Customer comments on this Youngstown Ohio Book
 Exactly what I needed to see!!
I'm a black american, but when I was at 11 or 12 years old, my wonderful father told me that his grandmother on his father's side was Half-Cherokee Indian. After doing some reading and research on American Indians, I have become more proud of my Cherokee Indian heritage than my so called African heritage(due to the fact Indians have suffered the worst oppression in our country and for a black man to embrace or find his ancestry other than African is still considered wrong in the black community). Even by the dvd's admittance, it is the black community as a whole frowns on those blacks who embrace their mixed blood ancestry. I for one am proud of all my ancestry, which Cherokee Indian and black on my father's side and white, Asian Indian and black on my mother's side. I don't buy this one drop black blood rule and I personally would like to thank the creators of this dvd as well as Tiger Woods for standing up against the status quo in the black community. I am planning on to find my cherokee heritage with my father, when I go home on leave and hope to my Great Grandmother's kin among the Cherokee Nation.
 Not quite excellent, but...
While I have only one criticism of the program, I know and feel it is no small matter. Therefore, I will start with the negative (I apologize). My criticism is that the program too often simply reflects the passion of the moment. To great offense to me, a person being interviewed attributed his light complexion to his Indian/first nation culture. I think the program did not go far enough or better stated the program failed to make the point that at least some of the first nations culture were black in color, but not African.
What is needed, and hopefully is being done, is a documentary linking, at least some, first nation cultures with the black/dark skin Indians (at least some) of India. Suggestive to some, convincing to others evidence abounds. For example, the oral history of the "Cherokee" which states we began off the coast of South America coincides with the routes travel by ancient India (see: Conley, Robert, The Cherokee Nation: A History; page 109 and The Indians And The Amerindians - By Dr. B. Chakravarti page 82)
Yes, Columbus was partially correct in calling the first cultures Indians!
Nevertheless, Black Indians: An American Story is a good story that is told very well. Moreover, the program means a lot and is must see video.
What is it does it mean to be Native American?
I really enjoyed this documentary-style movie. I'm an African-American with Cherokee ancestory, which can especially be seen on my materal grandmothers side of the family. It really opens your eyes and makes you want to find out about where your family linage comes from. It explores the questions of how we came together, how we slit apart, and some of the difficulties we face in modern-day society. Everyone should watch this movie.
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