Why do a lot of people claim Cherokee blood but never Blackfeet blood or even Navajo blood, why it's always Cherokee but never other tribes?

Most people who say they have native blood really don't.

As far as I know, DNA tests still aren't specific enough to determine native ancestry, let alone tribal affiliation. Genealogical studies are the standard here but I can't speak for everyone.

At least I know where I'm from, most people have been told through the family lore that they have Cherokee ancestry somewhere along the line. Back in the day people thought they had access to land rights and some even managed to weasel in (not including the significant amount of freed slaves who were rightfully given land) So the stories were passed down through the generations. The rolls aren't perfect but it's the best records that exist to confirm or deny.

Of course that's in NC and TN. Where I live now everyone claims to be a "Seminole" 😁 I always thought people cling to the most popular regional nations but I haven't been too far away from home haha

They want to be like us but don't want our struggles.

It's because prior to the Trail of Tears the Cherokee were one of the few Native tibes that intermarried extensively with whites, blacks, and other tribes in an effort to build trade relations. Then after the Trail of Tears the Cherokee sorta took on mythical status with white people. So claiming Cherokee became romaticised and also kinda easy because of the prolific intermarriages.

I believe it's there are multiple reasons for it...

1) Cherokee were forced to integrate with non-native Americans more and interacted and socializing and a bread more than a lot of the more western tribes.

2) Part of this, was the great force movements of the Cherokee, where they were forced to either integrate with the non-Indians, or forced to go freaking long distances... to what was considered worse or unwanted land.

3) Piss poor records if any records at all... and if there was any Indian at all, they claimed to be Cherokee because that was more recognize more known, more supported, etc.


Such as my Uncle in law on my Mom Side clearly has some non-white and he has always claimed to be Cherokee. But his family is from where my dad grew up... and there was never any Cherokee there.

After decades and research, they have figured out that they are actually probably Lumbee Tribe and not Cherokee.

Well, the Lumbee Tribe, still til this day are not federally recognized as a tribe. And the Cherokee and Choctaw and still telling Congress that they should not ever recognize the Lumbee as a tribe.

For multiple reasons, including (but not limited to) they don't want to share the resources or the advantages that come with being recognized as an official Federal tribe.

So, everyone just says they're Cherokee, to make it simpler, to get officially recognize and get the benefits...

You should see it up here in Canada it’s nuts Everybody claims to be an Indian so they can get something free pay no taxes but I pay for it and other taxpayers.

My grandfather was born on a Choctaw reservation. He took me to see it when I was a small child. In spite of that, I don’t have a large amount of Native dna. My niece, on the other hand, has a significant amount of Inuit dna from her father’s side. We discovered she still has an 80 year old great aunt who lives in Canada.

Romanticism, better documentation, longer trade ties with outsiders, and intermarriage. It’s lots of reasons… and often times it’s also a tale that’s false.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2015/10/cherokee-blood-why-do-so-many-americans-believe-they-have-cherokee-ancestry.html

because there was money involved if you were cherokee. you could claim you were cherokee and get reparations

Because often times they’re lying and that’s the only tribe they know of

Because they're liars

On top of other things people mentioned, Cherokee is one of the few tribes the people that claim it can actually name. Not in a lost history sense, they simply found the "popular" one and stuck with it.

The Cherokee have a reservation in North Carolina so there are actually many Cherokee here and many others with varying degrees of Cherokee ancestry.

That's the only tribe they've ever heard of when they make their fake claims.

Yes I am likely the only white person in u.s. not claiming to be part indian..

I found the reference. It is called the Dawes Rolls if you want to look it up

I have papers proving Cherokee

It seems like "Cherokee" is the generic Native American identity. Like our politician, Elizabeth Warren, there are people who claim to be Native but have no connection to Cherokee people or culture, many outright lie about it. I have to say that people like that make me angry.

If there are people claiming "Cherokee" blood who don't live on reservations and have skin White as snow, they have no clue how genetics works.

Theu dont like the name navajo i just found that out it was a name given to them by the spanish and has bad energy

They’re peaceful ppl.. 😀

Err I’m from the Apache.. and I’m here for your scalp

I may have Apache my great great grandma on moms side was supposedly apache

A good question and I suspect money is at the cause of that too

My granddaughter is half Chippewa.
She's 15. ❤️😇/😈

Chesapeake Mud indian I believe 👌🏽 *Me

$5 indians

$

I think it is called the Dawes Commission to determine who was Indian and who was not. My family married Cherokee

Romanticism

why not Zuni

Those Cherokee ancestors of mine were horn dogs...😅

Because that's the one they know about.

I know a family with Blackfeet blood.

Creek is in my ancestry, but it's so many generations removed as to not be something I can identify with. I just know it's in there.

Its a fun word to say.