QUESTION:
Is GERONIMO buried at Fort Sill or was he moved to another place? Is it posible to get in contact with some of his ancestors?
~Submitted by Ronny W.
This article has moved to our new Apache section. Please see wives and burial place of Geronimo.
QUESTION:
I’m doing research on American Indian tribes. Could you tell me which if any of the following tribes are extinct:
“Abenaki” – spelled variously as: Abenaqui, Abnaki, Alnanbal, Benaki, Oubenaki, Wabanaki, Wippanap;
Montagnais (Algonquin);
Anagonges (Iroquois);
Aquannaque (Huron);
Bashaba;
Gannongagehronnon (Mohawk);
Moassones;
Maweshenook;
Narankamigdok;
Natsagana (Caughnawaga);
Obunego;
Onagunga;
Onnogonges;
Opanango;
Owenagunges;
Owenunga; and Skacewanilom (Iroquois)
Also, are the Abnaki, also known as Abenaki, considered an official native American tribe by the United States government?
–Submitted by Randy K.
Answer:
The many, many names of the north american indians who make up the group of indians known as the Abenaki can be quite confusing. All of the names you mentioned are actually just various names for the Abenaki indians in the Wabanaki Confederacy, or place names related to them.
QUESTION:
Do native americans celebrate the 4th of July?
~Submitted by Betty G.
ANSWER:
To answer, let’s turn back the pages of time. A reasonable chapter to begin in is July 1776, when the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence and 13 colonies became the United States of America. With the emergence of a nation interested in expanding its territory came the issue of what to do with American Indians. History tells us that as the American non-Indian population increased, the indigenous population greatly decreased, along with their homelands and cultural freedoms.
From the beginning, U.S. government policy contributed to culture and land loss. Keeping our focus on the 4th of July, however, let’s jump to the early 1880s, when Secretary of the Interior Henry Teller developed what has come to be called the Religious Crimes Code—regulations at the heart of the Department of Interior, Office of Indian Affairs, Code of Indian Offenses that prohibited American Indian ceremonial life.
Last Updated: 4 years QUESTION: I have three pieces of pottery I want to give to the Cahokian Indians. I’ve been told they are authhentic, and I bought them at a local flea market . I have not had them authenticated , but the person I bought them from said he dug them himself. If…
Last Updated: 4 years QUESTION: I want to bring my daughter, (social security number removed) who is 17 years old, to your Cherokee Tribe office to get a photo id and information about what we have to do to get her money for college. Who do I need to call to find out about college…
Mailbag Question:
In the very near future, I am planning on asking a woman of mixed Sioux and Cherokee descent to marry me. Her family history is obscure but I would like to recognize her partial native american heritage by making a traditional request for her hand, if such a tradition exists. If you could point me in the proper direction, I would be apppreciative.
~Submitted by Jim M.
Answer:
Hi Jim,
Most of the customs of the Cherokee and Sioux that would be practiced today apply more to the wedding ceremony than the courtship period.
In the old days, marriages were usually arranged by the parents in both Sioux and Cherokee society, and the formal request for a bride was made by presenting gifts (the bride price – usually food, blankets, and fine clothing, and later horses) to the bride’s parents, who made the decision to accept or reject the marriage proposal for the girl.
Most marriages were arranged this way, although there were a few romantic marriages instigated by the young people.
Question:
My name is Kaela, I am 26 years old. My father (Eddie Brafford) told me I was Apache. He told me that Geronimo was my great-great uncle. I have never been to a reservation and I am not sure what part of Apache I accend from. I have always been interested in learning about my heritage and I would love to visit a reservation that I belong to. How do I find my tribe and get permission to see my people?