How I Became an Indian

This is an essay I wrote for a college English class a few years ago................

How I Became an Indian

In 1992, after many years of struggling, I became an "official" Indian. I am now a card carrying, registered member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. With this registration, comes certain benefits and voting rights, and the pride that goes along with being "different." I have participated in some of the most exciting tribal elections from right here in my home town.  My children are now official Indians. My grandchildren and their children, although not yet born, will also be members of my tribe. My state employer, has reviewed my tribal paperwork, and has given their blessing to my ethnic background. According to the State, I may now identify myself as Indian in all matters relating to my employment.

It wasn't easy becoming an official Indian. It took lots of research and paperwork, and some legal maneuvering.

It seems I had always known I was different than my siblings. I looked different, with high cheekbones and long dark hair that I parted in the middle. Some of the kids at school called me "chipmunk cheeks" and asked if I was an Indian. I was, but didn't really know it then.

As a teen, I found out that I was adopted by my stepfather. It was no wonder I didn't look like the rest of those people!  I had a different father. My father was an Oklahoma Indian, as I would later find out.  After finding my father, I knew I wanted to be part of my Native culture.  I visited Oklahoma, met my family and learned about my tribe.  We attended Pow-wows and other cultural events. I researched the Trail of Tears, and learned why I was able to be a tribal member, even after my blood had been diluted over the years. My ancestors, and others moved on the trail, may have only had a fraction of Indian blood when they coexisted with full and mixed bloods, but it was enough to get them moved from their homeland. As a result, I have enough Indian blood to be registered.

>>>>>>>continued in next entry

Rude Awakening

It's a damn good thing I am going back to work on Monday!  It's early Saturday morning and WHO could sleep around here! 

There I was seriously catchin' some zzzzzzzzs at o'dark thirty and rudely awakened by the redundant droan of earth movers and smashers (or what ever they're called) inches away from my property line.   I looked out and saw major fog, thick as pea soup and thought, what the hell? 

Did you know that most heavy equipment has fog and head lights?

Yep, they do!  Who'da thought?  

Our sleepy little mountain town has really been discovered.  A recent magazine listed this community as one of the best places to live and retire!  Clean air, scenic views and reasonable home/land prices, four seasons, friendly people, etc. 

No.....I won't tell you where it is, because you might wanna move here and we've already got toooo many people for my taste.  1500 building permits issued last month alone, several hundred for my neighborhood.   Ahhhhh, progress!

So, these hardworking construction people are up at the crack of dawn <yawn> preparing the soil to build at least a million new homes right behind my previously secluded and blissfully quiet abode.

There is good news though.....my house and everyone else's who already lives here has recently seen their property values skyrocket.  In fact, I personally put a bid on a nice little building lot further up on the mountain.  I just may want to be secluded again!  And, it's got to be a great investment considering all this growth.    

Now I sit and ponder the lack of sleep, dust, hammering and other noise  that I will be faced with for then next year or so while those homes are going up.  

I think I will go now and look for house plans for my new secluded lot!  

Starting This Journal

It's been a really frustrating evening trying to get this blasted journal going.  Grrrrrr!  After trying to copy and paste my entries from another online journal site unsuccessfully, I decided, what the heck...I will just retype them!  After typing one of them here, I couldn't get it to save because it was too big, so I did some research in the "Help" section.  It said to cut your entry in half and create a continuation...but it didn't say how.  Try as I might, I couldn't do it and I couldn't print out my entry, which was a big modification.  So, I lost it all.  Arrrrgggghhhh!

Since then, I have learned the cut and paste method and I am pasting in my entries from that "other" journal place, so you'll see lots of entries with the same date until I get this how I picture it in my mind. 

Also, I read John's suggestions that our entries shouldn't be too long, but without a method to count the words, I am not sure when to stop.  And, admittedly I am rather wordy (a girl thing, I think) after working in a business where written details are expected.  

So, please bear with me and I hope to hear some comments from you wonderful bloggers/writers out there soon.  Thanks...and I am thrilled to be here with you!