Do You Have Any: First Nations Connection/Aboriginal Peoples Connection

RAYZORBLADE

I have been recently surprised on this forum to discover members who do have some affiliation or connection to their First Nations/Aboriginal heritage.

I live in Canada, and my maternal grandmother's father was Mi'kmaq (Nova Scotia). My paternal grandfather's mother: Mi'kmaq as well.

I think it's interesting, discovering all these wonderous connections to the places we come from.

For those not living in North America, where indigenous peoples reside ie: New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and South American nations, have you discovered any family lineage leading you aboriginal peoples?

Just curious.

I find it all very fascinating, and makes me feel a very special kind of pride.

Anyone else?

SanFranciscoJim

Ray,

I don't personally have any aboriginal connection (I'm half Italian and half Eastern European Gypsy), but I do have two friends, one in New Brunswick and one in Nova Scotia, who are both full-blooded Mi'kmaq. They've taught me a great deal about their culture and even allowed me to participate in some of their ceremonies, the most memorable being the use of a smudge-stick for spiritual healing. A fascinating culture, to be sure!

RAYZORBLADE

Jim, that's the nice thing. It's not exclusive. If you were shown or shared in a ceremony, it's quite an honour. Says plenty about you, and how the members of the Mi'kmaq community viewed you.

I remember the Mi'kmaq people would, and I've been with them, as well as their neighbours: the Maliseet nation, either take an animal at hunting, and/or cut down a tree, and always....give thanks.

With the tree, I remember one elder saying to the tree: "I am going to turn you into something else" and proceed to thank the tree. I kid you not.

Same with hunting. Thanks was given to the animal, and nothing ever went to waste.

That's cool Jim. I'm not surprised, given your personae. Take that as a compliment, because it's truly meant as such.

Best wishes,
Rayzorblade

PS: I hope Alan is feeling better.

Lady Lee

I just answered you in the other thread Ray - My great grandmother (mother's mother's mother) was Ojibway.

She married a descendant an original settler from France so I would be Metis on that side of the family. I have traced the family back to 1542 (14 generations)

And English it seems on the other - or Irish - we have hit a wall around 1840 when my great grand-father came to the Americas - Newfoundland to be more exact.

RAYZORBLADE

Lee, my grandmother living in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, told me some interesting stories about being a 'jackytar', or half-breed.

She proceeded to tell me how much shame and prejudice existed towards the First Nations' peoples way back.

She told me even her father would say he was 'French', which he really couldn't pull off, not with a face like he had.

There was a great deal of distancing between people of European stock and First Nations.

The Metis nation is a very fascinating group of people: think Louis Riel.

With the Europeans taking over, and assimilation well in place, many First Nations people or people with mixed blood lines; changing their family names to 'European' family names was not uncommon, anything to appease the non-native community at large.

The church was a huge factor in changing the 'ways' of our First Nations' peoples.

Nowadays, people who have roots to their native ancestry are giving their ancestors creedence by accepting and embracing their culture.

It's really lovely when people do that.

Yes, my dear, the Ojibway is alive and well in your veins.

Lady Lee

When I am researching the family I have run into many "dit" names - sometimes the "dit" name is the native name and other times it is the new name but often both are listed and recording both is essential to follow the lines.

I suspec that the wall we hit with the Ojibway line has to do with the name changes but I am still working on finding a trail.

I have a spead sheet on the wall beside me of the family tree. It is a quarter of circle and spans 41x41 inches and contains just immediate ancestors.

There is a possibility the church meddled in the family too as they did in many native families. This family is so fractured. Certainly moving out west has allowed me the opportunity to get to know many of the social problems resulting from the European settling this land

RAYZORBLADE

Too numerous to name.

They were all too eager to give North American First Nations' Peoples, European names.

My Maori friend in New Zealand told me similar stories, but thankfully he has picked up his original Maori family name .

I wish I knew my ancestors' family names or community names.

But yes, it was not uncommon for First Nations' peoples here to change their name once converted to 'European' christians.

Conditional surrender at the hands of 'god'.

nilfun

My father is African-American with Cherokee ancestry. My mother is Mescalero Apache and Rarámuri. There was also injected into me some French, Spanish, Irish, etc...you know, just the usual *grin*

You know, way back before I was born, my mother was jailed for "race-mixing", but she didn't let that stop her from following her heart. She is stubborn that way, LoL. And I do respect her for that.

My grandmother passed down this story:

There was a white man with a badge who used to enjoy driving the Indians with a bull-whip if they were caught out after a certain time. Once, he was engaged in cursing and scattering the Indians with his whip, when a dark-skinned man on a horse appeared who without a word, shot the lawman dead, and then turned his horse and fled from whence he came, back into the mountains of Mexico.

There are other, happier stories-- but I am too tired to tell them now.

Simon

I have a brother-in-law who is native American ... I think he is "blood" which are near to Lethbridge / Cardstone.

I also have a nephew and 2 neices who are part native american.

RAYZORBLADE

Simon: yes, that is correct.

There is a tribe or First Nations' called: Blood.

They are found down in Montana and Wyoming, as well as northward to Alberta.

Very cool.

My very dear and close friend who lives in Saskatchewan, but originally from central Alberta is of the "Sota" Indian group.

To see her, well....she has raven blue-black hair, and steel blue eyes.

Dontcha' love Canada?

I wish I had a picture of her, because you could see a very unique blend of Norweigan and North American First Nations.

Me, watered down, but Celtic & Algonquin.

I wear a kilt with feathers imbedded in it.

Do You Have Any: First Nations Connection/Aboriginal Peoples Connection

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