To all those who still want to pound on Warren for her family history that turned out to be legend--

[UncleNoel]

47. Native American Heritage--Im an anthrpolpgist

I have studies the Shawnee and other tribes east of the Mississippi and in the southwest for over 50 years (see my website: http://www.fantasy-epublications.com/shawnee-traditions/index.html). My latest effort is a book that will be published in the next couple of weeks, The Shawnee Spirit: A Separate Covenant and Shawnee Traditions: A Song in their Hearts.

In my research, I have found many people east of the Mississippi who can definitely trace their ancestry back to one rribe or another. When the Native Americans were removed westward, many of them, some of pure blood and some of mixed blood, stayed behind either hiding in remote areas or passing for white. This was a period when there were no Indian rolls as such that came about at a later time nor were there baptismal or civil records of births, marriages, and deaths. Some families have genealogies preserved family bibles and other papers, but often the Native American ancestors wee known only to the families and passed down by oral tradition. Without definite data, tribes do not accept these people as tribal members, especially since the percent of blood from their Native American ancestors is often l/16th or less. This has happened in my family as well, with two of my sons having a grandmother on their mother's side who undoubtedly had perhaps 1/2 Cherokee blood that can only be known by family traditions.

There are, in fact, remnant bands who have established themselves apart from the recognized tribal organizations and some of them are recognized by the states in which they exist. Personally, I would not be surprised if Warren in fact has Native American ancestors. Since they remained behind, they would not show up in the rolls established around the time of the Removable, the various "trails of tears."

Many whites are proud of their Indian heritage even if not recognized by their respective tribal organizations.

So to me it is a totally non-issue.