A History of American Mixed-Bloods

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 Oral traditions and archaeological theories suggest early contact with African, Chinese, Polynesian, and even Egyptian explorers long before Columbus.
 

Trade, cultural exchange, and possible intermarriage may have occurred between Native peoples and these ancient visitors.
 

Mesoamerican and Mississippi cultures begin to flourish with advanced cities and ceremonial structures.

 Norse explorers establish settlements in Vinland (modern-day Newfoundland).
 

Oral histories from Northeastern tribes speak of “pale-skinned travelers” arriving by boat.
 

Some theories suggest limited intermarriage and trade between Norse and Indigenous peoples.

African sailors and escaped slaves arrive in the Americas with Iberian ships.
 

Intermixing begins between Native peoples and African/European seafarers, particularly in the Southeast.
 

Early Spanish and French records note “mestizo” and “mulatto” tribal members living in harmony with Indigenous communities.

In Canada and the northern U.S., French fur traders marry Indigenous women, creating the Métis Nation, a proud mixed-heritage people.
 

Métis become skilled diplomats, interpreters, and leaders in both Indigenous and colonial worlds.

 U.S. government policies like the Indian Removal Act (1830) begin displacing entire nations.
 

Blood quantum laws introduced, designed to restrict Native identity by measuring “percentages” of ancestry.
 

Mixed-blood individuals often left stateless—unrecognized by government and tribe alike.

Louis Riel leads Métis uprisings to protect mixed-heritage land and culture.
 

Ely S. Parker, a Seneca man of mixed ancestry, drafts surrender terms at Appomattox.
 

Jane Schoolcraft, born of Ojibwe and Irish parents, becomes the first known Native literary author.

Thousands of Native and mixed-blood children are forcibly removed to residential schools, where they are punished for speaking Indigenous languages or practicing cultural traditions.
 

Tribal enrollment rolls and government-recognized tribes exclude many with mixed ancestry, despite their deep community roots.

 The American Indian Movement (AIM) sparks a national wave of cultural revival and Native pride.
 

Mixed-blood individuals begin reconnecting with Indigenous roots through oral history, genealogy, and DNA testing.
 

Many, however, remain unrecognized by tribal governments due to blood quantum and enrollment barriers.

 Alexander Ziwahatan and co-founders establish the Sakochee Tribe of Native American Descendants in Eugene, Oregon.
 

The tribe forms as a cultural and sovereign community for mixed-blood individuals who have Native ancestry but are excluded from other tribes.
 

Originally called The Nwambu People, the name is later changed to The Una Nation, and finally to “Sakochee” to better reflect their distinct identity.