We Are Free - trailer

A documentary-in-progress following 6 tribes of Virginia Indians as they seek federal recognition leading up to the Jamestown 2007 celebration. Directed by Juanita Morton Giles. Filmed and edited by Andrew Mowe.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• we
• are
• free
• virginia
• indian
• federal
• recognition
• jamestown
• 2007
• documentary

[shutyamouf2]

@xander7ful There were 300+ years in which mixing could occur, it didn't all happen early on. The Jamestown colonists never abandoned the island until fires in 1676 (intentional) and the 1690's (accidental) desolated the island. The Spanish reported in the mid-1600's that 40-50 colonists had taken Indian wives, but given their hierarchical views of race this may have been a way to paint Jamestown as degenerate. Certainly some had Indian servants/mistresses, and a handful had Indian wives.

[nilent]

The slow motion genocide of Native American culture...and of the people themselves continues; but there are sparks of hope and potential transformational renewal.....may those sparks find fuel in the hearts and minds of millions!

[winkekhikes]

Well you just showed your ignorance

[BOGZASV8MA]

that guy looks white and he says he is an indian. ? some of the lakota indians in the dakota would laugh and also the aztecs.

[CrazyNative4]

cool

[xander7ful]

Isn't it really true that the people from the Jamestown settlement had to leave their location and mixed with the local tribes? I really believe that these tribes are descendants of the Jamestown or other English settlers. This denial of them is absolutely criminal. The truth is that the government(s) does not want to admit that the settlers didn't die but simply left their encampment and mixed with Indians.

[Monasukapanough]

Has federal recognigtion blinded the eyes of today's indian tribes to the point that they have to refuse their own brothers and sisters??? When is these tribes going to wake up to our ancestor's old ways of acceptance.....how can tribes say they want the government to recognize them yet at the very same time refuse to recognize their very own family??

[Monasukapanough]

The Sapony tribe of Person county VA moved to Person county in 1790-1810, The Collins was in the Person county NC area since 1735...and some are there to this very day. Yet to this very day the Sapony tribe of Person county refuses membership to the Collins family. 1755 and 1761 Saponi found in Granville Nc...the Collins family was found there as well. 100 years later the Occaneechi Saponu tribe of today's ancestors move to the Granville NC area, that tribe refuses Collins family membership.

[Monasukapanough]

in 1755 and 1761 Saponi was recorded as being in Granville Nc's area. These same years the Collins descendants was found at the same time and place as these records. 50-100 years later a new group of people moved to the Granville Nc area....these new people today claim Saponi descent...however these people refuse membership to the collins, Bollins, Austin, or Harrison descendants.

[Monasukapanough]

I se John Blackfeather Jeffries is listed on the credits....I've heard from several of the Jeffries descendants that he is one of the main people that has been denying other Jefferies descendants membership to the Occaneechi Saponi even though he himself descended from the Catawba tribe of South Carolina. Why should the Govt give recognigtion to tribes which turn away their own people?!? That issue should be addressed before going for recognigtion.