Friday, June 20, 2014

Famous Melungeons.....NOT

Just to see what might show up, I Googled ‘famous melungeons’. Anyone who has studied these people who were called 'Melungeons' might think that names like Vardy Collins, Shepard ‘Buck’ Gibson, Charles Gibson, Solomon Collins, Zachariah Minor, Micajer Bunch, or Mahala Mullins nee Collins would show up in such a search. 
Most of what is shown in this search is a list of non-melungins, counterfeit melungins, if you will, photos and all.
One of the first sites to show this, is a Facebook site 'Melungeons Community'. Stated is: "Famous Melungeons, Famous politicians, musicians, actors, and celebrities of Melungeon descent." With the following 5 photos shown:


Maybe this Facebook site should change it's name to 'Phoney Melungeons'. Others add Steve Martin and Heather Locklear to this list of "Famous Melungeons".
All this is a perfect example of the misinformation spread in the "PBKN" [Post Brent Kennedy Nonsense] era by the 'Melungeon Movement'. These people are no more descendants of the historical people who were called melungins than a piss-ant. Where are the citations ? Can't be posted, as there are none.
UPDATE : I was informed by a blog reader, that this Facebook account is using a Copywrited photo, with out the owners permission. The photo in question can be seen here. It's the small photo of Mahala Mullins' cabin. From the email I received from the Copyright owner:  "
"This group is using my picture of Mahala cabin without permission 'Melungeons Unite' I personally took the picture with my camera after walking 2 miles through the woods to get there. It's on the front cover of my book "Melungeons and other Pioneer Families"  copyright 2000."
"Looks like some one has 'sticky fingers' or in this case a sticky cursor. Shame, shame.........
In fact, I'll give a $100 bill to the first person who can show documented facts connecting any of these people in a direct line to the people who were historically called Melungins.
Before anymore rumors are started, I can guarantee that Newman Ridge was not named after the following person:


 
"History is being made with each new distortion. It behooves all those who respect history and their heritage to make every effort to control efforts of those who purposely or inadvertently exploit a proud people for their own self aggrandizement."

Jim Callahan, descendant of Mahala Mullins nee Collins, Author :
'Lest We Forget: The Melungeon Colony of Newman's Ridge'


That's my 2 cents

16 comments :

  1. Elizabeth Bunch SmiddyJune 23, 2014 at 9:49 PM

    Who owns the "Melungeons Unite" site on F/B?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't know, Libby. I don't use Facebook, so I can't make a comment on their FB page. With that said, I don't trust sites etc that are anonymous, to me they are hiding something. Sign of a spineless creature.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Apreciate the Heads Up !

    ReplyDelete
  4. Robeson County NC has a large population of folks known as Lumbee Indians (about 40,000.) A prominent surname among this group is "Locklear." In the 1800's a portion of the Lumbees migrated to Georgia. Heather Locklear is from Georgia. I don't know if they are still alive or still drive through, but Heather Locklear's parents used to stop in Robeson County at a local eatery owned by local Lockears and they would talk about their connections. I don't have proof, but I am convinced that Heather Locklear is a descendant of the Lumbee tribe.

    The Lumbees identify as Native American, however they have had difficulty gaining federal recognition due in part to lack of ability to document their culture. They do not have their own language. Many of them have dark skin and "Indian" features, but they were recorded as living in English style housing and using European farming methods as far back as the 1700's. Some people claim that they are a mixed race people and that that is why they have been unable to gain federal recognition. They do have state recognition and do receive some federal money for housing and education. I think they receive federal money because of their state recognition, though they do not get all the benefits that they would receive if they were federally recognized. An argument could be made that they are being punished for having assimilated to the European culture early on.

    Here are a couple of resources for more information about the Lumbee:

    http://www.lumbeetribe.com/~lumbeetr/
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumbee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment. I'm not a Lum, so I don't know if Heather Locklear is a Lumbee Tribal member or not, or even a descendent. That's up to the Lumbee's to decide. But as a descendent of the people who were called Melungeons, I do know the 'celebrities' listed above are not.

      Delete
    2. My great grandmother was a Locklair. Different spelling from the traditional Lumbee surname. However, according to family research, we are descended from the Lumbee tribe.

      Delete
  5. Elvis Presley, who shows up so often on the putative Melungeon lists, dyed his hair black and was pretty much Scotch-Irish

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have not seen any genealogy that would prove that Elvis Presley descended from the historic people that wee called Melungeons.

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  6. Megan Fox is not have American Indian but Melungeon, and she come from a area in Tenn. where many of them live

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    Replies
    1. I didn't list Megan Fox on this post. In fact I'd never heard of her before. With a little research, I found she was born 1986 in either Memphis Tennessee, Rockford , Tennessee (Roane County),or Oak Ridge, Tennessee (Anderson County and Roane County). Seems to be confusion there. I have no idea if she descends from the people who were historically called Melungeons in Hawkins County and Hancock County Tennessee.
      Only a study of her genealogy would confirm that. An article at 'EthniCeleb' states she is "Ethnicity: English, as well as smaller amounts of Scottish, German, French, Northern Irish (Scots-Irish), Welsh, possibly 1/256th Powhatan Native American. Key word 'possibly'.

      http://tinyurl.com/jjklzqx

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    2. I used to work with Megan Fox's first cousin and she is from Crossville Tn. Her cousin's last name is Howard. BTW Gibby Gibson is my 8th great grandfather.

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    ReplyDelete
  8. lasertest, thank you very much for your comments. This blog belonged to my cousin, Don Collins, who passed away in February, and was the blogger. Even though my comment will post as Don Collins, it is not he who is answering you. I am a major novice also, just trying my best to keep the gospel music and Holiday specials going both for him and the wonderful folks who enjoy it so much. Best of luck with your blog, and I apologize that your first comment disappeared somehow. I wasn't notified of any other comment/post from you except this last one, which I just approved.

    ReplyDelete
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