Kuehl 1 Kristal Kuehl English Comp I MWF 9:30 10 November 2013 English to American: The Study of My Heritage My heritage

is found in more than one country. Like many people in America, my heritage is a blend of more than one nationality including Native American. To pick just one country and say that is where my heritage is found would be impossible because they all make up my family lineage. To study abroad, in a country of my nationality, would be an amazing adventure. That brings up the question though, as to where would I go? The oldest ancestor that I have information on is my 11th great-grandfather, John Mathis. He was born in a small village by the name of Harnage, in Shropshire, England. Four generations later, in August of 1720, my ancestors would make the pilgrimage from Liverpool, England to the New World. They would arrive in Jamestown, VA in November of the same year. My 7th great-grandfather, Edmund Mathis, was my first ancestor to be born in the United States. He fought in the Revolutionary War in 1776. They were wealthy, white, and owned many slaves. They bought up land, and forced the Native Americans further and further west. In 1790 the Cherokee Tribe was living in what would later become North Carolina. Due to Anglo-American pressure, the Cherokees and other tribes were eventually pushed into Arkansas. By 1817, most of Northwest Arkansas was given to the Cherokee Indians by the United States government. The American government promised them this land was theirs, and that it was protected under law and could never be taken from them. That lasted until 1828, when gold was discovered in Northwest Arkansas. Once again, the government stepped in and forced the Natives to move, this time to Oklahoma. The government promised that the white man would never take it from them. The Native

Kuehl 2 Americans were gathered together and walked several hundred miles to Oklahoma. History would call this journey The Trail of Tears. The Cherokees lost a quarter of their tribe along the journey from Arkansas to Oklahoma due to sickness and starvation. However, not all of the Cherokee Tribe attempted the journey from Arkansas to Oklahoma. Half of the Cherokees did not want to go to Oklahoma. They were hesitant to trust the white man, the government, or believe that Oklahoma would be their land forever as the white man had promised. These Cherokees split from the tribe, and refused to leave Arkansas. They renounced their blood line as Native American, and claimed the name Black Dutch as their heritage. The Cherokee Tribe would refer to them as traitors for the next 172 years. It has only been since 1999, that the Cherokee Tribe began to refer to them as The Lost Tribe. These Cherokees, or Black Dutch as they were known as, had light brown skin, and so blending in with the white man was fairly easy. They lived, worked, played, and lived life with the white man. If they were ever asked if they were Natives, they would be quick to deny they were, and even quicker to point out that they were Black Dutch instead. They lived in fear of being discovered, as the penalty of living like white people, while not actually being white, would have been severe persecution and possibly even death. In the early 1800s possibly the biggest racial merge in my family history happened when my 4th great-grandfather, Francis Asbury Mathis, married my 4th generation grandmother, Martha C. Diffee. Francis was born to, and raised as a rich, white slave owning landowner. Marthas parents were Cherokee turned Black Dutch. It is unknown if Francis knew Marthas true heritage. Regardless of whether he knew or not, this is where my heritage merges from just English or just Cherokee to a mixture of England immigrants and Cherokee natives. My ancestors on one side of my family are responsible for the enslavement and cruelty to my ancestors on the other side of my family tree.

Kuehl 3 I feel that to travel to the land of my ancestors, I would begin in England. I would start in Shropshire, the county where the village of Harnage is located. I would attend one of the several annual festivals they have. Shropshire is home to some of the county's best known performers. In the article, A Guide to Culture in Shropshire, the author talks about how many famous performers got their start at the small festivals in Shropshire. Performers start their careers in county performance schools and remain involved with them, nurturing the next generation (A Guide). After enjoying a few shows, I would definitely want to experience as much of their food as possible. I would hope to be able to attend the Ludlow Food and Drink Festival. Located in the midst of Ludlow Castle, the Ludlow Food and Drink festival celebrates the food that is made locally. The locals favorite is the Sausage Trail. Each year the local butchers rise to the challenge for winning the contest of having the best sausage in town. They make samples of their sausage that visitors can try then cast their vote as to who has the best sausage. If I were making the pilgrimage to the land of my heritage this year, I would hope to also visit the Secret Restaurant that is to be new at the Ludlow Food Festival. Shrouded in secrecy, all that is known of this mystery restaurant is that it is located eight miles from the festival. Seventy guests will take a fifteen minute ride, then a twenty minute walk to reach the restaurant. Once there, the guests will feast upon a seven course meal. The menu will be made up of food native to the country. Dishes will include wimberry, the damson, the crab apple, and the blackberry. The main course will be autumn lamb. After visiting England, I would then come back to the United States, hoping to depart from the country in Liverpool and arrive in America in the vicinity of Jamestown, just as my ancestors did. I would then take a leisurely, scenic drive to Cherokee, North Carolina. This is the ancient homeland of my Cherokee ancestors. In the town of Cherokee, natives have created a replica village of the way Cherokees lived back in the 1700s. They have named this village Oconaluftee, and in it I would watch as Cherokees make traditional trades, just as they did in the 1700s. In the article Shi-yo and Welcome, the author talks about the many activities the native have available to participate in. Everything is kept

Kuehl 4 as authentic as possible. After observing many Cherokees at work, I would head over to the Village Square Grounds where I would learn things like Cherokee worship, government, song, dance, and traditions (shi-yo). I would most definitely eat plenty of deer meat, as deer was the most important animal to the natives. The meat was eaten, and the skin was used for clothing. With all animals, the entire part of the animal was used for something. Nothing was left unused. I think it would be interesting to see the methods the natives used to skin the animals, tan their leather, and prepare their meat. The Cherokees fought in the Revolutionary War, and after experiencing their food and culture, I would like to visit some of the old battle fields that are preserved from the time of the war. I find it interesting that the Cherokee Natives actually fought on the side of the British, not the Americans. The Creek and Choctaw Natives also joined forces with the Cherokees and British, as they attacked the white man in the Revolutionary War. The natives fought hard to keep their land, but in the end the white man had heavier artillery. Bows and arrows were no match for guns and cannons. Touring Cherokee built log cabins would be an experience like no other. It is often believed that Natives lived in teepees. While it is true that some tribes lived in teepees, there were others that lived in log cabin style homes. Teepees were used by tribes that were more hunter and gatherers because the ease of putting up and tearing down the teepees enabled them to be more mobile. Cherokees were hunters and gatherers, but also farmers. This enabled them to live in log cabins, as opposed to teepees, because they did not have to follow herds as they migrated from one part of the country to another. Farming helped give them more control over their food so they could stay in one spot longer. To travel through my heritage, from the birthplace of my oldest known ancestor, to my home here, would be an amazing learning opportunity that I would not pass up. I could learn so much about their culture, language, food, dress, and life. I still do not believe my heritage can be defined by just one

Kuehl 5 country or culture, but the mixture that makes up my heritage has a fascinating story to tell. I would love to experience the story, from start to finish.

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Works Cited "A Guide to Culture in Shropshire." Shropshire News. N.p., May-June 2013.www.shropshirestar.com. "Shi-yo and Welcome." Visit Cherokee North Carolina. 08 Nov. 2013.www.visitcherokeenc.com.