Fellow Burlingtonites: I think we should pull back on these discussions of Indian heritage, pro and con. I am not fortunate enough to claim such background but my daughter does and I have done considerable research on the subject. 1) American men arriving in the colonies in the 17th century faced a shortage of "white" women. It is common sense to assume they often took Indian wives whether their names "prove" this or not. It was only successive generations (when white women were in a majority) that such alliances may have been discredited or disowned.. (It happened in my own husband's family). 2) Daughters of Indian chiefs were accorded more privileges and respect than other Indian women and (regardless of what they were called in their own tribes) were justifiably known as "princesses" by the white settlers with whom they came in contact. 3) Little white girls were taught how to spin at a young age. There is no reason to doubt that Indian women (skilled craftswomen in many ways) would have been unable to learn how to use a spinning wheel. 4) Quakers, a liberal sect, may have been more welcoming to Indian wives than other religions. 5) Remember the history of Pocahontas who became a respected lady in English high society. Also the history of the accomplished Indian woman who was the common law wife of the English governor of New York. Also Sacajawea and many other Indian women who served as guides and liaisons in early America.Their services were invaluable to our country. This subject might better be left to professional historians who are experts on early Indian and white culture and intermarriage. Natalie ndburrows@verizon.net