I have been watching all of the postings about "card carrying Indians" and am deeply concerened that some feelings have been hurt. I write occasional pieces for Bishinik, our tribal newspaper and frequently get requests from people who are trying to get their cards. So many times it just isn't possible for one reason or another. Within my own family, because my father's people chose to leave the trail of tears and come to Texas (and thus were not signers of the Dawes Treaty) I have a brother who cannot get his tribal card; yet I have one because my mother's people were signers to the treaty. That doesn't make him any less Indian than I am. Nevertheless, as has been pointed out, the card system was necessary because of every nut who came along claiming to be "heap big chief Indian" and wanted tribal benefits. And the new agers cashing in on Indian crafts and medicine have been an abomination to us all. I teach classes in comparative religion ... specifically "Native American Spirituality and Catholic Christianity." And, although I am a registered member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, I still get threatening phone calls and letters from other tribal members who think I am a "wannabe" Indian cashing in on the tribe. Those of you who do not have cards need to understand the history of the tribal registry program in order to understand the on-going animosity to the wannabes. On the other hand, we card holders need to understand that the U.S. Army destroyed exactly one half of the tribal rolls of the Mississippi band because they didn't want to feed them. Also, not all Choctaws signed the Dawes Treaty. Hundreds asked permission to immigrate to Mexico instead. They were denied permission by the Mexican government and most of those families did not get on the Oklahoma rolls; but they are still very much Indians, some full-blooded. Add to that number the hundreds who disappeared into the brush rather than be dragged off to Oklahoma, who settled in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas. My father's father often said that any Indian who settled in Oklahoma was a "camp-around-the-fort-Indian" and that the true 'braves' resisted resettlement to government lands. Somewhere in all this there needs to be a great deal of compassion for all sides. Those people without any hope of getting their cards may still attend pow-wows and keep company with the rest of the Native Americans. I know a nahollo who has no Indian blood at all; but he was so kind and gentle that the Indians at the pow-wows took him in as one of their own and he was ultimately adopted by one of the spirit leaders of the Comanche Indian Nation. Ont he other hand, he NEVER attempted to benefit financially from this association in any way and he never told anyone he was an Indian. If you don't have the card yet, don't give up hope. Keep tracing your ancestry. Use the census records and don't forget that the Native Americans were listed on different cards placed at the end of the local rolls so they may not show up on the regular records. (Soundex should locate them, however.) And I would hope that we card holders can show some compassion here in dealing with the others. God's blessings. Lucas Graywolf

Thank you Lucus, I highly respect your opinion, and agree totally! Blessings to you, Markie At 07:36 AM 05/25/2000 -0500, you wrote: >I have been watching all of the postings about "card carrying Indians" and >am deeply concerened that some feelings have been hurt. > >I write occasional pieces for Bishinik, our tribal newspaper and frequently >get requests from people who are trying to get their cards. So many times >it just isn't possible for one reason or another. Within my own family, >because my father's people chose to leave the trail of tears and come to >Texas (and thus were not signers of the Dawes Treaty) I have a brother who >cannot get his tribal card; yet I have one because my mother's people were >signers to the treaty. That doesn't make him any less Indian than I am. > >Nevertheless, as has been pointed out, the card system was necessary because >of every nut who came along claiming to be "heap big chief Indian" and >wanted tribal benefits. And the new agers cashing in on Indian crafts and >medicine have been an abomination to us all. I teach classes in comparative >religion ... specifically "Native American Spirituality and Catholic >Christianity." And, although I am a registered member of the Choctaw Nation >of Oklahoma, I still get threatening phone calls and letters from other >tribal members who think I am a "wannabe" Indian cashing in on the tribe. >Those of you who do not have cards need to understand the history of the >tribal registry program in order to understand the on-going animosity to the >wannabes. > >On the other hand, we card holders need to understand that the U.S. Army >destroyed exactly one half of the tribal rolls of the Mississippi band >because they didn't want to feed them. Also, not all Choctaws signed the >Dawes Treaty. Hundreds asked permission to immigrate to Mexico instead. >They were denied permission by the Mexican government and most of those >families did not get on the Oklahoma rolls; but they are still very much >Indians, some full-blooded. Add to that number the hundreds who disappeared >into the brush rather than be dragged off to Oklahoma, who settled in >Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas. My father's father often said that any >Indian who settled in Oklahoma was a "camp-around-the-fort-Indian" and that >the true 'braves' resisted resettlement to government lands. > >Somewhere in all this there needs to be a great deal of compassion for all >sides. Those people without any hope of getting their cards may still attend >pow-wows and keep company with the rest of the Native Americans. I know a >nahollo who has no Indian blood at all; but he was so kind and gentle that >the Indians at the pow-wows took him in as one of their own and he was >ultimately adopted by one of the spirit leaders of the Comanche Indian >Nation. Ont he other hand, he NEVER attempted to benefit financially from >this association in any way and he never told anyone he was an Indian. > >If you don't have the card yet, don't give up hope. Keep tracing your >ancestry. Use the census records and don't forget that the Native Americans >were listed on different cards placed at the end of the local rolls so they >may not show up on the regular records. (Soundex should locate them, >however.) And I would hope that we card holders can show some compassion >here in dealing with the others. > >God's blessings. > >Lucas Graywolf >

Dear Mr. Graywolf, I think that your message was wonderful!!!!! Thank you for that , and the kind words you said. Each of us card or no card are family and we should treat each other as such. There will be disagreements between each other , as that is the way this world goes.I myself think it would be a dull world if we all agreeded on the same thing. The most important thing we should all remember we are all brothers and sisters and have the same creator. Kindness gets us so much farther in life than anything. So all remember to treat each other as we want others to treat us.(DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU!!!!!!)Not do unto others before they do unto you......<):-) I have been reading some of the e-mails that have been comming thru and I do understand that it is easy to take things wrong on the net because facial expression can't be seen on here...when someone is teasing you and they have a smile added to the sentence it is so much easier to see that it is a tease. Just remember to think how that person's facial expression would be if they were standing face to face to you and talking to you and a lot of this tension would be gone. I am Choctaw ,but as yet don't have my card, but that doesn't take any of my Indian from me. I feel just as a part of the tribe and one day hope to have myself and my children and grandchildren with a card. I do hope I haven't offended anyone by anything I have said here. I just thought it was time I added my statement in here instead of reading and not getting into the chat. I hope everyone has a wonderful day and each and everyone will remember we are all family. United we stand divided we fall........!!!!!! Always, Linda in Texas ----- Original Message ----- From: "Graywolf" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2000 7:36 AM Subject: Re: [CHAHTA] Blood Quantum, or Card Carrying > I have been watching all of the postings about "card carrying Indians" and > am deeply concerened that some feelings have been hurt. > > I write occasional pieces for Bishinik, our tribal newspaper and frequently > get requests from people who are trying to get their cards. So many times > it just isn't possible for one reason or another. Within my own family, > because my father's people chose to leave the trail of tears and come to > Texas (and thus were not signers of the Dawes Treaty) I have a brother who > cannot get his tribal card; yet I have one because my mother's people were > signers to the treaty. That doesn't make him any less Indian than I am. > > Nevertheless, as has been pointed out, the card system was necessary because > of every nut who came along claiming to be "heap big chief Indian" and > wanted tribal benefits. And the new agers cashing in on Indian crafts and > medicine have been an abomination to us all. I teach classes in comparative > religion ... specifically "Native American Spirituality and Catholic > Christianity." And, although I am a registered member of the Choctaw Nation > of Oklahoma, I still get threatening phone calls and letters from other > tribal members who think I am a "wannabe" Indian cashing in on the tribe. > Those of you who do not have cards need to understand the history of the > tribal registry program in order to understand the on-going animosity to the > wannabes. > > On the other hand, we card holders need to understand that the U.S. Army > destroyed exactly one half of the tribal rolls of the Mississippi band > because they didn't want to feed them. Also, not all Choctaws signed the > Dawes Treaty. Hundreds asked permission to immigrate to Mexico instead. > They were denied permission by the Mexican government and most of those > families did not get on the Oklahoma rolls; but they are still very much > Indians, some full-blooded. Add to that number the hundreds who disappeared > into the brush rather than be dragged off to Oklahoma, who settled in > Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas. My father's father often said that any > Indian who settled in Oklahoma was a "camp-around-the-fort-Indian" and that > the true 'braves' resisted resettlement to government lands. > > Somewhere in all this there needs to be a great deal of compassion for all > sides. Those people without any hope of getting their cards may still attend > pow-wows and keep company with the rest of the Native Americans. I know a > nahollo who has no Indian blood at all; but he was so kind and gentle that > the Indians at the pow-wows took him in as one of their own and he was > ultimately adopted by one of the spirit leaders of the Comanche Indian > Nation. Ont he other hand, he NEVER attempted to benefit financially from > this association in any way and he never told anyone he was an Indian. > > If you don't have the card yet, don't give up hope. Keep tracing your > ancestry. Use the census records and don't forget that the Native Americans > were listed on different cards placed at the end of the local rolls so they > may not show up on the regular records. (Soundex should locate them, > however.) And I would hope that we card holders can show some compassion > here in dealing with the others. > > God's blessings. > > Lucas Graywolf > > > ==== CHAHTA Mailing List ==== > To Unsubscribe: > Send msg. to [email protected] > Put "one" word in "body" of message:... "unsubscribe" without the quotes > Nothing in the subject line... Turn off signatures....... >