Pequot Tribe Members Hit the Genetic Jackpot

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"I don't think you can relearn being Indian if it was lost," says Carrie Braine, 41, a Northern Cheyenne tribal council member from Lame Deer, Montana. "Many Indian people, especially those out West, believe that a 'real Indian' must have dark brown hair, dark eyes—you know the stereotype—and must not be too dark or too light. What I think matters is if you know your history, if you have a sense of your traditions, a sense of your religion."

Studies since the 1920s have shown that 30 to 70 percent of African Americans surveyed claim Indian ancestry. Quintard Taylor, professor of history at the University of Oregon at Eugene, says so-called "black Indians" once were afraid to challenge traditional racial classifications. "Today, the move toward multiculturalism and a growing acceptance of biracialism has opened this whole issue up," he says. "People who once wouldn't have been comfortable identifying themselves as 'black Indians' are now willing." Entertainers Tina Turner and Lena Horne are among those who have long claimed their Indian blood.

Whether others like it or not, the Pequot refuse to apologize for their good fortune. The tribe recently opened a Washington office on Pennsylvania Avenue, periodically uses high-powered lobbyists to protect its interests, and, according to the Federal Election Commission, between 1992 and October 1998 contributed $890,625 to the Democratic National Committee and $540,000 to the Republican National Committee. From black and poor to Indian and rich, the lost-and-found Pequot like Vinny Sebastian have come a long way. As he says, "Being given the right, or the inheritance, to the name of the Pequot is surely a blessing."

Leslie Goffe is a New York based journalist for BBC radio. From Emerge (Feb. 1999). Subscriptions: $18.95/yr. (10 issues) from Box 7126, Red Oak, IA 51591-0127.

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