Ol Dirty Bastard proven American Indian by genealogist Hip Hip wins AGAIN
- Ishmael Bey
- 1 minute ago
- 3 min read
Ol' Dirty Bastard (ODB), born Russell Tyrone Jones, was a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan and a distinctive voice in hip-hop. Beyond his musical legacy, ODB's heritage includes lineage from the Shinnecock Indian Nation, an Indigenous tribe based in Long Island, New York. This aspect of his identity reflects the broader, often overlooked narrative of Black-Indigenous ancestry in America.
Black-Indigenous individuals often face challenges in having their full heritage acknowledged. Historical records, such as the Dawes Rolls, frequently misclassified people of mixed ancestry, listing them solely as African American or Freedmen, even when they had verifiable Native lineage. This misclassification has had lasting effects, impacting tribal membership, access to resources, and cultural recognition.
Here you can see for yourself how the genealogist goes into deep details of Asun's Family history including his Cousin RZA and the Census has his Ancestor listed and American Indian , THEN in the next Census 10 years apart the Misclassification of the same person as " Black"
Entire Episode
The caption reads: “Wickham Cuffee, born in 1826, was the son of Sarah Bunn and Vincent Cuffee. He came from the purest stock of the Shinnecock Indians. Older brothers and sisters were James, Nathan, Maria, Nancy, Emaline, Caroline, Louisa, and Frances.
He was well versed in the customs of his people and his memories of early life among the Shinnecock life were of much value to ethnologists and historians. His home was always being visited by people who wanted to photograph him. His family was always very proud of the fact that he was said to resemble George Washington by many. He was a whaler and also remembered when the Shinnecocks used to live in wigwams. According to Wickham, the Shinnecocks stopped living in wigwams after the year 1856.
He was hired by many museums to make models of the Shinnecock wigwam and he was also experienced as a Scrub maker.
His scrubs as well as wigwam models are now collector’s items. He was also the last of the Shinnecock Indians who spoke the tribal language. Wickham Cuffee died in the year of 1915 and was much missed by his people. He is still a favorite topic of conversation among the Shinnecocks and many of the Southampton residents.” ( photo colorized )
Flavor Flav , shares how he, ODB and L.L. Cool J are all Shinnecock Indians
The Shinnecock Indian Nation, an Algonquian-speaking tribe from Long Island, New York, has faced persistent misclassification as Black or "mulatto" due to historical intermarriage with African Americans and prevailing racial biases. This misclassification has impacted their cultural recognition and legal status. Other Examples : In the early 20th century, anthropologist John Harrington described the Shinnecock reservation as appearing to be a "negro, or rather mulatto settlement," attributing this to intermarriage with African Americans. He further noted that the Iroquois tribes refused to recognize the Shinnecock, claiming they had lost their Indian identity due to African admixture .Society and Space
Local media perpetuated these stereotypes. For instance, after the 1876 shipwreck of the Circassian, which claimed the lives of ten Shinnecock men, newspapers declared them the "last of the pure blood male Indians on Long Island," ignoring the continued existence of the tribe .
Such narratives contributed to the erasure of Shinnecock identity, complicating their quest for federal recognition. Despite these challenges, the Shinnecock maintained their cultural practices and community cohesion.
Struggle for Federal Recognition
The Shinnecock's journey to federal recognition was prolonged, partly due to questions about their racial identity. In 2005, a federal judge affirmed their status as a legitimate tribe, acknowledging their continuous existence and governance since the 1600s . However, it wasn't until 2010 that the Bureau of Indian Affairs officially recognized the Shinnecock Indian Nation as the 565th federally acknowledged tribe
FIRST TRIBE
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