Customer Reviews

Black Indians: An American Story [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The history of my own ancestors is reflected in this documentary. I descend from a mixed people, often called Melungeons, or Tri-racials: Indian,Black,& White bloodlines. My great great grandfather, D.C. Goings, was Wappoo/Wapoo Indian, a Cusabo People from South Carolina. He is mentioned in a book by Lawrence and Ruth Hipp about the history of Grover Hill,located in Paulding County, Ohio.
I am a member of the Notoweega Nation, a multi-tribal nation, and a Notoweega Pow Wow was held June 5, 2004 on the farm property belonging to D.C. Goings in Paulding County, Ohio. It has passed to his Goings descendents. We are attempting to recover as much of our Native American culture as is possible.
While I am not a historian, with the time and resources to research and verify all that is covered in this documentary film, I know that it is the historical experience of many Black people in the United States. Growing up on the same Hollywood image of Indians(i.e.,only Plains Indians living in tepees and hunting buffalo) as everyone else, the truths about the many Eastern Woodland Peoples and their subsequent mixing with Blacks and Whites before their eventual removal has been deliberately obscured from the mainstream history books. We're still here in spite of Pencil Genocide.

I have a copy of this video and found it to be excellent in the sense that this is one of two videos I have seen thus far in the past three years discussing the existance & history of Black Indians. It was great to see people of African & Native roots telling their story and the problems of racism and sterotype of Indians.

What I felt was missing from the video is the heart & spirituallity of the Indigenous people of the Mother land of Africa and Turtle Island, and that is the Drum.I think the opening of the documentary would have been much more powerful and spiritual in the introduction of our ancestors.Indeed, The drums ARE the voice of our ancestors.

Also missing was the honoring & celebration of our heritage. In true life, In our daily living ,You will find us giving thanks to the creator and remembering our ancestors and their teachings and celebrating the blessings of sacred Mother Earth .

I would have liked to see emphasis of our people at the powwows,not only dancing and participating in the ceremonies but making and selling their crafts.

I would have liked to see our children from infants on up being brought up the Indian way and learning their culture,customs,language and traditions.

Had all these things had been in the vidoe ,I would have rated it 5 stars, But it is an important start and I value it highly as a teaching tool which is why I give it 4 stars. I think the RICH HEAPE productions are to be commended for this refreshing and educational video on BLACK INDIANS.

I am African American/Montaukett/Brothertown/Narragansett

I purchased this DVD and I have to say that I watched it 10 Times!!!! :-) I am so happy that my elders are starting to speak up and out so those who are "lost" or brainwashed will start to wake up and question what we call "U.S. History." Personally, TRUE U.S. History consists of those who made this country what it is today. Native, African & European American influences.

I also wished they would have focused on Southeastern US Indians. For instance, Virginia; North & South Carolina,Georgia, etc. Our roots are very deep in this region of the U.S.

I too have a blended "American" identity. I consider myself a Black Indian. In today's society, I've learned that "we" are forced to choose by Black America, Native America and White America. I refuse to choose.

Now, I know that I have "extended family" (members of Black America and Native America) who will get upset if I choose Black over my Native American Heritage and vice versa. It's sad that "we" have to choose and are not accepted as Black Indians.

Overall, I do highly recommend this DVD for those who truely care about TRUE "U.S. History" and those who want to find out more regarding their blended heritage.

Ably narrative by James Earl Jones, Black Indians: An American Story explores racial identity among Native and African Americans in an in-depth, one-hour, video documentary. Chip Richie (Director), Steven R. Heape (Executive Producer), and Daniel Blake Smith (Screenwriter), successfully collaborate to vividly bring to light a long suppressed and chronically neglected cultural heritage and racial aspect of the American population. This resulting history and presentation is compelling within a modern day context and highly rewarding viewing for students of multicultural studies, Native American Studies, Black Studies; and American history.

I really enjoyed this documentary-style movie. I'm an African-American with Cherokee ancestory, which can especially be seen on my materal grandmothers side of the family. It really opens your eyes and makes you want to find out about where your family linage comes from. It explores the questions of how we came together, how we slit apart, and some of the difficulties we face in modern-day society. Everyone should watch this movie.

This documentary is essential to understand one side of American history, the possible union between the dispossessed Indians and the enslaved Blacks. This union never really succeeded, but the two blood lines intertwined because of marriages and various solidarities. Some Blacks escaped slavery by joining some Indians tribes and some children of the marriages of Blacks and Indians became very important and successful in American society. The descendants of these Black Indians still play an important role in American society. They got involved in the Civil Rights movement, led by the Blacks. And then they got involved in the Native-American movement that is still at work to permit these Native Americans to be recognized and accepted by American society. They had difficult periods in recent history because they were neither Black not Indians and they suffered the rejection by the Caucasians most of the time into the Black ethnic group, and yet they were not easily accepted in the Black community because they were not pure Blacks. The new generation that is born from them has to assume two cultural and ethnic backgrounds and this is very difficult. But this new generation is going to be the crossroads of the two ethnic and cultural lines and they can become the agents of an alliance between the two communities, which will represent a heavy argument for the opening of American society to diversity and to humane change. This alliance, that should not be closed to other cultural or ethnic groups, can push for a social evolution that could lead to a step forward in civilization, an example to the world how the joining of different cultural or ethnic groups can enrich each group and humanity as a whole. The future of humanity is in the crisscrossing of different cultural and ethnic lines in the respect and pride of each individual component.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan

While I have only one criticism of the program, I know and feel it is no small matter. Therefore, I will start with the negative (I apologize). My criticism is that the program too often simply reflects the passion of the moment. To great offense to me, a person being interviewed attributed his light complexion to his Indian/first nation culture. I think the program did not go far enough or better stated the program failed to make the point that at least some of the first nations culture were black in color, but not African.

What is needed, and hopefully is being done, is a documentary linking, at least some, first nation cultures with the black/dark skin Indians (at least some) of India. Suggestive to some, convincing to others evidence abounds. For example, the oral history of the "Cherokee" which states we began off the coast of South America coincides with the routes travel by ancient India (see: Conley, Robert, The Cherokee Nation: A History; page 109 and The Indians And The Amerindians - By Dr. B. Chakravarti page 82)

Yes, Columbus was partially correct in calling the first cultures Indians!

Nevertheless, Black Indians: An American Story is a good story that is told very well. Moreover, the program means a lot and is must see video.

The history of my own ancestors is reflected in this documentary. I descend from a mixed people, often called Melungeons, or Tri-racials: Indian,Black,& White bloodlines. My great great grandfather, D.C. Goings, was Wappoo/Wapoo Indian, a Cusabo People from South Carolina. He is mentioned in a book by Lawrence and Ruth Hipp about the history of Grover Hill,located in Paulding County, Ohio.
I am a member of the Notoweega Nation, a multi-tribal nation, and a Notoweega Pow Wow was held June 5, 2004 on the farm property belonging to D.C. Goings in Paulding County, Ohio. It has passed to his Goings descendents. We are attempting to recover as much of our Native American culture as is possible.
While I am not a historian, with the time and resources to research and verify all that is covered in this documentary film, I know that it is the historical experience of many Black people in the United States. Growing up on the same Hollywood image of Indians(i.e.,only Plains Indians living in tepees and hunting buffalo) as everyone else, the truths about the many Eastern Woodland Peoples and their subsequent mixing with Blacks and Whites before their eventual removal has been deliberately obscured from the mainstream history books. We're still here in spite of Pencil Genocide.

I had one problem with this video and this often reflects the mindset of many African Americans today. One lady said something to the extent that she want her children and grandchildren to be proud to be Indian but black first. I almost vomited hearing her say that. I mean why is black more important than the Native blood? The one drop rule drop rule was created by whites, surely she was not ignorant enough to let that dictate her beliefs I hope? If that is the case she might as well call herself black and quit exploiting Native American culture. To make a comment like that is a slap in the face to all Native Americans cause it's like saying, we want the romanticism of your culture but nothing else.

Also, there seems to be lots of blacks just like the whites who holler their grandmas or whatever were Cherokee. This has got to be the biggest lie in history. There were tons and tons of other tribes around and I can't figure out for the life of me why Cherokee! People need to do their research. I almost screamed while watching a documentary about Jimi Hendrix when the narrator said his mom was part Cherokee and they used to visit her reservation in British Columbia in the summer. I was like WTF!!!!!!!!! There are no Cherokee reservations in British Columbia Canada. The tribes in BC include the Stolo, Carrier, Haida etc. Furthermore, there are no Cherokees in Washington state. People just blurt out Cherokee all the while making themselves look real stupid. Do your research. If during the time that all those Cherokee grandmas were living, this would put the Cherokee population above both blacks and whites combined and we know this wasn't true. Cherokees did not out number both blacks and whites. Furthermore, those Cherokee grandmas were often mulattoes who were ashamed of calling themselves black. Saying Cherokee was more chic and better for the ego.

Native or First Nations People continue to struggle with colonialists perceptions of who they are. This is evidenced by the blatant use of stereotypical images as sports team logos for example. What this brief documentary film provides is a basis for discussion after viewing it about the history of the settlement of the Americas through multiple lenses. One aspect of this film I appreciated was the presence of eastern people, often considered to have vanished or not to be "real Indians" because of the so-called "blood quantum" rule, or the more offensive racially-based criteria of not "looking like" an Indian. In an educational setting, the film raises cultural identity as a viable entry into discussions about culture versus color in present day society.