I have a photograph of my great grandmother taken when she was 95 years old wearing her tribal regalia. She told the family she wanted her picture taken like that in a studio. When the family asked her why, she said, I want all my grandchildren and great grandchildren in the future to know where their heritage came from. Sounds like your family was almost an opposite of this. Too bad as that is how a lot of family Indian traceable heritage has been lost over the years. She passed on that next year at 96 years old.
OTOH, I might look at the seemingly touching story of your great grandmother, and come to the conclusion that all she wanted was for all of her descendants to eternally attempt to avenge the losses of her ancestors.
But then again, in my family, the hatred ran deep on both sides.
My cousins and I decided it was past time for it all to end. And may of us outlived our grandparents, so it did.
OTOH, I might look at the seemingly touching story of your great grandmother, and come to the conclusion that all she wanted was for all of her descendants to eternally attempt to avenge the losses of her ancestors.
But then again, in my family, the hatred ran deep on both sides.
My cousins and I decided it was past time for it all to end. And as so many of us outlived our grandparents, so it did.
With about 50 years of effort I was able to pin down the very tribe most of them had to originate in ~ and all without immigration records ~ they got here just too darned soon for that.
That photo of great grandmother in tribal regalia will go a long way towards assisting her distant ancestors in getting in touch.