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Archiver > APG > 2007-09 > 1189919775


From: "Richard A. Pence" <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Melungeons Re: [TMG] Blind as a Genealogist
Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2007 01:16:15 -0400
References: <mailman.55827.1189912368.10415.apg@rootsweb.com><b35c3de73c5da988693169eeff845275@stanfordalumni.org>


For more on the Melungeons, see my article, "The Melungeons Revisited,"
which appeared in the newsletter of the International Internet Genealogical
Association's newsletter in 1998:

http://www.iigs.org/newsletter/9812news/melungeo.htm.en

The article contains several citations to articles by Virginia Easley
Demarce, former NGS president and an historian wit the Bureau of Indian
Affairs. In particular, there is one on "tri-racial isolates" that is worth
reading.

I recall attending a meeting in Lumberton, N.C. in the 1960s where there
were three seating sections: White, African-American and Lumbees. I also did
some work with the board of directors of the Lumbee River Electric
Co-operative in the 1990s and it had representatives of all three - some
internal strife, but they managed to co-exist (progress of sorts!). My
recollection is that anthropologists and social scientists would say that
the Lumbees are not a distinct American Indian tribe, but they have been so
recognized by the Federal government.

Tri-racial are as you guessed.

Richard Pence



----- Original Message -----
From: "Carolyn Ybarra" <>
To: <>
Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2007 12:37 AM
Subject: [APG] Melungeons Re: [TMG] Blind as a Genealogist


>I probably missed a definition in all the messages; does "tri-racial"
> refers to a combination of African-American, American Indian, and white
> heritage?
>
> A really well-written book along these lines is "The Lumbee Problem" by
> Karen Blu, about Indians in North Carolina. It's been almost 20 years
> since I read the book, but I found it fascinating. It is about the
> complications of the idea of "race" as applied to a group that is
> culturally Indian and racially mixed.
>
> I'm not very familiar with the use of the term "Melungeon" so am not
> sure if the term is relevant or not to the issues surrounding the
> Lumbee. Perhaps the term was not widely used in the 1960's when Blu
> was writing.
>
> Carolyn
> (the midwestern-to-western Carolyn, who knows little about the South)
>
> Carolyn Ybarra, Ph.D
> Family Research Services
> 1017 El Camino Real #332
> Redwood City, CA 94063
>
>
>> From: <>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Kathleen McLaughlin" <>
>>
>>> It would be interesting to know how many groups in the
>>> US are defined as "Melungeons" and where they are/were
>>> located. I know of one (or two) groups that have been
>>> called Melungeons in NJ/NY. Many, perhaps most, of the
>>> individuals have a Dutch surname.
>>> Kathleen
>
>> So, to be precise, "Melungeon" only applies to one certain group, but
>> after
>> Brent Kennedy's book came out, bringing attention to tri-racial groups
>> in
>> general, it seems people began referring to all these different groups
>> by
>> that name, making it rather a generic name for all.
>>
>> I did a review essay of Wayne Winkler's book in _The Register of the
>> Kentucky Historical Society_, Vol. 102, No. 2 (Spring 2004): 207-223,
>> but
>> you can also read a version of that essay, along with other articles
>> pertinent to tri-racial, mixed-race groups on my blog site
>> http://cebillingsley.blogspot.com/.
>
>>
>> Regards, Carolyn
>
>
>
>
>
> .
>
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