Yes, statements like "everyone wants to be an Indian" are examples of globalization and irrational thinking, i.e., are not specific and based on hard evidence. In other words, statements like this are functionally no more than a "put down". I always find it interesting when a person speaks of practicing careful, evidence based research on one hand, and on the other hand uses such global statements to describe others. I like to give folks the benefit of the doubt, however, as we all continue to learn and grow in our understanding. I don't think people who say such things are necessarily intending to be rude or disrespectful .... I would hazard a guess that they may be unfamiliar with mountain culture. These family stories do seem to be common in parts of Appalachia. My own grandfather told stories about Indian ancestors, and he was about as far away from "NewAge/UFO" culture as you can get. My grandfather was not the kind of man that I would show disrespect toward, either! Indian culture (I hesitate to say "Indian culture" as there were many varied culture groups) and Appalachian culture may have a few points in common that have been lost over the years in the larger culture: respect for your elders and a strong oral tradition. They both also seem to suffer from being stereotyped in negative ways by the main stream culture, too. Good luck in you search, Donna! Brenda ----- Original Message ----- >> > I don't know what kind of point you are trying to make Kitagista/Garry. Trying to pinpoint the stories related by relatives is an integral part of searching for ancestors, and I have found the search also to be quite a bit to be intuitive, and later proven with the found records. You could say the same of police work when a detective has a hunch. I really don't see the UFO/New Age connection. I'm sure most people (not all) searching in ancestry just want to know if the family lore is true or not. Just natural curiosity and I think your comment "everyone wants to be an Indian", is unfair and unnecessary. > > Donna