a response from a Wampanoag about the Brown/Warren Indian ancestry controversy

[AnnieK401]

48. Exactly! This was an issue in my family.

Both sides of my family have deep roots in Georgia and this was an issue in my family. On my mother's side it was acknowledged that my great-grandfather was part Cherokee. My mother became an amateur genealogist and claimed that my father's grandmother was also part NA (Creek). One of his sister's denied this. His side of the family ignored the fact that it was illegal for Natives to live in GA during part of the time that she was alive. However, my mother was able to prove enough Creek ancestry to get my Dad, sister, and I accepted into the Lower Creek Muscogee Tribe, although at the time I have to admit I did not take it seriously - but I still have the card that id's us as tribe members. She also got me a scholarship through the Indian Health Service for my last 2 yrs. of college. I had to apply to every reservation that might have needed me once I graduated, and would have had to go to work on one as payback, but none of them called me. I do not feel guilty in the least. And yes, my mother always said that there was a lot of intermarriage. I believe there are lot of people out with native blood who don't even know. I heard that there is a company that can do a DNA test to check for a Native marker, but I don't know if it's legitimate.