November 1, 2023 began Native American Heritage Month. Does every American celebrate this day or just those who are FULL, 100 percent Native American (NA)? Does the average American even know this month exists?
I’ve always known I was Native American and an American of African Descent. A cursory analysis of DNA will show the percentage of NA, but doesn’t, in my opinion fully prove I’m a descendent of my 2nd great grandfather, Eli Williams, who is listed as “Full” NA on the Black Cherokee and Cree Rolls at the National Archives Records and Administration (NARA). I need to do the full workup that would determine my complete lineage. Eli is my grandmother’s maternal grandfather.
Then there’s my mother’s father, my half-Cherokee grandfather. I spent much time with him as a young child and teenager. When he died, I thought I was meeting his twin as his sister, my grand aunt, looked so much like him. Sadly, I didn’t get to know her. We chatted after the funeral but lost touch. I was in graduate school and caught up in the things students who are working and going to school are doing. Still, meeting her solidified my understanding of who she was.
On the other hand, I’ve learned that DNA doesn’t pass down through generations like we think. My siblings and I have different percentages of NA DNA; and, it appears that not all of us have just Native American Heritage. We also discovered some Native South American genes in our DNA. It will take further DNA testing to get more conclusive answers.
Still, it was mesmerizing listening to my grandmother, grand aunts, and mother talk about these men. My grandmother and grand aunts knew their grandfather and grandmother, both of NA heritage. They often spoke of the rituals they practiced as children, mostly involving not cutting their hair, not wearing pants outside the home, and foods they ate that were more NA centered than simply American or African American.
I’m very proud to finally have an official month in which I can celebrate the diversity of Dr. Mary M. Marshall, PhD.
America has come a long way in acknowledging that Native American exist and existed on this land before Europeans came, before Europeans instituted slavery. They have yet to acknowledge the cruelty and horrific displacement of Native Americans and their culture. White Americans have also not fully acknowledged the horrors of slavery and the cultural damage done to Americans of African descent.
Today, this month, this November, I celebrate my Native and African American Heritage.