Michael Jackson and The Jackson Family American Indian Icons

The documented American Indian history of the First Family of Entertainment Choctaw / Blackfoot Cherokee and FIRST TRIBE

Joe Jackson's Autobiography

Chapter One : Our Ancestors

The name Jackson was received by us from my great-grandfather on the part of the father, July Gale.

Nobody called him July, everybody called him just Jack.

Great-grandfather Jack was born in tribe Choctaw in the beginning of 19 century. He was an Indian shaman.

And he was very much appreciated for abilities for doctoring. Also Jack in his youth worked as a scout in the USA army.

Then great-grandfather has fallen in love with the fine girl by name Gina. In 1838 they gave birth to their first son, a boy whom they have named Israel. Unfortunately in past was so, that if one of the child's parents was a slave, the child also was considered a slave.

Indian Jack was " the free person ", but my great-grandmother unfortunately was a slave, that's why Israel couldn't hope for anything else, at least not yet.

When Israel has grown up, people have nicknamed him Nero. Nero, son of Jack, and eventually from this it has turned to Nero Jack-son.

As well as my great-grandfather, Nero was tall and light-skinned, with high cheekbones and small sparkling eyes. And he was very proud of himself. Nero was still a boy when Jack started to transfer him his shaman knowledge. But despite of gift to doctoring and despite of his need for the tribe, to affliction of his parents, Nero has been sold to a plantation, to Louisiana. As well as other slaves, Nero had to eat there and then where it was told by the owners - kneeling before a low trough from which he scooped with a spoon. Soon Nero had enough of it and he ran away. The owner of a plantation immediately has sent people which searched all night long and have caught the fluent slave on the river, many miles away from the plantation. They have beaten Nero, up so bad, that he lost litres of his blood.

When some months later Nero has finally recovered, his owner wanted to sell him, but slaves which has previously escaped, were impossible to sell under the same high price, so instead of it owner of Nero has decided to force him to work as much as possible. My grandfather was tormented on crude cotton fields of the South, held down on hands and legs. Once fetters all the same have removed, and Nero has again dared to run away. This time the owner of a plantation himself has headed search group and has appointed the award to the one who will catch Nero. He was afraid, that other slaves will follow his example if he will not catch it him. And when he has really tracked down Nero, he has taken a heated chimney nipper and squeezed his nose with them until Nero has fallen without feelings. He has left my grandfather to lay on the ground because thought, that Nero was dead. But he was so strong, that has gone through also this awful punishment! But scars of the burn have remained with him up to the end of his days.

For the time, that Nero has lived on a plantation in Louisiana, he had 6 children born from his girlfriend. Later he married an Indian Choctaw - well, she was an Indian only on 3/4 - my grandmother Emmaline. Probably, his life with my grandmother was some kind of a refuge from awful working conditions, and those who has enthralled him, could only be jealous at harmonies of his marriage and home life. They did not need many money to be happy because they loved each other. Emmaline was from Louisiana, she has gone to her mother slightly yellowish color of a skin.

When the president Lincoln released slaves on May, 31, 1865 Nero's situation got better. At last he could earn for a life adequately - selling the Indian medicines. With time he became famous because he has cured hundreds of people. His abilities of the sorcerer became widely known, and people came from far away so he'd he help them.

Grandfather Nero conducted a simple life and has saved so much money, that he and my grandmother could get a farm in Sunnyvale in Mississippi. He has paid with cash for 120 hectares of the fertile ground. There Nero and Emmaline had 15 children (and in general Nero had 21 children). My grandfather, grandmother and all their huge clan was fed from this ground where they planted corn, tomatoes, other vegetables, held chickens, pigs and cows.

Nero then frequently wandered in the woods to collect grasses. From roots and other parts he made broth, spilled it in bottles and gave it to the patients to drink, he made also ointments of various wood grasses. With this things he treated Indians and former slaves, and they paid for it to him with what they could.

Nero also liked to sing and frequently executed old military dances of Choctaw. Once Saturday evening the sheriff and his people have blocked with ropes the street on which he danced, and have tried to arrest him for infringement of a public order, but Nero has felt danger. He has jumped on the horse, has elegantly jumped through an obstacle and has escaped. After that the sheriff has left him alone.