"Who's your people?"
Cumulative Identity Among the Salyersville Indian Population
Of Kentucky's Appalachia and the Midwest Muckfields, 1677--2000
By Carlson, Richard Allen, Jr., Ph.D.
Michigan State University, 2003, 711 pages
Cumulative Identity Among the Salyersville Indian Population
Of Kentucky's Appalachia and the Midwest Muckfields, 1677--2000
By Carlson, Richard Allen, Jr., Ph.D.
Michigan State University, 2003, 711 pages
Abstract (Summary)
The Salyersville Indian Population is a composite of Cherokee, Saponi and "Old Virginia" Indian families that consolidated in the late colonial period to form a distinct Appalachian Indian population. The families have preserved their identity as an Indian people ever since. An analysis of this identity through time shows that Salyersville Indian identity is the product of cumulative historical actions guided by specific sociocultural processes that subvert notions regarding race, class, ethnicity, religiosity, or political affiliation. In this case, the effective operational definition of Indian identity is based on family relations that provide kinship links, social integration, cooperative efforts, sources of knowledge and emotional support. Highlighting the functional aspects of kin arrangements--articulated through and supported by interrelated family groups--over time reveals that the economic and social cooperation of kin works to maintain the size and strength of the families. The operationalization of kinship acts to focus Salyersville Indian identity on a definition of "kin" which subsumes various attitudes about race and ethnicity that are encountered at specific times and under specific circumstances. By assigning kinship a higher priority than relations based upon religious, class or political affiliation, the Salyersville Indians have managed to keep their kin affiliations and thus their Indian identity, from being obscured over time. Family is the vehicle by which this cumulative identity as "Indian" has been maintained. That is because kinship is the only constant serving to define and maintain Salyersville Indian identity through time and space.
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Quoting MHS board member Don Collins:
"If your family migrated from Hawkins County TN. to SE Kentucky in the 1800’s , this is a must read for family research, especially for researching the Collins, Cole, and Gibson families. There is also information on the early migration from Virginia. This is a paper written for and by kin folk."
I have only recently started finding out about family connections involving the Salyersville area Indians and their ancestry. I have read that many Indians consider the term "Melungeon" as a perjorative term. Does it simply refer to Indians with mixed racial heritage. I confess I know very little about this. It is very interesting and I never knew much about our Cole ancestry
ReplyDeleteI daresay that relatively few American Indians have ever even heard the word Melungeon. The word most definitely does not refer to Indians with mixed racial heritage but to a group of people living in and near Hancock County, Tennessee during the 19th century.
ReplyDeleteFor one highly reputable description of who the Melungeons were, see: http://www.geocities.com/ourmelungeons/jgdef.html
There is much misinformation written about Melungeons, both in print and on the net. It is one of the goals of the Melungeon Historical Society, and of this blog, to be a source of reliable, documented information about Melungeons.
I could write a book on this subject having spent from 1991-1997 researching all around this subject of the Malangeeee, My late wife was decsended from John Bolen and Vicy, John having been from Hawkins county Tenn. I spent many days in there hills and libraries. wind-ingest roads I ever saw. anyways her family Dotch bolen and uncle Earl"s kids came out like a multi matic erray of variety. Red heads,kinky browns, blond twins, and just regular. 10 in one family 8 in the other. Some vary indian in features , large curved noses, some petite. Tipical Mulange. IMO. They trailed from Hawkins, to Knott Ky. To Coon Creek in Magoffin, then to Pike county Ohio.
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My name is Jimmy Pendleton. My 2 great mother was from Paintsville ky,and Salyers ky. Her name was Louisa Carline Cole. She lived were Paintsville lake is now. My great grand mother name was Joseaphine hall. She moved to Wakefield,Pike Co oh. I think this is the family your looking for. She was Cherokee from that area. She was the daughter "Old Billie Cole. Cherokee chief of the Catawba Clan. I have Old picks of her. My grandfather was born in her house in 1920. Which is a the bottom of Paintsville Lake. This might be the family your are looking for.
DeleteMy name is Lonnie Cole Junior descendant of Rufus Cole from Paintsville Kentucky
DeleteHi Jimmy Pendleton! My great grandmother was also from Salyersville, Kentucky. Her name was Louisa Cole, and she was listed in the 1910 census as married to a man named Burl or Burt something (maybe Gipson). Her son (my grandfather) was Lacey (Gipson) who later took the name Harmon. My dad, Paul Harmon, is his son. I'd love to know more about Old Billie Cole and to see pictures of Louisa. I only have one photo of Lacey because he abandoned my dad when he was 2 years old. I would love to get in touch if you are able. Feel free to reply or email me at Kylejharmon@gmail.com
DeleteThank you for posting this!
I read this book Vol 1 and 2 very well written and contained lots of information with solid references. I was hoping to identify the Sizemore tribe, but the question remains. Old Virginia Indian family. However, it is clear that the Sizemores were an active part of the lives of the Salyersville Indian population early on and remained to this day.
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What are some of the surnames of Cherokee in that area. My Grandmother's family were from Magoffin and Johnson counties. My surnames are Adams and Perkins to name a few. My great grandmother was Sara Adams,she married Wiley B.Perkins and they lived at Rock House
ReplyDeleteMy grangran Osa "ocie" born in 1904 was apart of the tribe in Salyersville. That was until she murdered her husband for beating the shit out of her her. She ran from the state to Ohio out of fear of blood revenge right into the arms of a white man whose family treated her children terribly. She died when my grandpa arthur was a child, after that he was thrown in and out of the foster system being called a "blackeyed son of a bitch" by his grandparents. This in turn caused him to grow up abusive and racist twords his own children and them with theirs.. Awh. The smell of generation trama and abuse
ReplyDeleteI would like to talk to you, Ocie was also my great grandmother. My grandfather was her son Lee. Ocie died in 1989. Send me an e-mail familyiskey37@gmail.com
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