pocahontas

[lookng4myspirit_PREV (deleted)]

Ive recently been in touch with some family after about 20 years. My grandfather on that side is half cherokee and he says he has legititmate documents proclaiming that we are direct decendants of pocahontas. Now I havent seen these documents with my own eyes yet but plan on taking a geneologist with me to look them over. If its true I find myself confused about whether this is a good thing or bad. If its false then thats most likely the last time im going to speak with him.
Anyone have a similar experience to add some insight?

[piecrust]

Matrilineally, Pocahontas was from Mattaponi tribe (her mother's tribe). The father was Chief Powhatan. Matrilineally, he was a Pamunkey. Pocahontas's first husband was Indian. He was from Patawomeck tribe located along the banks of Potomac river in Washington, DC. They had a son and a daughter.

Later, Pocahontas had an illegalimate son named Thomas. He was not the biological son of John Rolfe, Pocahontas's husband. Thomas's birth father was actually Thomas Dale according to Mattaponi oral tradition. Check out the book "The True Story of Pocahontas" (the other side of history) written by Dr. Linwood Custalow (Mattaponi).

Since Pocahontas had 3 children (2 boys and one girl), 3 bloodlines did survive to this day. Thomas was the only one who was not raised by his mother Pocahontas's matrilineal clan. She died when he was three.

He was raised by his stepfather John Rolfe's brother in east coast of England. So he was raised English culturally. He later married an English girl in England and she died shortly after the birth of their child.

Thomas left his daughter in the care of his deceased wife's family and left England at age about 25 and went to Virginia to live on his mother Pocahontas's lands. His second wife was also English and they had a girl named Jane Rolfe.

Remember Thomas married outside of his mother's matrilineal Indian bloodline. He did not marry into his mother's people. That is why most of his descendants were not raised in a traditional culture of Mattaponi lifeways. Do you get the picture?

Pocahontas descendants were all born into another cultures with different sets of beliefs and world views. They were born into different cultures through the birth canals of their non-Indian mothers. So their experiences were shaped by the cultures they were born into. Get the picture?

When Chief Powhatan resigned from his position of leadership, his position went to his matrilineal clan relative. The tribes related by Algonquin language all used matrilineal descent to select a chief who is either female or male since both are treated as equal, unlike the English culture.

More important, tt was the Mattaponi women who kept the native language going but intermarriages between Mattaponi men and English women started the decline of the native language. That's why it's important for tribes to maintain matrilineal bloodlines. Indian ways are learned in the homes of Indian women, not the non-Indian women. Get it?

Navajo and Hopi tribes still use matrilineal descent to keep track of who was raised Indian culturally or who were born into Indian women's households, not the non-Indian women's households. I think that is very crystal clear to all that read here. The enrollment cards are something else. Different story. Cards have nothing to do with Matrilineal descent. Cards were invented by outsiders.

I know one man who was half black and half Japanese. He has skin tone that is darker than his cousins in Japan. But matrilineally, he was raised Japanese culturally. He always bowed respectfully to his relatives and business associates in Japan.

He never knew his black father. He is very Japanese emotionally, spiritually and culturally. He is such a polite man. Children don't always know who their fathers are but they usually know who their mothers are. Do you get the picture now?

The fathers's cultures do not always shape their children's identity development. Dead beat fathers are perfect example. They are always absent. Children always identify with their mothers on the emotional levels because their mothers are always at home so guess which culture they pick up the most? Go figure!

Winona LaDuke is a perfect example. She is a mixed blood Native American. Her father is Chippewa (with French ancestry) and the mother is Jewish. But matrilineally, Winona was raised with Jewish identity. She spent her early years in her Mom's kitchen where Jewish identity shaped her way of thinking.

But Winona and her half sister were very fortunate that their father, Louis La Duke (known as Sun Bear) was always present in their lives. He was a very devoted father to them. He made sure they know their Chippewa heritage. His constant presence added strength to their Indian identity.
He always kept in touch with them. He was really the exception. Good for him.

Wishelle Banks (niece of Dennis Banks) is another perfect example.
She has blue eyes.

I know a Hopi man who has a daughter who is half black. She has green eyes. She inherited it from her black mother who has both Irish and Indian ancestry. Is that something? Imagine a Hopi woman with green eyes? She is beautiful. I met her myself. She's awesome! I wish people could see beauty in her that I beheld.

[piecrust]

`There is a famous singer named Wayne Newton. He is descendant of Pocahontas's son, Kocum,jr whose father was from Patawomeck tribe. This tribe is still alive today. Wayne lives in Las Vegas.

They moved off the banks of Potomac river and settled in another country nearby. Their current chief's last name is Green. He was also in the film called "New World. You can google their tribe name on the internet.

I met a woman who is descendant of Pocahontas's daughter who was raised by a Patawomeck man's wife while Pocahonas was held as a prisoner at Jamestown colony. This daughter's descendants later married into other tribes like the Cherokee Nation.

Pocahontas's third child, Thomas, is the ancestor of one U.S. president's wife whose maiden name was Bolling. She was from a wealthy family. President Bush's ancestor was the sister of Mary Kennon who married a Bolling. You can google these key words for yourself.

(President Bush's ancestor was Mary Hyanno who was full blood Indian (she had red hair and blue eyes inherited from her Viking ancestor) who married a Gypsy man from England during the middle of 1600's. Mary was Wampanoang matrilineally so she was raised Indian culturally and her father was a Narragansetts.

[riverotter]

`What you say may be true. But it sounds a lot like the "white man royalty syndrome". They always claim fame via a "indian princess". They would rather believe that their ancestor was a beautiful princess rather than a "savage" man. Why do they classify them as Princesses? How did it happen that they received "official documentation". Who authorized these items? Why did the people of Virginia revere her so much? You could say it was the times and how people, at that time, recognizes authority due to their having Kings and Queens. Have you heard of the "Pocahontes Exception"? It is the exception to the one-drop rule that governs who is a black person. If you have one-drop pf black blood you are a black person. The people declared that if you are a decendant of her than you can be still be considered "white" even tho you have up to 1/16 of her blood. Strange isn't it? Why is it that many people who claim fame always have "official" proof? Perhaps this was the beginning of the "Certificate of Authenticity". If what you say is true, be proud, for you are a interesting pary of history.

[rebelyell09 (deleted)]

`I think 'Paul Revere and the Raiders' made okay music, I suppose. But they are a little dated for my taste.

holy cow

[(deleted)]

`What really gets me is answering a post after the person is long gone!! Are you just typing to see yourself type?
You all talk about your native blood go get a DNA test and most likely you will fine a little white in that line kemosabe..
At least I can throw my DNA out there and show my linage from my mother pure native.. other side Sicilian Hey I only claim to be a human being, but I think I'll claim German for I like their KICK --- SPIRIT...

[rebelyell09 (deleted)]

`HEY! I got some German in me! yeah...it sucks...


haaaaa


p/s: I was only confused about the part at the end that piecrust shared about this Mary a relative of president Bush's..in which she called her a "full-blood Indian", but she had red hair and blue eyes from her "Viking ancestor"? Huhhhhh???? am I missing something?

...if you have a Viking ancestor, you are not a full-blood Native (unless you are a Native Norweigan). Now I am no expert thats for sure, but I do think I am right on this.

[novemberpain (deleted)]

`My grandmother is a Bowling, and a descendant of the Bollings from England. The Bolling name spelling has changed, throughout the generations, and is spelled in different ways. A relative of mine has our lineage traced from Thomas Rolfe, through the Bollings . My Great Great Great Grandmother, Patti Baker married a Bowling. She was Cherokee, and her daughter, Sara Bowling, was listed on the first removal list from North carolina, before the trail of tears. Her son, Henry, was a child at the time. This information is based on documentation that my aunt has. Pocahontas didn't go to England voluntarily, and only stayed to retain peace and the safety of her tribe. There are many spellings of the Bowling Family. It has been spelled Bolling, Boling, Bolin, Bowling, and Bowlin, throughout the years.

[super4077]

`i am of african american,native american,and caucasion blood, not to m ention being related to cheif powhatan them,most of the ancestors still resides in VIRGINIA.I use to go visit the later generation tribes members before my grandfather passed away , his mom was from that tribe, so i can say yes they dated,married and produced outside their race, which i am glad because they had no color bound.