7 Random Facts - Part 3

 

RANDOM FACT #3

I am multi-racial.  The pictures above honor some of my heritage. 

While I was blond, blue-eyed w/freckles when I was a child I am in fact of the following heritage:

• Cherokee
• Choctaw
• African-American
• Irish
• English
• German
• Southern

My Great-Great-Great Grandfather was a Confederate soldier -The Stars & Bars fly over his grave every Memorial Day.  I have the right to be a member of the Daughters of the Confederacy (I am not nor do I have any plans of joining).  I am decended from Southerns on both sides of my family. 

I am Cherokee, Irish, German (3rd or 4th generation in the US), & English on my Mother's side -Choctaw & Irish on my Dad's.  My African-American ancestors come from my Dad's Choctaw side.  When my brother was first on the APD, he went on a call one night, & he advised the person to whose house he responded to come to the station the next day to file a complaint.   When the person arrived, he was asked which officer had come on the call.  He had failed to remember the name but responded "the black officer".  There were no African-American officers on the force.  My brother looked like a full-blood Indian but he did have strong African-American features also so I guess that dark night that is what the person saw. 

All my life I have lived with people looking at me & making an assumption that I am white.  I have had some very troubling comments made to me &/or in my presence because the person thought it was ok to make a prejudicial statement or use a derogotory epitath in my presence based on that assumption.  I am quick to voice my disgust & have on several occasions asked "What nationality/race do you think I am?"  Then I proceed to tell my heritage.   It is always interesting to see the look on someone's face when I let them know that I am a "....... Indian" , "lazy Irish", ".....German", "Redneck Southerner", or that I have black ancesters. 

I consider myself to be a citizen of the World,  a member of the Human Race, an Indian (with no Indian name).  I have the attitude of a Black Woman, the gift of Second Sight that comes from both my Irish & Native blood, & the gift of compassion that comes from identifying with all of my ancestors.  I was not raised to be prejudiced.  That was the one good thing my parents did in raising me.    But, I also was not raised to be embrace my heritage.  I came to that on my own.  I have embraced all that has gone into making me the person I am today.  I know who I am.  I know why I am who I am.

I am proud to be all of the above.  As my license plate proclaims "G.R.I.T.S."  an acronim for Girl Raised in the South I am proud of the positive things it means to be Southern - grace, hospitality, a sense of community.   I have African-American art in my home, I smudge my house & myself with sage in the Native tradition.  I honor the beliefs of all my ancestors.  I honor Mother Earth, my Totem (who is important in both my Tribes), my gifts of Second Sight, visions, my intuition which comes from both my Irish & Native ancestors.  I think my story-telling ablilites come from both my Irish & Native heritage.  The Irish are wonderful storytellers & Native Americans have always used verbal history before there was a written history. 

I am blessed to have had all the ancestors who came before me.  They live within my Spirit & influence my Journey each day.


I bet you know which Wolf I fed.


blessed be...