Introduction

I'd like to welcome others to my new blog.

I hope to cover many topics. Specifically, topics covered in my new book, "Finding Our Indian Blood;" genealogy and history. Specifically; the genalogy of my family, related families, and some families that lived near us. Some of our surnames of interest are Hawkins, Richey (various spellings, Brown, Wayland, Gist (various spellings), Black. Periferal surnames are Stuart, Gibson, Jeffries, Guy, Williamson, Bain/Bane, and others.

Also, I hope to help others to learn how to correctly conduct genealogical research, and how historic research fits with genealogical research as a hand fits in a glove. For instance, ALWAYS map a i.] surname to a specific ii.] location during a specific iii.] time frame. Those three variables HAVE TO AGREE. You must give up cherished notions if they don't, even if it means disregarding years of research. I've had to do that on more occasions than I'd care to admit.

As for history, I hope to cover the histories of the Indian tribes we seem to be connected with. This is primarily the Cherokee, Catawba and affiliatged tribes, and other tribes which associated with our family (the Choctaw and Chickasaw, in whose nations we lived for a short period). 

I hope to prove the Melungeons were originally a band of the Catawba, and were NOT Gypsies, Jews, or Portuguese as is falsely claimed all over the internet. Those stories are just nonsense. The stock families that make up the original Melungeon families were Indian. Then they mixed with Blacks. Lastly, they mixed with Whites.

Also I hope to cover bits and pieces of the histories of the regions where my family lived -- Oklahoma (also called Indian Territory), Arkansas, North Texas, North Alabama, East Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, Southwestern Virginia, North Central South Carolina, and perhaps other regions as well.

While researching these things, I discovered we also have some sub-Sahara African blood. In time I will look into this as well. However I am so busy at the present I have very little time to do a lot.

I have recently written a book intitled, "Finding Our Indian Blood" to be published by Bluewater Publishers.  I will try to add something on a weekly basis that is periferal to the contents of the book.

I am mostly Caucasian, but one line of my family was always on the frontier, mixed race, living as Caucasians, and even fought in some of the Indian wars. I have no intention of sugar coating anything. They were tough people, and they had to be to survive in those days. Although this blog is mostly about our Indian blood, I am proud of all my ancestors -- Black, White, and American Indian. Others have researched our Caucasian heritage and it can easily be found. It is the Indian and Negro blood that is the challenge, and I love a challenge.