Native Americans Often Passed Them Off As Whites

posted in: Miscellanious | 0

Last week, I discussed how Native Americans were considered lower class citizens than slaves.

Native Americans often passed themselves off as white
Native Americans often passed themselves off as white

This week, I want to look at a different side of this conversation.

I had some extended family members with known and proven Native American ancestors.

However, in attempting to research this line back, I noticed one thing.

They listed themselves as white on the census records.

This is because the federal government would not acknowledge them or provide services to Native Americans.

So, they often integrated themselves into society and passed themselves off as white. At least in my research.  But it is possible and probable that darker Native Americans may have passed themselves off as mulatto or black.

The problem is moving backwards, I hit a brick wall which made tracking them any farther very difficult.

On several instances, I was unable to move back past the 1880 census.

Why?

The reasons could be endless.

One very plausible reason is this could be around the time the family left the reservation and began to integrate with the general population.

Have you had any Native American ancestors that passed themselves off as white?

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