HAMBURGER

[Philip Hudson]

wurdpurrson: The Osage and the Creek Amerinds were and are both in Oklahoma. The fact that your ancestors suffered the "trail of tears" probably points to the Creeks. The Osage were a mid-western tribe and they were already in Oklahoma when the eastern tribes went through the removal. Either way, to be an Amerind descendant is, in my estimation, a matter of pride. I have tried many paths to discover my Cherokee ancestry. I share ancestral names with many Cherokees. Although I can find relationships, my direct line seems never to have come through the Amerind experience. I am English and German melded into pure redneckism.

[wurdpurrson]

Philip, I am proud to share such heritage. My father always regretted that his mother hated the US government so much that she grabbed her brood and fled to Arkansas with them to avoid being registered by the BIA. She died when my dad was 10. She was a healer. Dad always wished he knew more of his culture. In many small and quiet ways, I honor that heritage. His family always referred to themselves as 'Indian', as do my many adoptive Shoshone-Bannock relations.

The Cherokee themselves were a large and well-developed culture - many Whites claim heritage with them, not too surprisingly, given that they were over 20,000 strong and obviously intermarried along the way. We owe much to our First Citizens.

[wurdpurrson]

P S: Many of my friends and acquaintances are redneck, though most are not too extreme.

[Perry Lassiter]

How did you Amerinds react to the NCAA's demand that the name "Indians," etc be dropped by college athletic teams. I was surprised at the ruling as I thought it was an honor to have such a name.

[wurdpurrson]

Most I know find it patronizing. Would you find it appropriate to name a team White Guys? Or how about "Go Caucasians!" Seems one could be a little more creative than that. And I'm not even full blood.

[Perry Lassiter]

Being from the South, I'd fear those names would create the feeling we were prejudice. I'd always assumed they weere complimentary of fierce warriors as are the lions and tigers. If they come across patronizing, we are correct to drop them.

[wurdpurrson]

Thank you for your understanding, Perry; I (and many others) appreciate it.

[LukeJavan8]

I concur with you both. Thanks.

[bamaboy56]

My wife's people come from the Creeks. Here where I live that seems to be the predominant tribe. There's quite a large casino being run by Creeks not far away. Being born and raised in Texas, I remember visiting the Alabama-Coushatta reservation when I was a kid. Very interesting!