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From: "Dana Thomas" <>
Subject: [TXCASS-L] Fw: November Issue - Genealogy Today
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1999 00:21:24 -0600

Thought some of you might be interested in this article, sorry if it's a
duplicate for you.
Dana
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Sent: Friday, November 05, 1999 9:00 AM
Subject: November Issue - Genealogy Today


GENEALOGY TODAY
NOVEMBER 1999

Tri-Racials: Black Indians of the Upper South

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Black Indians of the Upper South Perhaps one of the most valuable pieces of
genealogical research to emerge about Africans and Indians outside the
Indian
Territory of the West has resulted from the work of Virginia Easley DeMarce.
The National Genealogical Society Quarterly in March 1992 issue featured an
artilce by Dr. DeMarce, who while studying migration patterns took careful
notice of an occurrence in the upper South of those who were of mixed
ancestry. Her article is essential for any researcher whose ancestors may
not
be from the Five Civilized Tribes, but whose family is still known to have
Native American ancestry. Her piece is entitled "Very Slightly Mixt:
Tri-Racial Isolate Families of the Upper South-A Genealogical Study".
Her work is mentioned here because there are thousands of African Americans
from Virginia, and the Carolinas who claim Native American Ancestry, yet
have
no direction as to where to go to document this relationship. The effort to
trace Indian ancestry from the Upper South is probably one of the more
challenging areas of Black-Indian Genealogy. Unlike the extensive records to
be found in the Five Civilized Tribes, there was a deliberate effort of the
United States to eliminate other tribes by officially eliminating them from
the Federal Census. In the early 1800's it was not uncommon to learn that
many tribes were simply "terminated". As a result, among those families
where
Indian ancestors lived, they were frequently listed as mulatto, or as white,
depending upon the complexion of the individuals enumerated. This official
"termination" gave the impression that the population in the United States
was either black or white. This challenge in locating Indian ancestors from
this region must be clearly understood by the family historian from the
beginning.

The kind of documentation such as that of the Five Civilized Tribes does not
exist. As mentioned earlier the primary exposure that Africans and Indians
had to each other came throught the institution of slavery, and this is
basically because it was the institution of slavery that brought the
Africans
to America. Before and after the Civil War, there were other kinds of
contact
between Africans, Indians and whites. Black genealogists know that it is not
uncommon to find ancestors from the white population, and likewise, it is
not
unusual to find ancestors from the Indian nations. However, if legally
recognized marriages occurred between blacks and individuals of any other
race these marriages may have likely have occurred primarily for free
blacks.
After the Civil War, there was intermarrying that occurred, although in many
places this was still illegal. It was also not unusual to find that mixed
families tended to select spouses from other mixed families.

The piece by DeMarce is essential for the black genealogist because she
closely examines probably for the first time the tri-racial isolate groups.
It is from this understanding of the tri-racial population that individuals
may be able to penetrate the realm of possible Indian ancestry. DeMarce also
notes that one should not be mislead by the term isolates. An assumption
might be made that the groups lived in isolation from others, whereas she
indicates that these groups were actually more fluid and flexible because of
the movement and intermarriages that occurred. This flexibility occurred as
groups intermingled with each other, more frequently than in later years.
She
emphasizes that the intermarring of members from one mixed family to another
mixed group was deliberate and that mulattoes not only intermarried among
themselves, but also with families of known Indian-white descent. Families
such as the Basses of Norfolk County, Virginia as well as the Tennessee
Melungeons where the Goins, a well-known tri-racial clan, were known to have
moved with and intermarried with other mixed groups, such as the Red Bones
in
Louisiana including the tri-racial Willises, Sweats, Ashworths, and Perkins.
Over the years, the Indian-white and Indian-black communities continued, but
the fact that the original Indian population was greatly decreased due to
disease, made the concept of Indian "extinction" easier to accept. However,
despite the decrease in the polulation, those remaining Indiansa were
visible, and were steadily making complaints in the court system, protesting
against broken treaties of the Europeans.

Today, the tri-racial groups still exist, but very few have a true tribal
identification. The merger of those cultures contributed to the loss of
Indian languages and traditionsl Most tri-racial families are either black
or
white identified families, although genetically and historically they are
tri-racial.

It is critical to note that a possible pitfall exists here for the
genealogist. This search for Indian ancestors from the tri-racial isolates
might steer the researcher into a frantic search to proove or disproove a
specific racial composition. It is essential to keep the focus on the search
for the names of those ancestors, regardless of racial composition. Dr.
DeMarce spoke very tactfully of the fact that her research would not have
been published several years earlier. This may have been particularly
because
of the unpopularity that her researcher would have had for those who would
not have wanted their mixed ancestry to be known. It is also possible that
the researcher might not go beyond finding the origin of the family stemming
from the tri-racial isolates, and not truly isolate the Indian ancestor.
Fortunately, there are some leads that may assist the researcher in this
effort.

Of course, if one has the benefit of oral tradition in their family, some
critical facts can be obtained in advance about ancestors. But also the
family should make the effort to learn the history of that specific Indian
nation, becoming familiar with the common surnames found in that group and
relating one's family history to the history of that Indian group. DeMarce,
who has studied the migration patterns of the tri-racial groups noted that
individuals frequently migrated from one settlement of mixed groups to
another. For example, the name Baltrip, or Boltrip is found in central No.
Carolina, but later appears as a free colored family in Wilkens County,
farther to the west.

The Indian Elment The most critical phenomenon regarding the Native
Americans
of the Upper South was the fact that there was an effort made at Indian
extinction. Although disease brought by the European settlers had a dramatic
effect on the native population, and thousands of Indians died, thousands
also survived. The references made to the extenction of Indians are
sometimes
even more difficult to dispute due to an elimination on paper of the Native
tribes. When census counts were taken in the early 1900's those with Indian
ancestry were frequently listed simply as mulatto, meaning black and white
ancestry. However despite this several nations still survival, and many
mixed
with Africans. DeMarce points out that the following nations of Indians
contributed to the tri-racial isolate groups:


Chickahominy who were reported "extinct" by 1760, but are still there.
Gingaskin in Accomack and Northampton, who lost state recognition in 1812.
Mattapony who managed to keep their land.
Nansemond who were reported "extinct" by 1786, but are still there.
Nanticoke who are said to have moved to Canada, and absorbed the Delaware
Indians but are still there.
Nottaway who were "terminated" in 1824, but are still there.
Pamunkey who managed to keep their land.
Rappahannocks who were reported extinct in 1722, although modern descendants
still live in the vicinity of the original tribal territory.
Saponi of Orange County Virginia...later found among the Tennessee
Melungeons.
Weanock who were terminated with the Nottoway.
Werowocomo who were still on Virginia's York River in 1919.
The fact that white and Indian races intermingled is a known fact, as was
the
fact that white and black races intermingled during and after slavery. The
lesser known fact is the intermingling of blacks and Indians, outside of the
Five Civilized Tribes. However, it is not unusual to hear many blacks of the
coastal states referring frequently to Pamunkey ancestors, and to hear
references to other groups such as the Lumbees. Oddly, it is also not
unusual
to hear references to the Blackfoot Indians. There has not been any
indication that the Blackfoot Indians have ever lived outside of the region
now known as South Dakota, therefore the reference that many African
Americans from the coastal United States have to this nation is perplexing
and is usually said more figuratively than with proof.
The African/Indian Mixtures As far back as the 1600's black and Indian
marriages occured. In the Eastern Shore of Virginia Demarce points out that
the 'Gingaskins were intermarrying into both the black and white
communities.
Both whites and blacks are known to have married itno the Nottoway according
to the census of 1808. This census was made by tribal turstees who had first
hand knowledge. In later censes, other groups such as the surnames from the
Lumbees, and other tri-racial groups were listed simply as free people of
color. Mixed mulattos and Indian/blacks were included among these groups. As
far back as the 1750's a reference was made to a small group of Lumbees,
about 50 families at that time, who were known to have had members who were
mixed bloods.

Among some of the larger groups that have arisen among the Tri-racial
isolates are:

Brass Ankles of So. Carolina.
Guineas of West Virginia.
Haliwas of Halifax and Warren counties in No. Carolina.
Lumbees of Robeson County, No. Carolina, and Upper So. Carolina.
Melungeons of Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Red Bones of So. Carolina and Louisiana.
Turks of So. Carolina.
Members of some of the larger established Indian tribes married into the
African and white races, but these groups such as the Catawbas are not
considered to be tri-racial as a tribe. There are some specific surname
patterns that appear in the tri-racial commlunities. DeMarce cautions the
researcher to not conclude too hastily that just because the name is the
same
that a relationship exists. Yet on the other hand, she acknowledges that a
specific pattern of name dispersal in a limited population may truly
indicate
which groups are affiliated with oithers and they may truly be isolates.
Although the documentation that one would look for in search of that Indian
ancestry, will frequently come throught the traditional sources such as
early
census records, court records, knowledge of these tri-racial isolate
migration patterns will be helpful in identifying those Indian ancestors.

(Note this segment was extracted from Chapter Six of the book Black Indian
Genealogy Research. African American Ancestors Among the Five Civilized
Tribes and appears with permission of the author.)
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QUERIES:
Patrick Larsson(b:1860's)from Goteburg, Sweden to meet dau Anna
Larsson(b:1885, Sweden)in Portland, Maine in 1898.Patrick coming from farm
in
OH/MN. Patrick never heard from again. Anna alone in US at age 12, speaking
only Swedish.

Researching Charles Augustus HAEHNLE (1800s) Moravian minister in Pa. and
Minnesota. Also researching IFERT (left Germany in 1920s), Solomon
BOYLE(1694-1771).

Researching Abraham GRIMES b.ca 1823 & Mary JOHNSON b.ca 1830 Patterson,
La.,
m. Nov. 22, 1869. Ch: Sarah, Frank, Martha, Washington, Elizabeth, Easter,
Isabella, Marshall & Hannah all b:Patterson, La.

Seeking info:Frederick & Riney (PICKETT) MINGO & ch: Cary,Isham, Shedrick,
Lazuraus, Earnest, Martha, Mary & Savinia. All of Patterson St. Mary Parish,
La., bet. 1880/1900.

Searching marr info:John Henry BRYANT to Sarah SIMMONS-BYRANT. NC,
Wilmington
Co., date unk. Probably turn of century, 1900. They are parents of Rosa Lee
BRYANT, b. 2-27-1909. ()

BALL, Mary Susan, my g-g grandmother,was b. in Indiana 24 Feb 1842 her
parents per her death cert.were B. F. (Benjamin Franklin?) BALL b. in VA. &
Nancy McCunner also b. in IN. If you have inf. of family please contact

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