It seems to me there's a lot of contention in these posts, which saddens me. Perhaps we can refocus our posts to a more positive and helpful nature? Sometimes lore/family stories are all some of us descendants have and will ever have, especially if our ancestors were from very early times when there were no written records in the Cherokee culture as well as many hiding their nationality. But, we still have pride in our heritage. For example, recently when researching for information on the Cherokee who lived in the Indian Territory of SC, I was told by the director of the Museum of the Cherokee in Oconee County, SC, that many of the locals knew they were of Cherokee descent, but that no documentation existed, "I don't want to disappoint you but there are no written records, such as census or tax records, on Cherokee individuals from the late 1700's in old Pendleton District. The first white settlers didn't arrive in what is now Oconee County until after 1792. We have a lot of local people who can claim Cherokee ancestry, but it is all based on family oral tradition and not on written records. We know that there was a lot of intermarriage in the early days, but it doesn't show up in written documents." So, let's honor all of us and our quests to find out more. sgi

Hopefully no one will quit searching just because they may only have a family story or their documentation is limited. You're on a journey for a reason......continue until it ends :0) Never know where it might lead Alli :) -----Original Message----- From: cherokeegene-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:cherokeegene-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Beth Golden via Sent: Thursday, November 6, 2014 2:26 AM To: CHEROKEEGENE@rootsweb.com Subject: [CherokeeGene] Lore, Pride and Documentation It seems to me there's a lot of contention in these posts, which saddens me. Perhaps we can refocus our posts to a more positive and helpful nature? Sometimes lore/family stories are all some of us descendants have and will ever have, especially if our ancestors were from very early times when there were no written records in the Cherokee culture as well as many hiding their nationality. But, we still have pride in our heritage. For example, recently when researching for information on the Cherokee who lived in the Indian Territory of SC, I was told by the director of the Museum of the Cherokee in Oconee County, SC, that many of the locals knew they were of Cherokee descent, but that no documentation existed, "I don't want to disappoint you but there are no written records, such as census or tax records, on Cherokee individuals from the late 1700's in old Pendleton District. The first white settlers didn't arrive in what is now Oconee County until after 1792. We have a lot of local people who can claim Cherokee ancestry, but it is all based on family oral tradition and not on written records. We know that there was a lot of intermarriage in the early days, but it doesn't show up in written documents." So, let's honor all of us and our quests to find out more. Sgi