Posted by MMMMarcia on February 24, 1999 at 22:07:21:
In Reply to: Re: War Clubs versus ... Nut Crackers???? posted by Champ on February 24, 1999 at 20:53:29:
Champ wrote:
: >>Exactly MMMMarcia!
: I have an uncle [thru marriage] who is a full-blooded Blackfoot, and as a child I recall visiting his home where he proudly showed me a Colt Army 1861 model revolver, that his ancestors took from the body of a US cavalryman they killed in battle [he showed me how to load it etc, saying that by the time you reloaded it you were scalped!]. He was quite proud of the Blackfoot warrior ways, as are many Mohawks I know that reenact with Butler's Rangers [etc] portraying their ancestors who fought under Joseph Brant's leadership. Just as the FoolCrow's in Montana, who host an annual "Custer's Last Stand" reenactment each year, on land they own that part of the actual battlefield is on!
: And my friend, Capt. Tuklo, in Oklahoma, who along with other Cherokees & Choctaws reenact as Stand Watie's Cherokee Braves of the Confederacy [War Between The States].
: You are right, the "warriors path" is very much a part of our heritage & should not be buried.
>>I'm glad you agree, Champ...though some of the battles you mention were fought after the arrival of the (dreaded) White Man, and Mr. Means might feel they are examples of Europeans corrupting the un-warlike Indians. But I have read many accounts of wars between tribes and cultures that exceeded simply "counting coup" and don't believe that the American Indian never needed a warclub for any purpose until the arrival of the whites. You would know better than I, but isn't this pretty much accepted as truth by most?
: I also celebrate the warrior spirit of my [mainly] Scottish & Irish heritage as well, why just today I found out about a parental line, the McReynolds, who came from Keppoch area of Scotland, to Ireland to escape English rule, then Ireland to the American Carolinas to once again escape the English, and then helped throw out the English from America! ;-) [my direct ancestor, Joseph McReynolds, at age 16 was wounded & crippled at the Battle of Camden, SC, Aug.16,1780].
>>This is very interesting. I have Scottish ancestors on my mother's side, as well, and wish I knew more about that part of my heritage. (Did you like Braveheart?)
: Part of my reenacting [18th & 19th centuries] is a way of trying to "capture" & celebrate that "warrior spirit" of my own bloodlines.
>>You are lucky to be able to participate in the reenacting. I'm sure it is exciting & fun, as well as a meaningful link to your roots.
: As I said in an earlier post, I for one am proud of BOTH my Cherokee & Celtic warrior heritage, and will never "water it down" to suit a PC driven world.
>>Good for you! While I strongly believe in trying to be sensitive to the feelings of others, it can certainly be carried to excess, can't it? We should each be proud of our roots, warts and all, as it is that very heritage which makes us who we are today. I say celebrate the past, revel in the present, and look forward to the future! That's Life!
MMMMarcia