As you mention Joe and Dillard Perry that is an incredible case! I have been pulling out documents, and find an incredible level of racism. The Chickasaw grandmother, had never laid eyes, on her grandsons Joe and Dillard, both young boys and had no particular interest in doing so. Her son Charles Perry, had married their mother, (contrary to what many persons want to believe, there were some marriages and committed relationships between Indian men and women who were African ancestored.)

Their mother sought to have them enrolled as citizens by blood, and it turns out that the grandmother admitted to the commission how much she had detested the marriage of her son to his wife Eliza.

Nevertheless these children, eventually won their case, to then have it rescinded, to then be reinstated again. At the same time, when given status "by blood" the nation never considered giving them the appropriate land allotment, and kept their land allotment level at the "Freedmen" level. As poor people with little access to education they probably never realized this difference and it appears that they may have lost their land, anyway, as it was interestingly given to them, as children.

However, these cases reveal a good amount about the times and temprament. It is interesting how little many of the citizens themselves actually know about their own history, the continued apartheid-like practices that are now considered "tradition".

Please continue to share more!

-Angela-