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Post by rikineagle on May 1, 2011 12:44:57 GMT -5
Hello, My mother passed in Jan 2010. One day about a year before she died she said "look at me!" I said "what" and she made me look her in her eyes as she said "do I look Indian to you". I said "I don't know" (we were told growing up that we were of Norwegian and Swedish descent) I said "yeah a little why?" and she said "My dad was full blooded Indian" I said "oh, wow....how do you know that. " She told me a lot of stuff about how her uncles would beat up my grandpa (Reuben Cross) and call him a drunken Indian right in front of her when she was a child. Then she talked to me about being born in Minot, North Dakota and how her dad had worked in the coal mines and her mom brought them out on the train in the 40's and how tough it was. She said they lived in a box car and bath-roomed in a bucket like many families until they got established and that Grandpa (Reuben Cross) met them out here a little later (not sure how long). There is so much to say about all of this. My mother knew she was dieing (she had lung cancer) and I know she was trying to clear her conscience before she died. When she would ask her own dad (Reuben) what nationality she was he would tell her to tell her teachers and friends that she was Swedish, Norwegian and a little bit of bull dog. When she told me that I could see the hurt in her eyes. I believe she wanted us children to know who we really were. My sister starting doing research on the Internet and found Reuben's dad William Cross on the 14Th Census of the US 1920 population and also on the 12Th Census of the US Indian population. We tryed an tryed to figure this out. One day I decided to call the Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. I talked with Ladonna "Brave bull" Allard. I explained what was going on with us and who our famiy was and could she please let me know who we are. She told me it would take some time to figure it out but then about an hour later she called me back and told me that we belong to one of the largest tribes in North Dakota (if I remember right) and my grandpa (Reuben) was the son of William Cross a half breed from Minnesota (I believe that's where she said he was from) and that he had moved to ND with his family and met and married Julia Miniotpa who was full blood and the daughter of See Walker who was the son of Chief Two Bears. I'm pretty sure this was what she told me. She said that would make my Grandpa Reuben 3/4 blood, my mother 1/2 blood, and me 1/4 blood and welcome to the tribe. At that moment in time the earth stood still and all I could hear were my tears. I told her I couldn't talk and needed to hang up because I was so emotional and crying. The first feeling I had after hanging up was I want to go home. I just kept saying that to myself. I want to go home, I want to go home. I called my mother an told her and we got together and filled out paperwork for her to become part of the Sioux tribe in ND. I was scared that we wouldn't have enough time before she died and I WANTED that for her SOOOOO bad after all she had been through in her life. When we were doing the paperwork she told me that when she was at my Grandpa Reuben's funeral she was sitting next to her mother and she told me she heard her mother say "Reuben, you take all your secrets with you" When she told me that it made me cry. We submitted the paperwork only to have it come back to us with the US DEPT of the Interior telling us that Julia Cross had no children. To my surprise my mother only laughed and she just said something like then who's child am I. She has since passed and my sister and I have been so sick about it we just gave up the search. But now I feel like I need to know once and for all. Please if anyone can help. My questions are: Were there 2 William Cross's then? Both in North Dakota? My grandpa (Reuben was born in Mandan on the Indian reservation we have proof of that. WHOSE SON was he then? I have compared my mothers, grandpa Reuben's, and Chief Two bears Pictures and the proof is right there. When I look at those picture there is not a doubt in my mind the resemblance is so uncanny!!! I have attached those pictures. Please help me I just want to know who I am and feel like I would like my mother to finally rest in peace. Before she died she struggled to tell us something but never got too. If anyone can help my phone number is 503-764-5809 I do have many pictures. Riki Attachments:
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Post by rikineagle on May 2, 2011 11:41:50 GMT -5
Hello, My mother passed in Jan 2010. One day about a year before she died she said "look at me!" I said "what" and she made me look her in her eyes as she said "do I look Indian to you". I said "I don't know" (we were told growing up that we were of Norwegian and Swedish descent) I said "yeah a little why?" and she said "My dad was full blooded Indian" I said "oh, wow....how do you know that. " She told me a lot of stuff about how her uncles would beat up my grandpa (Reuben Cross) and call him a drunken Indian right in front of her when she was a child. Then she talked to me about being born in Minot, North Dakota and how her dad had worked in the coal mines and her mom brought them out on the train in the 40's and how tough it was. She said they lived in a box car and bath-roomed in a bucket like many families until they got established and that Grandpa (Reuben Cross) met them out here a little later (not sure how long). There is so much to say about all of this. My mother knew she was dieing (she had lung cancer) and I know she was trying to clear her conscience before she died. When she would ask her own dad (Reuben) what nationality she was he would tell her to tell her teachers and friends that she was Swedish, Norwegian and a little bit of bull dog. When she told me that I could see the hurt in her eyes. I believe she wanted us children to know who we really were. My sister starting doing research on the Internet and found Reuben's dad William Cross on the 14Th Census of the US 1920 population and also on the 12Th Census of the US Indian population. We tryed an tryed to figure this out. One day I decided to call the Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. I talked with Ladonna "Brave bull" Allard. I explained what was going on with us and who our famiy was and could she please let me know who we are. She told me it would take some time to figure it out but then about an hour later she called me back and told me that we belong to one of the largest tribes in North Dakota (if I remember right) and my grandpa (Reuben) was the son of William Cross a half breed from Minnesota (I believe that's where she said he was from) and that he had moved to ND with his family and met and married Julia Miniotpa who was full blood and the daughter of See Walker who was the son of Chief Two Bears. I'm pretty sure this was what she told me. She said that would make my Grandpa Reuben 3/4 blood, my mother 1/2 blood, and me 1/4 blood and welcome to the tribe. At that moment in time the earth stood still and all I could hear were my tears. I told her I couldn't talk and needed to hang up because I was so emotional and crying. The first feeling I had after hanging up was I want to go home. I just kept saying that to myself. I want to go home, I want to go home. I called my mother an told her and we got together and filled out paperwork for her to become part of the Sioux tribe in ND. I was scared that we wouldn't have enough time before she died and I WANTED that for her SOOOOO bad after all she had been through in her life. When we were doing the paperwork she told me that when she was at my Grandpa Reuben's funeral she was sitting next to her mother and she told me she heard her mother say "Reuben, you take all your secrets with you" When she told me that it made me cry. We submitted the paperwork only to have it come back to us with the US DEPT of the Interior telling us that Julia Cross had no children. To my surprise my mother only laughed and she just said something like then who's child am I. She has since passed and my sister and I have been so sick about it we just gave up the search. But now I feel like I need to know once and for all. Please if anyone can help. My questions are: Were there 2 William Cross's then? Both in North Dakota? My grandpa (Reuben was born in Mandan on the Indian reservation we have proof of that. WHOSE SON was he then? I have compared my mothers, grandpa Reuben's, and Chief Two bears Pictures and the proof is right there. When I look at those picture there is not a doubt in my mind the resemblance is so uncanny!!! I have attached those pictures. Please help me I just want to know who I am and feel like I would like my mother to finally rest in peace. Before she died she struggled to tell us something but never got too. If anyone can help my phone number is 503-764-5809 I do have many pictures. Riki
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Post by rikineagle on May 2, 2011 11:43:37 GMT -5
Hello, My mother passed in Jan 2010. One day about a year before she died she said "look at me!" I said "what" and she made me look her in her eyes as she said "do I look Indian to you". I said "I don't know" (we were told growing up that we were of Norwegian and Swedish descent) I said "yeah a little why?" and she said "My dad was full blooded Indian" I said "oh, wow....how do you know that. " She told me a lot of stuff about how her uncles would beat up my grandpa (Reuben Cross) and call him a drunken Indian right in front of her when she was a child. Then she talked to me about being born in Minot, North Dakota and how her dad had worked in the coal mines and her mom brought them out on the train in the 40's and how tough it was. She said they lived in a box car and bath-roomed in a bucket like many families until they got established and that Grandpa (Reuben Cross) met them out here a little later (not sure how long). There is so much to say about all of this. My mother knew she was dieing (she had lung cancer) and I know she was trying to clear her conscience before she died. When she would ask her own dad (Reuben) what nationality she was he would tell her to tell her teachers and friends that she was Swedish, Norwegian and a little bit of bull dog. When she told me that I could see the hurt in her eyes. I believe she wanted us children to know who we really were. My sister starting doing research on the Internet and found Reuben's dad William Cross on the 14Th Census of the US 1920 population and also on the 12Th Census of the US Indian population. We tryed an tryed to figure this out. One day I decided to call the Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. I talked with Ladonna "Brave bull" Allard. I explained what was going on with us and who our famiy was and could she please let me know who we are. She told me it would take some time to figure it out but then about an hour later she called me back and told me that we belong to one of the largest tribes in North Dakota (if I remember right) and my grandpa (Reuben) was the son of William Cross a half breed from Minnesota (I believe that's where she said he was from) and that he had moved to ND with his family and met and married Julia Miniotpa who was full blood and the daughter of See Walker who was the son of Chief Two Bears. I'm pretty sure this was what she told me. She said that would make my Grandpa Reuben 3/4 blood, my mother 1/2 blood, and me 1/4 blood and welcome to the tribe. At that moment in time the earth stood still and all I could hear were my tears. I told her I couldn't talk and needed to hang up because I was so emotional and crying. The first feeling I had after hanging up was I want to go home. I just kept saying that to myself. I want to go home, I want to go home. I called my mother an told her and we got together and filled out paperwork for her to become part of the Sioux tribe in ND. I was scared that we wouldn't have enough time before she died and I WANTED that for her SOOOOO bad after all she had been through in her life. When we were doing the paperwork she told me that when she was at my Grandpa Reuben's funeral she was sitting next to her mother and she told me she heard her mother say "Reuben, you take all your secrets with you" When she told me that it made me cry. We submitted the paperwork only to have it come back to us with the US DEPT of the Interior telling us that Julia Cross had no children. To my surprise my mother only laughed and she just said something like then who's child am I. She has since passed and my sister and I have been so sick about it we just gave up the search. But now I feel like I need to know once and for all. Please if anyone can help. My questions are: Were there 2 William Cross's then? Both in North Dakota? My grandpa (Reuben was born in Mandan on the Indian reservation we have proof of that. WHOSE SON was he then? I have compared my mothers, grandpa Reuben's, and Chief Two bears Pictures and the proof is right there. When I look at those picture there is not a doubt in my mind the resemblance is so uncanny!!! I have attached those pictures. Please help me I just want to know who I am and feel like I would like my mother to finally rest in peace. Before she died she struggled to tell us something but never got too. If anyone can help my phone number is 503-764-5809 I do have many pictures. Riki I also would like to add that I have an indian doll that my mother played with when she was young. We had some moccasins but I believe when she died they were stolen.
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Post by ladonna on May 2, 2011 12:42:49 GMT -5
I believe the BIA is mistaken
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Post by rikineagle on May 5, 2011 0:26:06 GMT -5
Hello Ladonna, It means so much to me that you read this and replied. My sister saw it first and called me. It actually made me cry. It means a lot to me that you believe the BIA is mistaken. Is there anything you can do to help? Is there any chance that you can talk to them... or are we too late now that my mother has passed. I would so love to right a wrong and have my mother rest in peace. She didnt want to go and I know she left stuff undone. I used to always wonder why she chose the jewelry she chose and when I would ask questions she would just have this far away look. Its terribly sad. She wore a lot of tourquoise and eagle earrings and such and she was such a prim and proper lady I never thought they fit her personality..... till the end. Its funny how things all start to make sense. I have an indian doll in my possesion that she played with and I would love to find out what tribe it may have come from. We were told her grandother owned a bar in the 1900's and it was given to her grandmother by a trader. I never ever believed that even before she told me the truth because her eyes always said everything. We knew she was keeping secrets but could never get anything from her unless she chose to tell us and then it would only be after very thoughtful deliberation. anyway, please let us know our next step or if our journey is done. sincerely Riki
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Post by rikineagle on Oct 6, 2011 23:15:35 GMT -5
This is my great grandpa and grandma Cross. Anyone have any idea if she is indian? I know he is. Riki Neagle Attachments:
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Post by rikineagle on Nov 10, 2011 15:15:46 GMT -5
I Guess or family is going together to hire a lawyer to find out our heritage. We are going to pool our money and resources any suggestions from anyone on a good attorney that handles this sort of thing.
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Post by walksindreams on Nov 10, 2011 15:52:39 GMT -5
Because federal laws and tribal laws focus on the tribes relating as a group, their cultural continuity and their tribal land-base, many people who have Native American biological ancestors are unfortunately ineligible for federally recognized tribal status because they either don’t live with the tribe, don’t function with the tribe or their heritage has become mixed. To these Native Americans, DNA testing often is their only recourse to be legally recognized as a tribal member. Without this recognition, they may lose access to land, financial aid and even gaming business licenses. Some people even suggest that DNA testing become a legal requirement for proving Native American ancestry.
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Post by walksindreams on Nov 10, 2011 15:54:35 GMT -5
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Post by rikineagle on Nov 10, 2011 15:57:19 GMT -5
I appreciate that but I am not after money or any of that I am after family. I want to know who my family is and it was my mothers WISH before she died. She tried to become part of the tribe and was denied. I am upset and will pursue this to the bitter end.
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Post by walksindreams on Nov 10, 2011 16:04:19 GMT -5
Since the ancestor in question was male, you can use a Y-DNA test of a male in that man’s direct paternal line, i.e. any son, or any sons of those sons, or any of their sons etc. You want to know the paternal haplogroup.
If the haplogroup is C or Q, then it’s highly likely that this ancestor is descended from Native Americans who were here before European contact. If the haplogroup subgroup is C3b or Q1a3a, then you have absolute confirmation.
I recommend Family Tree DNA for Y-DNA testing. To see why, read my FTDNA Review. Although a 12-marker test is sufficient to detect the Native American haplogroups, I recommend at least 37 markers if you want to identify and correspond with your biological cousins.They also offer deep clade testing that can refine your haplogroup to the deepest subclade possible.
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Post by walksindreams on Nov 10, 2011 16:05:17 GMT -5
NOTE: If your haplogroup is not C or Q, this does not rule out Native American ancestry in another line. For example, many men of eastern U.S. tribes, such as Cherokee, have a European haplogroup like R1b. That’s because there was a lot of intermingling with the early settlers from Europe. So your Indian ancestor with a European haplogroup could be culturally Indian and genetically Indian through a female line.
You think a particular FEMALE ancestor may have been a Native American
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Post by walksindreams on Nov 10, 2011 16:05:48 GMT -5
Since the ancestor in question was female, she did not have a Y chromosome to pass on. She did pass on her mitochondrial DNA. So you need an mtDNA test of a man or woman in that ancestor’s direct maternal line, i.e. any child of hers, or any child of her daughters, or any child of her daughter’s daughters etc. You want to know the maternal haplogroup.
Maternal haplogroups that indicate Native American heritage are A, B, C, D, and sometimes X. Unlike the paternal line, there is no subgroup that can provide absolute proof of Indian heritage. But if that ancestor’s family did not immigrate from elsewhere, you can be quite sure of the findings.
A basic mtDNA test of the HVR-1 region is sufficient to determine the base haplogroup. I recommend Family Tree DNA for mtDNA testing.
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Post by hreinn on Nov 10, 2011 17:02:36 GMT -5
Walksindreams:
Since I see you know what you are talking about, I would like to ask you: Are you aware of any DNA or protein test(s) which can indicate if there was a French vs. English blood mixing with a Native American ? That is if we can see the origin of the white person (French vs. English).
Hreinn
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Post by walksindreams on Nov 10, 2011 17:42:13 GMT -5
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