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2007 Features
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By Adam S. Eterovich
The Melungeon, Lumbee, and Croatan groups in America
claim to be a mixture of Indian and European mariners,
liberated slaves, Lost Colonists, and remnants of
Spanish and Portuguese settlements. There is
considerable speculation as to the origin of the name
Melungeon. The Melingi- Melingoi were Slavic groups in
the Balkans that would have willingly served in Turkish
fleets
In 1584, an Englishman, Walter Raleigh, led an expedition to
look into Spanish defenses in the Caribbean Islands and to
explore for a perfect site to build a new settlement. His
men explored in Albemarle Sound and landed on the Virginia
coastal island (now North Carolina), of Roanoke Island. In
1585, Walter Raleigh tried to establish a settlement on the
newfound island. It was the ideal location to plant and grow
wild sassafras, an herb prized for it's medicinal qualities
in England. Raleigh sailed back to England to purchase
provisions for the coming winter.
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by Helen Campbell
The Tayac Territory Singers and Drummers are
an international drum, representing many Indian
Nations. The group sings traditional songs that
have been passed to them for many generations -
songs that honor the earth, four legged animals,
winged animals, and the two legged ones. The
drum represents the heartbeat of the Indian
Nations. As long as the drum continues to echo
across the land, we will remain Indian people.
This is the teaching and philosophy of the Tayac
Singers and Drummers. This group has sung at
many Pow Wows along the eastern coast to help
keep our Indian way of life alive. The Council
of Three Rivers American Indian Center, Inc.
has been honored with these annual Pow Wows for
many years. Over the years my children and
grandchildren have been taught the Indian songs
and dances that their ancestors, they are very
proud of their Indian heritage.
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by Helen Campbell
The first settlement of what is now Salem,
Harrison County, West Virginia, was made before
there was peace with the Indians. A group of
about forty families came from Salem, New Jersey
to what was then, Western Virginia, to rebuild
their church and town. These families consisted
of Lippincotts, Maxsons, Babcocks, Plumers,
Randolphs and Davises. Already living in the
area was the Hughes family and remnants from a
company of Indians spies who served in the
Revolutionary War.
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by Helen Campbell
Carolina Miranda wrote an article in the
August 28, 2006 edition of Time Magazine,
entitled Diving in the Gene Pool:
Think you know your roots? An Ancestral-DNA test
unearthed a few of mine-and some big surprises
too. She wrote about her experiences while
trying to research her family history, by using
genetic (DNA) testing. . Miranda states
that her father, or paternal line, came from
Peru and that her mother or maternal line came
from Chile. She said that her parents were
raised in South America.
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Southwest Virginia Museum,
Big Stone Gap, VA
In addition to presentations by respected
authors and researchers, the conference will
feature the premiere of a documentary by
filmmaker Julie Dixon, Melungeon Voices, and a
performance of traditional and modern Turkish
dance by the Bluestar Dance Troupe.
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By Donald N. Panther-Yates"You will
never find the truth about my mother's people,"
shrieked Elzina when we visited her in
Huntsville shortly before her death last year.
My wife and I had both recently found out we
were Melungeon. Teresa wondered especially about
her Rameys. So we paid a visit to this
formidable maiden aunt, keeper of skeletons and
reigning matriarch of the family, whom Teresa
remembered from her youth as invariably
tight-lipped, scowling, always garbed in black
satin dresses and lace-up boots.
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by Raymond "Houston" Bridges
I had an email the other day from someone who asked me
what names are generally considered Redbone names. That question
begins more arguments than it settles.
To get to it, you first have to define what a Redbone
is. Is it simply someone of mixed-race ancestry? Is it a
combination of mixed-race ancestry and identity with place? Is is
the remnants of a tribe of native Americans from the East Coast? Where did
the word Redbone come from?
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by Donald Panther Yates
Your grandfather is buried under a tombstone
with a Star of David.
Someone in your family married a Portuguese.
You have a knoblike bump at the base of your
brain.
You were born with six fingers on each hand.
All your ancestors came from Tennessee or
Kentucky.
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Book Review
By Dr. Jacob J. Podber
Assistant Professor
Southern Illinois University |
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Revised
September 07, 2007