The number of white kids who grow up being told "you've got Cherokee in you" is simply staggering. In my case it was Choctaw that I was told I'm related to, but after all this time of seeing so many other white people go "I've got Indian in me!" I have serious doubts about my own parents claim.

My advice to all the other white kids out there who honestly want to get involved with Native history and rights... Don't do like Ward Churchill and Liz Warren. it doesn't matter if you've got Indians in your family tree or not, so long as you're honest in your interest and willing to accept that the men and women who live on the rez are going to be the experts on what that's like.

I feel very ordinary and certainly was never rich or powerful. Nor did I ever benefit from a relationship with a rich or powerful family member.

I scoffed. Turned out to be true, undoubtedly true.

So, you never know about these stories.

And it is nearly impossible to research Indian ancestry. People who intermarried hid the ethnicity of their spouses. People changed their names.

I don't think I am of Indian ancestry, but I have cousins who are -- and their mother was from Oklahoma. A lot of white people from families who lived in Oklahoma fairly early on have some intermarriage with Indian people.

And, some people with mixed Indian-Anglo heritage hid their Indian ancestry when it was convenient for them -- and vice versa -- claimed it if it meant for instance a tax exemption or some advantage.

my brother-in-law spent years doing just that and traced our Native American ancestors back to the 1830's. Yes, there were name changes (due to difficult Native spellings and the attempts by the church to "Americanize" us) but he persevered and did a wonderful job. He spent a great deal of time at the National Archives, on Ancestry.com and public libraries doing research.

I also have nieces, nephews who are blonde with blue eyes and we're all "card carrying" Indians! (which means we're on a recognized tribal roll)!

The only person in our family history of the past few hundred years who was illiterate. But there could be some explanation other than that she was of Indian ethnicity.

It doesn't matter the quantum....if Indian blood runs through your veins...and your CDIB card says so...you are Indian. A Native American!!

Most likely, my sisters ex-husband side had Russian mixed in at some point.

the rest are still Native American no matter what all the rest of the tribe thinks. And I actually have the genealogy to prove it.

It is good that we all know what people that supposedly represent our Native American rights are doing or not doing.