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Ghost Tribes

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English colonists didn’t invent racism in the Americas—gold-obsessed Spaniards had a head start of nearly a century—but their early antipathy to Virginia’s Indian tribes set the tone for the following centuries.

For the Indians that survived the initial period of contact, the future was bleak. The loss of their lands was bad enough, but they had the bad luck to live in the place that would become Virginia:

Jim Crow. The Confederacy. Eugenics.

Today, Virginia's 4,000 Indians are the direct descendants of Pocahontas and her people. Despite this famous forbear, Virginia's eight surviving tribes are forced to fight for the right to call themselves Indian. They seek recognition from the Federal Government, a process that would “officially” make them Indian, as well as grant them badly needed education and health care benefits.

Though this lack of recognition is the result of a kafka-esque history, tribal leaders have united for the first time to overcome their shared legacy of racism. Next year is the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in America. Thanks to a truly grassroots effort—an alliance of tribes has hired a lobbyist using bake-sale proceeds—a bill is currently pending in congress that would offer recognition for six of the tribes.
dhalliday

11 responses // Ghost Tribes

  • Is it not wrong to constantly refer to Native Americans as Indians? Indians are people from India. Even American Indian would be a more correct term.
    jmoss8
  • Why would the federal government NOT grant Virginia's Indian tribes the official status of "Indian"?
    Fhay_A
  • Because they are a-holes. my tribe was enslaved, and built 2 maybe 3 missions, we rowed out to sea and greeted the spanards upon thier arrival, there are cities and places name for us and for our words, there is a town built on one of our old settalments. Are we Reconized????? nope.
    TongvaWarrior
  • This was amazing and you got my vote for Seeds of Tolerance winner. Thank you.
    covelogibbs
  • Dave this is just amaizing. Thank you and yes GREEN LIGHT or I LIKE IT !
    usumacinta
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    dbocaz
  • You have my vote.
    csmonut
  • I dont think virginia "INDIANS" should be called Indians... theyre decendants OF ISLANDERS....keep them Islanders... Thats my two cents worth... all black bloods came from slavery/africa and ALL ISLANDS surrounding america..... No they technically aint INDIANS at ALL! theyre ISLANDER decendants...Oprah said " If you have one drop of black blood then your black"... its taped.. during the time she CALLED susan harjo a squaw anyone remember that?
    prairiefire
  • Fhay: Because the government has a laundry list of obscure rules and regulations that these tribes can't follow. In other words, to petition for recognition, they need certain documents. But they don't have these documents because Walter Plecker burned or destroyed many of them back in the 50's. It's a nasty Catch-22. Plecker's name is a 4-letter word in many circles.
    dhalliday
  • prairiefire: I think that's a bit of a stretch. Most "Native American's" that I've talked to prefer "Indian." While Indian isn't accurate in any way, Native American can sound revisionist and patronizing (depending on who's using it and in what context).
    dhalliday
  • I think actually being recognized would be the important part, not what name peple use to define them. Either "Native American" or "Indian" would be better than just being erased or whitewashed. They deserve official tribal status and to be included in the census. They deserve more than that, but that would be a good start.
    covelogibbs

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