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Post by nakiahinkle on Feb 4, 2009 13:23:10 GMT -5
Hello all,
I'm new here. Let me introduce myself. My name is Nakia. In the early 90's I went to college in New Orleans. It was a wonderful experience. I felt so at home there,and connected in a way that I couldn't explain. Over the past few years, I have been learning more about my family history. I live in Chicago now, but I was born in Arkansas. My dad's family is Choctaw. His grandmother, my great grandmother Julia was full blooded. While researching, I came across a 1900 Census record in New Orleans. I found great grandma Julia and her family, the Davis family, living there. She was 16. They were all listed as White. In reality they were Indians. She married an African American man Fleming Bracy, and moved to Arkansas. They had 18 children, can you believe, my grandfather being one of their sons. We are their descendants.
Seeing my family living in Louisiana confirmed my deepest feelings, and why I feel at home when I am there. I always felt connected to Louisiana and Creole culture. Often in my life, people ask me am I from another country. I always say no, and they are surprised. I love all people of this Earth, and don't get into the racial divide, but I love studying about my own culture. My grandmother and great grandmother on Mom's side were from the real old school. They called themselves Colored. I embrace all terms-Creole, Black, Black Indian, and African American. It's all good. My young daughter on the other hand doesn't consider herself "Black" , as she looks at the actual color of her light skin. I don't even know where to begin in explaining the complicated mess of race to her. I just teach her all aspects of her history and culture, and above all to love everyone.
I am glad to be here, to learn and share.
Nakia also known as Walks with the Wind
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anyar
New Member
Posts: 4
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Post by anyar on Mar 1, 2009 0:20:31 GMT -5
Nakia: I know that you posted this on February 4th, but I hope this message finds you. I truly understand and can relate to how you feel. I'm going to New Orleans for the first time in July and it's a wonderful feeling to know that I will have a chance to experience my family's history. My mom's father is also part Choctaw, while my dad's family is Creole. I'm often asked the same ... what country are you from? I have an unusual dialect (cross between northern and southern). Speaking proper, I guess, just simply adds to their curiosity, especially when asked this by my own community of people. I live in a midwestern city that has the largest population of Arab-Americans. When they see me, they often ask that question or begin speaking Arabic to me. Fortunately, I have learned a little Arabic to explain where I'm from, and that I'm not Arabic. Unfortunately, my 11 year old daughter is now experiencing the same in school. Because of her fair skin and hair, she's often teased and comes home crying. It's important that I teach her to understand and respect diversity, which is one of the reasons why I try to maintain a diverse mixture of friends. That alone, has helped her to understand the difference between intelligence and ignorance, and has helped when the question is raised about race. God bless you, and it's wonderful to know others who experience the same. Anyar
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Post by duplessisdacreole on Mar 15, 2009 11:06:37 GMT -5
Bonjour. What a wonderful story. I think that I should do an article on the Choctaw culture. My grand father was full bloodied and spoke Creole-French. The thing about the Choctaw tribe is that they were a gypsy tribe. Many Creoles of Color-in the Lafayette and Houma areas-can no longer understand each other unless your from the exact same town in La. because this was a Choctaw habit. Choctaws did not stay in one place to develop land and grow agriculture but moved from place to place. There should be more open dialog with Native American tribes and Creoles but right now-Native American tribes have an agenda of getting government money and all of a sudden if your not considered "full blooded" then your an outsider even if your 80% native American and can trace your roots back to the late 1700's with these people! So, even though there isn't a reservation set in Louisiana for Choctaws-they seriously think that EVERYONE is out to get their government checks. Contemporary Native American "sell out" culture disgust me to points of no return. My step-father is Native American Choctaw-and his entire family were "white" AT FIRST, then when those checks started arriving in the 90's they were all Native American again and dancing around a fire. Creoles and Choctaws could be working toward getting an entire Louisiana Parish set aside for a "strong hold" but if the government sees that Creoles are "informing" Native Americans-then they will just issue them a check and they will take the bribe-as they have been doing since colonial days. The same with blacks. One would think that they would want to be "vexed" over judges allowing nooses and slave whipping post to be displayed in the workplace-if you live in Jefferson parish or bringing down the levels of young black men shooting in New Orleans or being sentenced for 50 years for a 5.00 bag of weed but NOPE! They have nothing better to do than to chant " Creoles want to be white" "creoles think that they are better than blacks"-but yet the only reason New Orleans has all black University system is because Creoles allowed them o over flow them, so that they can be educated. The only reason that they have homes-is because they could move into Creole areas-but yet Creoles are uppity and self-hating? Please! The reason why the power-structure has been so good at destructing Native American, Creole and Black culture-is due to Native Americans and Blacks having so many instilled, slave massa programs-that one can not even work with these people on anything serious.
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Orateur franais noncrole
Guest
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Post by Orateur franais noncrole on May 25, 2009 11:52:48 GMT -5
Bonjour. What a wonderful story. I think that I should do an article on the Choctaw culture. My grand father was full bloodied and spoke Creole-French. The thing about the Choctaw tribe is that they were a gypsy tribe. Many Creoles of Color-in the Lafayette and Houma areas-can no longer understand each other unless your from the exact same town in La. because this was a Choctaw habit. Choctaws did not stay in one place to develop land and grow agriculture but moved from place to place. There should be more open dialog with Native American tribes and Creoles but right now-Native American tribes have an agenda of getting government money and all of a sudden if your not considered "full blooded" then your an outsider even if your 80% native American and can trace your roots back to the late 1700's with these people! So, even though there isn't a reservation set in Louisiana for Choctaws-they seriously think that EVERYONE is out to get their government checks. Contemporary Native American "sell out" culture disgust me to points of no return. My step-father is Native American Choctaw-and his entire family were "white" AT FIRST, then when those checks started arriving in the 90's they were all Native American again and dancing around a fire. Creoles and Choctaws could be working toward getting an entire Louisiana Parish set aside for a "strong hold" but if the government sees that Creoles are "informing" Native Americans-then they will just issue them a check and they will take the bribe-as they have been doing since colonial days. The same with blacks. One would think that they would want to be "vexed" over judges allowing nooses and slave whipping post to be displayed in the workplace-if you live in Jefferson parish or bringing down the levels of young black men shooting in New Orleans or being sentenced for 50 years for a 5.00 bag of weed but NOPE! They have nothing better to do than to chant " Creoles want to be white" "creoles think that they are better than blacks"-but yet the only reason New Orleans has all black University system is because Creoles allowed them o over flow them, so that they can be educated. The only reason that they have homes-is because they could move into Creole areas-but yet Creoles are uppity and self-hating? Please! The reason why the power-structure has been so good at destructing Native American, Creole and Black culture-is due to Native Americans and Blacks having so many instilled, slave massa programs-that one can not even work with these people on anything serious.
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