In a message dated 3/14/00 2:24:33 PM !First Boot!!!, tombrown@jhu.edu writes: << Speck seems to have made some errors in his interpretation of Indian culture among 20th century Nanticokes: From "Quest for Identity: The Formation of the Nanticoke Indian Community at Indian River Inlet, Sussex County, Delaware," by Frank W. Porter III, 1978 U. of Maryland Doctor of Philosophy, pp. 110-111: Well, Mr. Brown I applaud your interesting points of so called view. I am only sorry that you decided to put individuals names in your post. Please be very careful about this you never know among us INDIANS if you are offending someone by talking of their dead ancestors in a very disgraceful, dishonorable way. If you knew. it is taboo to speak a dead person's name among us. Of course you would not know about that since you are limited to your exposure of actually interacting with my family. Plus being an outsider it is probable no one talk to you anyway.. lest the old elders. I cannot speak or defend the Wesorts but I can speak for the Nanticoke, especially for the individuals you decided to list in this post. My great great Grandmother was Ida Nora Wright, sister to Warren and Elwood as of you speak. And Winona.. called Aunt None among our people was wife to Oscar Whittington Wright, bro to Warren, Elwood, and Ida. I am very offended and angry that you would question my families authenticity or "Indianess in a forum such as this" First of all Aunt None was not a Nanti coke Indian. She was born Winona Jamison. She was from Pennsylvannia. My Uncle Os met her when he left Sussex after his first wife died who was a Harmon. His oldest son Warren Wright was sent to live with my Great Great grandmom Ida..my grandma was also in the home. Based on the fact that she is an outsider, was not raised in the culture and was not a blood line descendant of the Nanticokes she should not be quoted as a so called expert of ANY NANTICOKE TRADITIONS OR WAYS.. LORD KNOWS HUNTING AND TRAPPING.. >> The moral here is that the presence of Indian customs among contemporary populations is not necessarily evidence that these people are direct descendants of the aboriginal group. This is so true. As Sam Houston and Cynthia Parker were not direct descendants of the Cherokee and/or Cheyenne peoples but both were raised in the culture. But no one of that time would question either one of them about their believing in the Indian way. I guess that gets one back to the question what makes you an Indian?The Blood line or being raised in the culture of the Tribe. If we start to look at tri-racial isolates and bi-racial groupings it is very annoying that tribes such as the Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw in the south that have extremely high incidences of african influx but no one ever questions the claims of their descendants in reference to their ancestry. In fact it is this countries muffled up rules that have you so confused. as the rest of those who so call study Eastern Indian Groups. This countries racial rules cannot apply to us, so you come up with everything to discount the truth. 1. If you have one drop of Black blood that makes you Black American 2. If you have 1/4 Indian blood that makes you Native American 3. If you have one white ancestor and are Native American that makes you Colored. Just because you don't know what to do with someone with all three racial make ups in this country is not our fault.. You guys made the rules so make your minds up.. We Natives were very clear from the start that a man and/or woman are what they feel they are in their spirit, soul and heart. We also believed in adoption.. something I cannot say other groups have embraced as we did..Over 1000's of years many if not all tribes have been influxes by the Spanish here in the west and Florida, the French in Canada and in the NE as well as the British, Dutch, Irish and German, as well as, African American peoples. Even many who claim to be full bloods are unaware of distant ancestry ties to other racial groups. We have our own definitions of what makes a person part of our tribal group thanks... Also, the Wrights have direct dependency proof of relationship to Lydia Norwood Clark the last speaker of the Nanticoke Language. Lydia was related to Ida,Warren, and Oscar's grandmother Anna Rust Norwood. There are other connections as well. That is why we study genealogy Mr. Brown prior to making claims of Native American ties to Indian tribes. The other interesting thing about Speck is that he was also very involved in teaching Indian customs and traditions to people he thought might be Indian descendants--including the Delaware Nanticoke people. In other words, once he identified a group as a possible Indian survival, he did what he could to foster and grow their Indian identity. That is true too.. but long before his visit we were cooking traditional Lenape and Nanticoke foods, using Motars, herbs, had traditions and beliefs. We were never confused about who we were or are....It seems all those who were non -native had a problem. Never judge another until you walk one mile in their moccasins..... Respectfully yours, Stacey Bliss Cooper... Nanticoke/Lenape and proud of it!!!!!!!!!