Educational Updates

The Leona Mitchell Southern Heights Heritage Center and Museum Proudly introduces tidbits of educational information on the descendants of Ethnic Native Americans and Indian Freedmen of the 5 Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole Nations).

In modern times, Ethnic Native Americans and Indian Freedmen (more commonly known as "Black Indians," are used to going quietly about their day-to-day lives without fanfare, due to so many years of public and private denial of their ancestry. However, they resolutely kept the stories, traditions and whatever small bits of evidence they could hold onto about their true Native origins. An even greater number of Black Indians (once removed from Indian Territory by man-made disasters like the Civil War and the Dust Bowl) would have lost their identity entirely had it not been for a dedicated core of Elders passing down oral stories of their unusual ancestry.

Tribes for the most part, are comprised of families and/or allied family groups, communities or persons having historically documented shared origins, affiliations, inhabitance and residency in a defined geographical jurisdiction within the legal-political sphere of influence of a Tribal Nation, Scept or Kinship Group. In North America, the Tribal Nations (particularly larger, more powerful Tribes spanning from the Pacific West to the Atlantic Coast) also hosted Colonies of Ethnic Tribal Persons and Tribute Tribes from groups outside their own dynamic kin groups.

We now know that these Ethnic Tribal Nations and Colonies of Free Persons were Mound-builders, Founders of original Indigenous Settlements such as California Missions, Loreto, Mexico, La Jolla, Mishongnovi, Oraibi, Ophir, Cushtushka and many more places that will definately surprise you with every reveal.

Certain of the Descendants of these Ethnic Indian and Freedmen Tribal Nations remain closely affiliated with the Leona Mitchell Southern Heights Heritage Center and Museum. We are pleased to share the stories of their Reorganized Bands with you.

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United Ishtehotopih Band of the Chickasaw Nation

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United Tuscaloosa Band of the Choctaw Nation

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Chunchula Alabama Band of the Mississippi Choctaw Nation

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United Warrior Band of Seminoles

AKA, Seminole Negro Scouts

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Kelly Carolina Cherokee-Blackfeet Band of the Cherokee Nation

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United Loyal Muskogee Creek Band of the Creek Nation