Recently, the Cherokee Nation has voted to disenroll all members who are the descendants of Freedmen with no Cherokee ancestors. The point of this book is that this controversial decision has a history. This book corroborates Halliburton's "Red over Black" that said Cherokees of the past mistreated Blacks just as much as whites of the time did.
Some people incorrectly say, "History repeats itself." Well, this book starts off with the example of a man who kills a Cherokee and replaces her with a Black slave and the other Cherokees accept it. However, the Nation later wrote laws saying whites could marry Cherokees but Blacks could not. Both in this book and in the recent controversy, no matter how culturally-identified these Blacks are with Cherokees, they get consistently treated as other or less than. This book also points to the process of racialization. Before the pilgrims, Cherokees would have seen themselves as completely different from other indigenous tribes. In this book, as time goes on, the author points out to how non-Cherokee Indians become a part of the Cherokee society.
This book does not tackle race alone; it speaks of how gender informs the topic as well. The Cherokees were originally a matrilineal society, but as they assimilated they were introduced to European patrilineal patterns. Numerically, it became important to count the children of Cherokee men and not just those of Cherokee women, with the caveat that the children were not part Black, according to the book. White men who married into the Nation had to take a loyalty oath and the author spells out why white women did not have the same requirement. Currently, in Black and Asian-American communities, one gender is more likely to practice exogamy than the other. Here the author speculates as to why more Cherokee women outmarried compared to the men.
Law professors of color have warned, "Never play the oppression sweepstakes!" However, this can ignore the reality of when one group is privileged over another. This book spoke of how Cherokee elites were often part white and so they were happy to accommodate that group. The author notes that the Cherokee Nation only abolished slavery because the US forced it to. It only gave rights to Freedmen for the same reason. Though whites may have had limited rights in the Nation, Blacks always had fewer rights than them.
Interestingly, the book chapters get Blacker as one keeps reading. You hear more about Blacks living in the Nation and their accessing the courts. I know countless African Americans who are incredibly proud to have Native American ancestors. The author explains why that is the case in contrast to the discrimination detailed thoroughly in the beginning chapters of the book.
I hate hearing about Black people being oppressed by anybody, so I can't say this was a pleasurable read. However, the book is well-organized, very interesting, and written in a way that non-academics could understand too. I applaud the author intensely for her effort.
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently purchased items with fast delivery
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2009
