Take the Blackfoot Challenge

[Linda]

I said earlier that I was glad it was our bro' Itconani who brought up a lot of the arguments against the Blackfoot/Saponi connection that I'd never heard before.

Since then I've heard more of this skepticism. Basically, it's an opinion that the Blackfoot ID is really just something people cooked up to either cover up or glamorize African heritage.

Somebody or other has published on a genforum somewhere that I've done some interesting research but haven't proved my case yet and then he went into this litany about the African cover up theory.

So I've been thinking about that and it kind of annoys me that I'm being required to offer up more proof. Like I've said before, I've got more than enough proof to justify being a dutiful granddaughter and trusting what my grandmother said. I fully intend to live out my days as a fully enfranchised, native born American citizen and don't have to prove nothing to nobody, least of all something I believe.

Why should I have to do any more work for this dude? Why isn't HE being required to offer some proof?

So here's the Blackfoot challenge. If you hold the above opinion, please, go out, do some research and PROVE to us in a coherent, logical, well documented way that out of say, 100 thoroughly researched family trees with the Blackfoot ID, 95% of them were definitely NOT Saponi descended (whether they know it or not) while definitely of African descent. That sample must include a proportionate share of the thousands of "white" Blackfoot ID'd people in Appalachia and the Ozarks. This of course means, that first, you must survey the exact percentage of Blackfoot ID'd families who are "white" and those who are "black." When you get all that footwork done and have all your facts together, meet me back here and I'll see what I can pick apart of your hard work and effort.

To me, the African Blackfoot theory smacks of some antiquated, bigoted old wives' tale people enjoyed telling each other because it enabled them to ridicule others. So I dare ya, PROVE I'm wrong and that this opinion is based on sound logic and clear documentation -- an easily reproduced conclusion based on scientific fact.

Oh what's that you say? You have a life to live and don't have time for all that? Well, you know the expression, put up or shut up? Sounds like a plan to me.

[itconani]

im sorry to hear of recent unfortunate happennings. again, i beleive there is alot of information that is intriguing within the Blackfoot cultural marker. as with many other areas of interst, all need fleshing out. I hope to remain open to a variety of concepts and continue to pursue this line of investigation. I feel some paths will (and do) lead to saponi, others may lead elsewhere, some may not lead to anymore at all. As with all adventures of proof, the burden always seems to lie on those fighting for a cause. I hope my posts stand by as an educated, interested, & willing inquiry into this phenomena - And that they may be a dialogue base others may wish to expand upon. Happy hunting to all..

[Linda]

Bold talk aside, blowing off steam aside, all this controversy has sharpened my inquiry. Just heard from someome this AM who may be one of those folks you've run into in eastern seaboard cities who thinks they're Siksika Algonquin Blackfoot. Five out of six of the names he gave me in his family are on the SE NA surname list as associated with Saponi families. Interesting. We'll see where that leads.

Another argument has occured to me. My family would fit into the Appalachia/Ohio group of "white" Blackfoot identified families. They were passing for white at least as early as 1810. At that time it was as much or more of a liability to be Indian as Black in a northern state. Judging from the cloud hanging over the family because of rumors and speculation of NDN blood, based mainly on obvious physical appaearnance, in the late 1800's into the early 1900's, if they were trying to cover anything up, they'd be saying they were Black Dutch, not Blackfoot. Nobody ever accused the family of having African blood. It was NDN blood the family was trying to distance itself from, ca. 1900. Whispering to her daughters that they were Blackfoot was certainly no cover up. It was a bold admission that many in the family had insisted must never be made.

[saponi56]

Hello, Linda and Barry I have met #'??? of people claiming Blackfoot ancestory through their Grand and Great-grands,and most of the time the ancestory originates in the Virginia Carolina Piedmont or the Ohio River Valley. The Blackfoot Ancestory deals more with Family tradition, of a distinct people, in a specific Range. One point I can make based on my own research is the Saponi Indian Nation or Saponi Confederacy was a lot larger than one might think. Their were a lot more isolated Saponi Pocket Communities, with their own Community surnames. I, have found Saponi surnames in Brunswick and Greensville Counties, Virginia like Haithcock,Whittington, Sweeny, Corn, Guy, Jones, Holley, and Jeffries not to be confused or associated genealogy with the Gingaskin or Occaneechi Jeffries.This Pocket Community moved from the Fort Christanna Reservation and adjacent lands, to Greene County,Ohio. These Saponi Families are later identified as Catawba Indians in R.S. Dills History. F.Y.I.

[Linda]

It's frustrating not being able to describe all the occurrences of this Blackfoot ID where it just happens to coincide with core Saponi surnames or locations or some other association. None of those singly prove anything, but when you keep seeing this cluster of data way beyond statistical probability, something has to be going on. We've got to figure out how to make this comprehensible to other people. I was talking to Crystal yesterday. She's got cousins she found, I believe in Ohio, she traced them there, they have the same surnames as hers, but in Ohio they called themselves Blackfoot. She's from the Portugee community in Northampton. Some folks have been eager to link to it because it has a strong likelihood of being a community left over from Fort Christanna. But you probably know more about that than I do.

If you can think of any ways to spell this out in a convincing way, let me know. All I can think of is to cite example after example. Pretty tedious and time consuming.

Speaking of Holley, we have a good buddy up Six Nations way with that name. He knows he comes from that area and that we're all related and is eager to come hang with us.