Maybe some of you have an answer to a problem we are having with Native American and African American books we put on line. Most of our book pages now have the following disclaimer: This site includes some historical materials that may imply negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. These items are presented as part of the historical record and should not be interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes implied. This site includes some historical materials that may imply negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. These items are presented as part of the historical record and should not be interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes implied. Followed by the name of the book and date. The following is one of many we receive: I am White with some "relatively" unknown Indian blood. I have studied Indian culture and language at college and partook of the native communities in Nebraska. I did read the Cherokee History Area and yes, I find much offensive.. I'm only beginning the rest of the History Area. Reading the warning that it may be offensive, Why can't you have someone clean the offensive parts up or rewrite excluding the offensive parts and just quote the current sources when using unoffensive summations???? Isn't it time in history to do this? Does anyone have a suggestion as to how we could make it clearer we have no intention of rewriting history, and this is what the book said. Thanks Judy

Leave the writings as they are. Make the disclaimer to the original authors views. Many people who write books, see things in their own views, not always the truth or accurately. I read in a book called Bartrams travels where his views if a Cherokee ceremony they were practicing Black arts. The book and number is listed on my website - Books are books, we cant change them now have the permission to rewrite some ones works. I would say if they are offensive, dont post em, or post em and disclaim that they are not your views but those of the author. Much History is offensive. So its History. What about those DNA people who say all people came from blacks and Ethiopia >? I am not sure I was accepting that. But what if it is true ? Do we be offensive or accept true facts ? I guess its up to the reader to either read with the open mind and take in or put out what ever they wish -> Thats my opinions about how I read and decide what to believe or not to. Always interested in other peoples views thats why I read books. Dan M www.wvi.com/~wb http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Genealogy_Chat ----- Original Message ----- From: "Judy" <judy@genealogysurnames.com> To: <CherokeeGene-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2006 9:03 AM Subject: [CherokeeGeneCommunity] RE: Need some help > Maybe some of you have an answer to a problem we are having with Native > American and African American books we put on line. > > Most of our book pages now have the following disclaimer: This site > includes some historical materials that may imply negative stereotypes > reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. These > items are presented as part of the historical record and should not be > interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes > implied. This site includes some historical materials that may imply > negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular > period or place. These items are presented as part of the historical record > and should not be interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse > the stereotypes implied. Followed by the name of the book and date. > > The following is one of many we receive: > I am White with some "relatively" unknown Indian blood. I have studied Indian > culture and language at college and partook of the native communities in > Nebraska. I did read the Cherokee History Area and yes, I find much > offensive.. I'm only beginning the rest of the History Area. Reading the > warning that it may be offensive, Why can't you have someone clean the > offensive parts up or rewrite excluding the offensive parts and just quote > the current sources when using unoffensive summations???? Isn't it time in > history to do this? > > Does anyone have a suggestion as to how we could make it clearer we have no > intention of rewriting history, and this is what the book said. > > Thanks > Judy > > > ==== CherokeeGene Mailing List ==== > This list is for Genealogy related conversations > Your supporting website http://www.wvi.com/~wb/Cherokee1.html > Please Good manors and no flaming others > For Culture, ridges; bumps; skin tones; or Language lessons Please visit > CHEROKEE-L-request@rootsweb.com > You can also find what you need search the archives > or to get off this list via web site below > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Native/CherokeeGene.html > Listowner = CherokeeGene-admin@rootsweb.com

At 11:03 AM -0600 2/15/06, Judy wrote: >Does anyone have a suggestion as to how we could make it clearer we have no >intention of rewriting history, and this is what the book said. > >Thanks >Judy I think adding a line, saying just that, in a paragraph by itself may help. For example: "We cannot rewrite history; we can only learn from it." Carolyne

Hello, Judy! I know this seems a little off-topic, but it serves as a good reminder that, as family historians, we are not at liberty to just change the historical record. It only takes one person "cleaning up" a census entry and presenting the "clean" version as a transcription of the original to completely change a family's true lineage. It's just one step from prince to pauper presented as a bona fide document - and a huge (oh, alright, a little one!) lie. How many people will accept it as fact and pass on the bogus lineage? We have probably all, at one time or another, found just such a case. Maybe we've even been sucked in and bought into it only to find years later, much to our dismay, embarrassment and shame, that it was all a fabrication. It's sad that people don't understand you CANNOT re-write those books. You will not be able to address that in a way that will satisfy people intent on sanitizing the past. You won't be able to approach it in few words. You shouldn't have to approach it at all - shame on society for even thinking we can just ignore it and it will all go away! I think I might approach it by saying something to the effect: These volumes are as they are and are a reflection of that time in history - nothing more, nothing less. Attempting a re-write is akin to re-writing the Bible, the Koran, the Bhagavad gita (or any holy book, for that matter) and removing bits and pieces because they do not suit the writer or reader and what they want to do today as opposed to what their faith says is right or wrong. A child born out of wedlock is still a child born out of wedlock. Does that make that child of less value, a lesser being? Of course not. That child is just as human as the next. However, throughout history the "natural" children have always been looked down upon - yet many rose far above their "legitimate" siblings. It is all perspective and we are each in control of our own perspective. While what happened or was felt or perceived in the past may well be horrible, unfair, even criminal (and much of what was done to America's First People was all of those things), it is nevertheless what happened and history cannot be changed to suit the current reader. We can no more change what happened then than we can travel back in time now. Once is has been changed, it becomes a work of fiction and useless. Some "historical" volumes *are* biased and slanted, their content offensive, perhaps even fictitious. We cannot do anything about that from *this* side of history. What we can do is write new chapters and make a better world with the understanding we gain from the events and attitudes of the past. We can complete our own research in the historical documents, not the history books, and write new histories that are unbiased, unslanted and based on fact. Or can we? All history is recorded through the eyes of those who lived it, observed it, or research it later. We all have our own biases, prejudices, emotions, and mores. They do not and will not always match those of current or future observers and readers. They cannot be removed from who we are and what we do any more than we can cease breathing and still live. For these reasons, we will not rewrite or remove offensive items. They are simply a part of history. Nothing more. We *do* encourage our users to research and write new volumes, not leaving out or glossing over what we perceive as "bad", but drawing the lessons from it. Perhaps the best way to present that research is, in Joe Friday's words, to present "Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts." As family historians, though, that will not suffice. We always are on the hunt for the information that will make our ancestors real people, put flesh on their bones. Accounts written in earlier times do just that. They let us see what our ancestors were like as people - warts and all. Some of it is wonderful. Some of it is horrifying. Some of it we glory in. And some of it makes us cringe in shame. Yet we are not responsible nor accountable for what our *ancestors* did - only for our own actions. Let us hope, as we see offensive attitudes and practices in the past, that we learn the lessons of history. One day, we will each be a part of history and someone might well write "Can't you re-write it or take out the offensive parts?" so it doesn't hurt them to look back on what *we* did. Judy, you are welcome to any or all of my words - or none of them - as you wish. But I hope they are a comfort. Your stand is spot on right. Don't change it! Blessings, Susan Reynolds