# 65 -- CALL ME REDBONE!

By Gary J. Gabehart

Depending on your thought processes, you can view Redbones as Redbones or Melungeons as Melungeons -- no matter what you call them, they were still a group of mysterious people in any ones book. It did not matter then, and it does not matter now whether the words were derogatory or not. It was a label that stuck!

Reclusive, clannish, standoffish, not friendly, minded their own business and just did not associate with other societies yet took offense to anyone sticking their noses into their business. Sounds like the neighborhood I lived in opposing the nearby hoods of similar folks yet those who were just a little bit apart.

With the Redbones, it was those folks down the road who lived in the Piney Woods next to the swamps. For the Melungeon's, it was the folks up there on the ridge, or over the ridge, who we know nothing about. In either case, society was left wondering what was happening and rumors likely flew hot and heavy.

It was a clash of developing cultures aside under-developing cultures as perceived by usually the White guy in control. Of course, it did take a good many years of "whose mo better." This attitude likely began before Jamestown and was ingrained in every White generation there after. The White guy had guns, big boats with sails, gadgets and some technology, why shouldn't he have all the control? He likely had the best land, more wealth and the grand house.

None of this is new, it's always been the folks on the other side of the tracks, the ones living in the shanties surrounded by dead and dying grass who took the cultural beating -- the have not's against those who had the most.

So why wouldn't these concepts apply to the Redbone or the Melungeon cultures, isolates or groups. It did not matter what you called them, they were still those people.

The question now is just who were those people? And that is for the folks who study and do the genealogy work in the trenches to discover. Where did they come from, what was their ethnicity's, what was in the apparent mix if anything -- what were their roots?

In the course of those investigations come the question of who (the people) were the real Redbones or the Melungeons? They have to be sorted from the half- Redbone or the half-Melungeon from marriage or association, and sorted again from the wannabe Redbone/ Melungeon who just wants a place to fit in.

Same things happen with the wannabe Indians. They pick a fashionable tribe, give themselves an Indian sounding name like "little wren" or some such "little" something and run around with a feather in their hair while mixing Indian cultures, regalia and hang out at Pow Wows -- usually picking up women. But that's how it goes!

So aside from doing real research on who was a real Redbone or a real Melungeon, you have to deal with the kooks and nut cases who want to be. And then there are the Trolls who create counter sites to dispel valid research, but those folks, you have to ask the question why? There is never an answer to why -- they never have a good reason.

The work done by the RHF and the MHA are leaps and bounds ahead of the lazy bunch who would constantly dispute these findings by whining about the definition of a Redbone or Melungeon and where they came from. Ask to see "their research" relevant to what they are talking about, and don't accept quotes from other people whose research is suspect.

Redbones and Melungeons were mixed race people. They were mixed race Indians. They were likely mixed race Europeans and other mixed races -- as a whole, you'll never put a pedigree on all of them.

Best,

Gary J. Gabehart, Mishiho (Mish-eh-ho)
Mishiho@aol.com

# 38 BOGUS REDBONE SITES -- MIS-INFORMATION!

By Gary J. Gabehart

If you Google the Internet, you will find a crush of Melungeon and Redbone sites all professing to have the true definitions of these mixed race peoples. The telling fact is that if they have a definition other than mixed race peoples, they are wholly bogus sites.

There is no definitive definition by individual ethnicity.

Having said that, I expect there will be a rush by these bogus sites to mend their heresy in some way. But remember, there is no definition for either group other than mixed race people.
True, you will find a Turkish influence as well as Portuguese, but you will find many more Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Native American, European Ancestries and more. A melting pot of, as the Louisiana French called, "Lagniappe" (look it up, it will be fun).

The Helen Campbell site is best known as borderline at the moment by some folks, but could be somewhat authoritative on the Melungeon issues. What is lacking is whether she is, or is not, blessed by official Melungeon Research sites. She did capture the blog site name known as:

http://melungeons.blogspot.com/

There is however, two well known Melungeon factions in the Vardy Tennessee area (maybe more), Ridgers (Newman's Ridge) and the low land folks of Brent Kennedy. It is sometimes difficult to tell where everyone stands, but I would not discount Helen's work.

The Redbone Heritage Foundation site contains the unvarnished work and archives of many researchers. It is pure energy and total research in it's rawest and pristine form. Check it out, but it is slow to load!

http://www.redboneheritagefoundation.com/

http://ashworths.blogspot.com/

It is a shame that he includes the name Ashworth in this Blog. But, it is thought that his Negro heritage (his published DNA report) along with Larry Keels heritage, may come from E3b factions (West Africa) within these families -- a fact that neither can tolerate. But, get over it, it's history and you're not living in the old South of the 1800's -- it's time to quit hiding it.

Note the names of his Louisiana cousins and pictures. Are they accurate? Unfortunately, he is a 5 th cousin of mine, but you can't pick your relatives.

Nothing would be complete here without mentioning LV Hayes. Hayes gets a tiny bit off track on his e-site at times, but although some of his posting could be strongly debated in his attacks on others, he is fair and usually accurate with what he posts in the way of research, and unlike Larry Keels, has made a successful e-site, and ....... he does not talk to himself. Just two important factors.

To the Larry Keels e-site folks, I say contact LV.

lvhayes@worldnet.att.net

The RanDs site is a Goins think tank and well worth joining. They began with Goins and now research all the related families and more. If you like in depth research and archives, it is one of the best on the web with a little bit more -- Lagniappe! This site is operated by Stacy Webb.

http://rands.parrottfarms.com/

The point of this Blog is, for the newbies and honest researchers out there, you are going to run into a lot of bed-wetting, snert monkeys on the web, and nothing is sacred even in Redbone Country. But, there are decent research sites.

Gary J. Gabehart, Mishiho (Mish-eh-ho)
Mishiho@aol.com