Native American Poetry Class Jan-Mar 09

Lesson 1

Lesson One

Please write a short story of no less than 500 words and no more than 1500 words
( include word count), Why you joined this class and what you hope to receive out of it.
You will be graded on this, so please, even if it is a work of fiction, make it believable.


I chose to join the NAI group and enter this New Horizons class for several reasons. One is to explore the aspects of the Native American cultures that don’t necessarily come from white man’s literature and history, since I know they didn’t get the story straight.  In previous discussions with Cissy and Ruby, I learned already that some things I’d heard were “respectful” to Native Americans were really not, such as using “Great Spirit” instead of the Creator.  Also, some of the authors I originally thought had the closest thing to the truth are regarded by many tribes as people who tried but really didn’t “get it” and still wrote through their viewpoint even when it was not correct.  I hoped that maybe they could lead me to some resources that would be more accurate.  I want more than history facts though, I want to know how the families saw each other’s roles in the family, how they attributed behaviors that were abnormal (ie. ADHD for us is what to them? Misdirection, not following the path they were meant to follow, etc). And I hoped I could find some evidence in my own family or in my own spirit that I do have a real connection, not just a sensed connection or a rumored one to the Cherokee. 

Another reason I wanted to do this class was to get to know Cissy and the others leading this group.  I joined right as Cissy had her temporary health related hiatus.  I heard so many good things about how wise and knowledgeable she was about the old ways and I wanted to learn all I could about what she has known relating to the Cherokee. 

I see everyday as I pass the town square where I work, a historical landmark sign about a battle that was fought involving Jackson and the Cherokees as well as the Creeks ( I think the Creeks were pushed back a bit on that battle) at Fort Strother and also the Jackson Trace road that Jackson cut through the south to get Native Americans to Oklahoma came through near my house.  I see the names all the time of chiefs in the area where I live.  In other words, there is so much history around where I live involving the Cherokee and Creeks (both of which I believe could have been in my family.) 

I have had an interest since childhood and have just felt like I knew there was a blood connection.  The fact that my family remained in Alabama goes to show that they faked their ancestry and kept their land.  They intermarried with Germans and got green eyed, light haired kids (still dark skinned but said they  “tan easily”).  Anyway, looking at where both sides of my family have been since the 1700’s and knowing most of the descendents way back to England, it leads me to believe that the few dead ends (in Alabama) of people I cannot trace back past great great grandparents) and those very lines are the ones others have rumored Native American heritage, it makes me think I am right about the connection.  However, I do not have proof.  I have gotten to the point where learning about the heritage and spirituality is more important than proving a blood connection five generations or more back.  That is what let me here.  To learn about this and get beyond proof to reach some spiritual understanding. 

I am grateful for Cissy and the rest for doing this class.  Wado.

Brandy


642 Wds
(On the Discussion Topic-1 Essay, I wrote more about the specific names if anyone has any genealogical info or is looking for some in NorthEast/Central Alabama.)