Wild Indigenous Cab Ride, KevinAThompson

Blackfoot Confusion

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This entry was posted on 3/16/2007 9:36 PM and is filed under Blackfoot Indians.

   There is a lot of confusion about Blackfoot Indians. There is a Blackfeet tribe on the Western Plains, who adamantly deny any connection to Easterners who claim Blackfoot ancestry, but most Eastern people claiming to be Blackfoot are not claiming to be Plains Indians. There really are Eastern Sioux peoples; the Lumbee and most other North Carolina Indians (not including the Cherokee and Tuscarora) are a good example. There were also Sioux peoples living in the Virginia piedmont, such as the Tutelo, but these peoples were often forced north to find safety among the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee (or Iroquois), or into then remote parts of Ohio, West Virginia, and beyond. Some of these Eastern Sioux are now called "Blackfoot."  One Sioux tribe is still called the Saponi, which means "blackfoot" in a Siouan language.
   The Wall Street Journal, which I thought had better things to write about, ran a story essentially saying that the only real Blackfoot people were in Montana, and that Eastern Blackfoot were really African Americans who just assumed that if they were part Indian, they must be "Blackfoot Indians."  
   
The problem with this theory is that a great many White people claim descent from Eastern Sioux Blackfoot Indians.

Now why would White people, many living in conservative small towns in places like Pennsylvania, claim to be Blackfoot if that tribal name was associated exclusively with African Americans?

What social advantage would be gained by that? If White people are claiming Blackfoot ancestry, knowing full well that many African Americans are too, then they must have a good reason for it. 
   The best place to find information and forums on this subject is at the Saponitown website   http://www.saponitown.com/   
    

 

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    • 4/21/2007 9:34 PM name with held wrote:
      If there are no blackfoot,blackfeet in the east, then I must have dreamt that ____ census for ____ (eastern U.S) My father and grandparents are on it.
      (for reasons of privacy, specifics have been removed)
      Reply to this
      1. 4/24/2007 7:23 PM kevin thompson wrote:

        CONGRATULATIONS!  You are the first person to respond by email to my blog.  I hope you didn't get the impression that I believed there were no Blackfoot/feet people in the East. Certainly some western Blackfeet individuals and families must have moved east in search of work. As for eastern Blackfoot, many were known by other tribal names, like Saponi, or by the larger tribes that gave them shelter and sometimes absorbed them. Clearly, your family identified themselves as Blackfoot, so I respect that designation. Unfortunately, many others just assume that if they are Indian, then they must be Blackfoot Indian, because they are also African American.  This means they may start searching in the wrong direction, without even as much information as you have just provided ( a specific census date and location).  Part of my philosophy is that I respect the ethnic choices people make for themselves. The "experts" don't have all the answers.     THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST!

         

         


        Reply to this
        1. 10/5/2007 1:51 AM Ruby wrote:
          Greetings,

          I am 52 years old, my mother, grandmother and great grandmother are all dead now. My mother and grandmother were both dead before I turned 12. But, I grew-up being told my them that my great grandmother (Elizabeth Bassett) was Blackfoot Indian, I never met her but as a girl my grandmother had a picture of her holding me and she was sitting on her hair.

          I was still a young girl when my grandmother – but I remember how she valued family and it’s history she was the mat arch of the family but her sisters did not share her values and today the bible, photos ect. are gone.

          My 1st cousins are my great aunts children and know nothing of our history. However, my last living great cousin is going through dementia and a little over a year ago, I visited with her. Unfortunately, I was only able to obtain a few photos but no real information.

          I only know that most of the family lived in Alabama and moved north to Ohio and Michigan.

          I began this search sometime ago and at the time there wasn’t nearly as many sources of information that I see today. Back then all I could find was of the Blackfoot Indians of the Northwest, and my husband thought that that might be because of the migration. But everything that I’ve read to-date does not place the Blackfoot’s in the southeast.

          Any help information you might be able to steer me towards would be helpful.
          Reply to this
        2. 10/22/2009 9:25 PM Twila wrote:
          Mr. Thompson,
          With respect I am not sure why there is so much confusion about this issue. There were and still are Blackfoot Indians in the East. Although we are not federally recognized we are still here, and I'm not white, nor am I black. I am Indian just like my mother, grandmother and all those before me. There is a Historical Marker in Pike County Indiana about the Blackfoot Indians that lived there in the 1700's. I can send you a picture if you need it. They did not migrate from the West either, we are a totally different group of people. There are many tribes that are now extinct at least according to the government. That doesn't mean the people are gone or never existed. I hope this helps.

          Yes!
          This helps alot.  This is great for someone like you (and one other commenter, so far) to unmistakenly identify her(or him)self as eastern Blackfoot, and with such specific information.  Many other Blackfoot have lost touch with their origins, and are guessing or looking in the worng places for answers.  The naysayers, many in high places, pounce on those without documentation to back their claims.What's lacking  is even a single book on eastern Blackfoot and other eastern Sioux/Saponi people, many of whom also are known as Blackfoot. That's what "Saponi" actually means in a Siouan language.  Congratulations on maintaining your identity for so long. Thanks again.
          Kevin
          Reply to this
          1. 1/18/2010 8:22 AM Barbara wrote:
            All of my ancestors came as a group from the Carolinas into Alabama and then either stayed there or moved on to Indian Territory in Ok and Tx. My Grandmother and my parents told me we were Blackfoot but we could never tell anyone or we would be sent away. Now, decades later, I find that my Grandfather on the other side of the family was Blackfoot also. The families moved and married together, a group of about 10-15. I need paper proof now and it is almost impossible. I have found my Surnames in Saponi research but cannot pin particulars down. More research needs to be done on this group of people.
            Reply to this
            1. 1/26/2010 10:54 PM kevin thompson wrote:
              The eastern Blackfoot, and other Siouan people are probably the most invisible of eastern Indian peoples in the current historical imagination.  For example, all the tribes of New England are Algonquian, so they can't be ignored.  The Six Nations of the Iroquois of New York are federally recognized, and make themselves heard from time to time.  The so-called Five Civilized Tribes (Creek Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Seminole) are also well-known and federally recognized.  
                  The only eastern Sioux that I know with federal recognition are the Tunica-Biloxi of Louisiana and the Catawba of South Carolina.   The Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbees, and other North Carolina peoples have state recognition only.  
                  I believe this can be traced to the American Revolution, in part.  Nations that were still able to field a military for either the U.S. or the British were able to  demand treaties and get at least some land and recognition.  Most of the eastern Sioux had already been reduced in numbers in the colonial period, and by the Revolution, were scattered in small groups, often hosted by larger Indian nations.  
                  Without the Blackfoot being part of any "official" tribe, there was no reason for state and federal governments to document them as Indians, and that may be part of the difficulty in finding paper trail now.  
                  But don't be discouraged.  Research is increasing.
              Reply to this
    • 4/21/2007 9:36 PM violene white wrote:
      If there are no blackfoot,blackfeet in the east, then I must have dreamt that 1920 census for eerie, town of collins new york. My father and grandparents and great grandparents are on it along with other prominent blackfeet,like the family of two guns, the eels, logans, etc.
      Reply to this
    • 3/1/2010 1:17 PM larryhinkston wrote:
      If you are Blackfoot pls contact me. I am reaching out to meet & greet. My fathers family is blackfoot from the south. I'm looking for more info. email me: larryhinkston@yahoo.com
      Reply to this
    • 5/21/2010 1:14 AM Yahoo wrote:
      Thanks for share nice post keep it up
      Reply to this
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