[Maria H.]

Why does almost every black person I know say they have Indian in them? All anthropology and culture books I have studied acknowledge that black people claim this, but say it is false. If I ask one of my friends to bring me a picture of the Indian person in their family, they bring a picture of a light-skinned black person. What's the deal? Where did this get started?

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Name : Maria H., Gender : F, Race : American Indian, Age : 27, City : Miami, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : account specialist, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[T.R.]

Though you may doubt the validity of many black people's assertions that they have Native American ancestry, there is some truth to this claim. It has been documented that blacks -- mostly runaway slaves -- historically intermingled with Native Americans, sometimes even finding refuge within Native American communities and adopting their culture and ways. It is common knowledge that Native Americans were sympathetic to the plight of their non-white brethren and vice versa, and as a result, positive interactions were nurtured between these two groups. So it is not hard to believe that people descended from slaves may also carry Native American 'blood.' However, there has historically been a tendency for black Americans to 'claim' Native American ancestry to make light of their own African heritage (a symptom of self-hate). Native Americans have been stereotyped as brave, noble and beautiful (albeit 'exotic' beauty), while the opposite has been ascribed to black people. Thus, it has been traditionally chic within the black community to have some 'Indian' in you. This isn't to say that people are intentionally lying. Many black people possess physical traits (like reddish skin pigmentation, aquiline noses, almond-shaped eyes and straight hair) that are more akin to Native American features than African ones.

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Name : T.R., Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : Newark, State : NJ Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Jummy]

Some black people claim to have Indian in their family because they DO have Indian in the family. One of my close friends is part Indian and black, and if you were to look at her or her full-blooded Cherokee Indian father, you would see only a light skinned-black person. Most of the family on her dad's side, although 100 percent Native American, look black. So don't be too quick in judging.

User Detail :  

Name : Jummy, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 21, City : Jamaica, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Katdog26812]

Ditto what the other people said about the two races mixing. It's true that back in the day when the white men ruled the earth, the oppressed sympathized with each other and did mix. Thus, there are many African Americans with Native American blood. However, there were also some half white, half black people back then who claimed to be Native Americans, basically to save their own lives. That was during a time when it was outlawed for those two races to mix. One observation: You say all you see in the photos is a light-skinned black person. How do you think that person got to be light-skinned? It's obviously from some kind of mixing of the races--not from bathing in milk. By the way, I'm part Native American too!

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Name : Katdog26812, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, 

[Antoinette]

My Great-grandfather is 100% Native-American. I can also show you a picture. I love being black and don't feel the need to lie about my heritage. Is it that you hate being so closely associated with black people? If so, why?

User Detail :  

Name : Antoinette, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 26, City : Columbus, State : OH Country : United States, Occupation : 1st year college student, Education level : High School Diploma, 

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