View Message

That's not what I mean. the Dawes lists does include former slaves who were officially included in the tribes population (all the "Five civilised tribes" in the Dawes list had slaves who were sent to the reservations with them and later counted as "Cherokee freedmen" etc.), and there is still no waca baba included in this list either. What i mean is individuals and families with an ancestor who was African American, often found it more socially acceptable (and even fashionable, as it still is today) if grandma/grandpa was "Cherokee" rather than a former slave. Within a couple of generations, no would remember the real story. The migration of Waca Baba "from either NC or VA through KY and IN where they settled in Southern IL in Williamson and Franklin Co" is typical for former slaves and their descendants. Remember also, native Americans and their freed slaves on reservations needed special permission to leave, whereas former slaves still in VA or NC, were not so restricted.

This message was edited 3/11/2020, 7:39 AM