and not Native American. Am I missing something here?

Also, be careful if you approach a Scotsman and describe him or his lineage as 'Scotch' - he will probably chin you! People from Scotland are Scots, Scotch is a drink!


49 posted on 01/18/2006 7:03:12 AM PST by PaxBritannica
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To: PaxBritannica
Surely the 21.4% listed as United States ancestry must also be part of the other ancestries (ie English, Irish etc) or they must be native Americans? As far as I know, there are no people in the US whose ancestry is purely from the US and not Native American. Am I missing something here?

Good question. My guess is that they are of French ancestry but don't want to admit it! :~)
50 posted on 01/18/2006 7:15:51 AM PST by loreldan (Lincoln, Reagan, & G. W. Bush - the cure for Democrat lunacy.)
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To: Atlantic Bridge

Me109 pilots would call American fighters "Indianer", so there is a connection there...;-)

http://www.pozefilm.de/warbird.html


51 posted on 01/18/2006 7:17:12 AM PST by wolficatZ (Jonathan Quayle Higgins III - "Zeus...Apollo...Eat the Trolls!"....)
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To: neodad
Irony is priceless!!!

To: Atlantic Bridge




neodad
Since Jun 28, 2005


Atlantic Bridge Since Jan 8, 2005



Betty Baker was still just a white housewife. But now the woman, with her piercing blue
eyes, goes by the name "Little Dove" --and has jettisoned her apron for an elaborate
deerskin dress. Welcome to FR. Learn the picture rule.

3 posted on 01/18/2006 5:46:43 AM PST by neodad (Rule Number 1: Be Armed)





Oh ya...


52 posted on 01/18/2006 7:19:59 AM PST by Issaquahking (Build nukes, Harvest timber, Drill ANWR, Because it's good earth use, not abuse!!!)
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To: Atlantic Bridge; proud_yank; billhilly; cf_river_rat; SJackson

"Many of the converts connect the indigenous existence with ideals such as equality between the sexes, more democracy and a romantic affinity with nature."

I used to work with a white girl who claimed she was/wanted to be an Indian.She hung those cheap little convenience store quality dreamcatchers all over the office, etc.

She was also a card carrying PETA member, but didn't mind chowing down on a hamburger every day. And she was a feminist.

She believes Indians never killed animals, and were just SOOO attuned with nature. So, I showed her a lot of pictures of Indians herding entire herds of buffalo over cliffs, etc. I also provided her research showing Indians generally didn't respect women's rights, and explained to her Indians didn't buy faux fur from a department store.

I also gave her some information on a hunting organization (she was rabidly anti-hunting), the National Wild Turkey Federation's, program to provide wild turkey feathers for Indians for religious ceremonies :)

She just refused to believe any of it.


53 posted on 01/18/2006 7:20:35 AM PST by girlangler (I'd rather be fishing)
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To: Atlantic Bridge

Interesting post. Welcome to FR.


54 posted on 01/18/2006 7:30:20 AM PST by Liberty Valance ("Chloe ... I need another way out of here..." ~ Jack Bauer)
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To: Kenton
"all the wannabes claim to be Cherokees, because they let anybody in".

Same with Chippewa.
55 posted on 01/18/2006 7:30:52 AM PST by taxed2death (A few billion here, a few trillion there...we're all friends right?)
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To: PaxBritannica

A lot of people answer "American ancestry" if they have several ethnic ancestries or are unsure what their ethnic ancestry is. Native Americans *do not* answer "American ancestry."


56 posted on 01/18/2006 7:33:55 AM PST by AuH2ORepublican (http://auh2orepublican.blogspot.com/)
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To: Atlantic Bridge
My Son-in-law is an American Indian. He has blond hair and blue eyes. I was suspicious despite the fact they live in Oklahoma.

A few days ago, tho my daughter mentioned that she only has health insurance for herself and their children as her husband can go to the Indian Hospital for free.

57 posted on 01/18/2006 7:34:28 AM PST by yarddog
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To: Atlantic Bridge

>>>Some are doing so for financial gain,

This is grossly understated and I suspect the entire point of becoming one with nature is to distract how grossly understated the financial gain is.

Reservations are used to cross the border.

Reservations are used to smuggle in goods and animals

Native American businesses are used for umbrellas and holding companies

Reservations are used to hide things like weapons


58 posted on 01/18/2006 7:40:14 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: Coleus

Oh and lets not forget that reservations are used for toxic waste dumps, right Colues?

A la The Torch!


59 posted on 01/18/2006 7:44:42 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: Kenton

yeah, i love the blonde haired, blue eyed "cherokee".
i've got some distinctly native american features, at least enough that i'm occasionally asked if i'm native american, but that heritage has never been part of my life, so i don't try taking advantage of it.
but its not cherokee. i've been told that its blackfoot.


60 posted on 01/18/2006 7:50:00 AM PST by absolootezer0 ("My God, why have you forsaken us.. no wait, its the liberals that have forsaken you... my bad")
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