The Basics on Native American Marriages

[emme2009 (deleted)]

Hi,
Just wondering if someone can give me a brief summary of how Native Americans view marriage --

- Is purity of bloodline considered OVER love? I mean if you do not find someone who knocks ur socks off in your tribe, do you just keep looking in ur tribe forever or settle for someone who has prestige, or do you consider other tribes peoples so long as they're native american?
- Is bloodline more important than traditions or vice versa, if one had to choose..? Obviously I would they might have equal importance for a percentage of people..
- Are mixed children accepted among most tribes?
- Do arranged marriages take place today?

Thank you!


Em

[tribalprincess]

`Hi Em,

All of my family on my Fathers side are Cherokee with a few Sioux and Lumbee in the mix. My Father married my Mother who is a little Cherokee, primarily French. I just say I'm half and half to make it easier. My Family are very accepting of me an only child. My family treat others like myself that aren't 100 % Cherokee the same and show no partiality. I inherited more of my Cherokee Indian Family traits like temperament to name a few. Sometimes that's a good thing as I give it my all when I believe in causes and makes me all the more determined to see that everyone is treated fairly and not taken advantage of. I call it going on the war path...ha...ha.

I don't think they are all too keen on my dating Arabs which I have dated high profile Middle Easterners from Egypt, Morocco Iraq and other European countries etcetera. They reside in the United States and have for ten or more years. One is a financial director for a Fortune 500 Company, the other a Cardiologist.

My family however respects me and are accepting of whom I choose to be with. My Elderly Aunt really likes the man from Cairo that lives here now and wishes we'd get back together. I had a relationship gone bad with a Cherokee Indian man (Navy Seal) about two years ago I met at the river not far from where I reside in NC. I can't stereotype all Indian men, and I've met some really sweet gentleman on this site thus I've concluded maybe I'll meet my dream Indian man after all. And my family would be pleased.

Speaking of my Tribal family. Most, not all but most, are accepting of other ethnics.

I have many friends abroad and I've found that places like India and the Middle East to give you an example are very traditional and have arranged marriages.

Personally, no matter what culture I may have been from, I'm very resilient, stubborn and rebellious as I have an intense and passionate personality so I'm told. I refuse to marry for anything less than love.

I'm a "Hopeless Romantic"

~*~Rhondelia~*~

[rave210]

tribalprincess wrote: `Hi Em,

All of my family on my Fathers side are Cherokee with a few Sioux and Lumbee in the mix. My Father married my Mother who is a little Cherokee, primarily French. I just say I'm half and half to make it easier. My Family are very accepting of me an only child. My family treat others like myself that aren't 100 % Cherokee the same and show no partiality. I inherited more of my Cherokee Indian Family traits like temperament to name a few. Sometimes that's a good thing as I give it my all when I believe in causes and makes me all the more determined to see that everyone is treated fairly and not taken advantage of. I call it going on the war path...ha...ha.

I don't think they are all too keen on my dating Arabs which I have dated high profile Middle Easterners from Egypt, Morocco Iraq and other European countries etcetera. They reside in the United States and have for ten or more years. One is a financial director for a Fortune 500 Company, the other a Cardiologist.

My family however respects me and are accepting of whom I choose to be with. My Elderly Aunt really likes the man from Cairo that lives here now and wishes we'd get back together. I had a relationship gone bad with a Cherokee Indian man (Navy Seal) about two years ago I met at the river not far from where I reside in NC. I can't stereotype all Indian men, and I've met some really sweet gentleman on this site thus I've concluded maybe I'll meet my dream Indian man after all. And my family would be pleased.

Speaking of my Tribal family. Most, not all but most, are accepting of other ethnics.

I have many friends abroad and I've found that places like India and the Middle East to give you an example are very traditional and have arranged marriages.

Personally, no matter what culture I may have been from, I'm very resilient, stubborn and rebellious as I have an intense and passionate personality so I'm told. I refuse to marry for anything less than love.

I'm a "Hopeless Romantic"

~*~Rhondelia~*~







Hi there,

Though there is an underlying concern for our population the native youth will do what they want. Parents will never encourrrage intermixing however that is not to say they will shun you the rest of your life if you run off with a partner of differnt culture. If you have siblings, then there will be more pressure on them to marry a fellow native if you have not done the same.

Though our culture is supposed to be of equality,acceptance, and peace so there can be conflict with the morals we grew up with and the concern of the race and culture dying.

I am half Cherokee, mohawk, and apache, but my Mom is Polish. My dad personally didnt care what ethnicity I chose to date, its all about how well he treats me. My mom is actually the one who is less accepting since I too have dating many middle eastern and arab men. But that is because of the stereo types on mistreating women. Ive dated more guys from Jordan/Palestine and iraq and egypt as well as Turkey. (Honestly i think they just like the look we have )

In fact, i have never dated a skin, because there are so few of them especially where I live. But, to be honest, with the underlying worry about the bloodline, if I were to meet another skin I would instantly want to get to know him and see what happens. I would perhaps feel a bit obligated. If there were more of us, we would have room for parents to worry about what tribe your love interest is from. But we cant even do that because your lucky if you even meet one who is native (let alone full-blooded!!) I have a boyfriend who is mexican, but I love him for who he is so at the end of the day, it shouldnt be my main concern.

[catindahat (deleted)]

`Uhhhhh...."war path?"...wut does that "term"/"WORD" honestly mean or refer to?....poor choice in my Opinion ...also jus' sayin' but what necessitated (navy seal) to b "mentioned in previous statement? Pretentious reality?

[shynativeguy]

`I'm full blooded native American, ONEIDA to be exact. This is how things go!

Just like the previous two responses most parents would just love for their child to be happily married and living in harmony. In most cases that is okay, I believe in the same thing for my daughter's growing up. I don't really care one way or another for whom they falling love with. I do how ever warn them of how our reserve/reservation/settlement see's it.

Many people out here are very prejudice against any other race other then our own, Especially black people. Even our reserve/reservation has laws against inter-mixing. the law states NO NON-NATIVE person should be able to reside on any land that is given to our people.

If your willing to let our culture and heritage die out then that is your right. If you don't mind our people losing all the rights we were given by the non natives that is your right as well. I say that because when your blood line is to far out you lose the right to become a registered native. Also when your blood line is thinned far out most native americans will not teach you our traditional teachings or our heritage. It is supposed to be passed down verbally from generation to generation.

I'm sorry to be the barrier of bad news but that is how I see things.