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Posted by Steve Gaudette on July 29, 19100 at 22:23:54:
In Reply to: Has anyone ever heard of the Melungeon people? posted by Barry on July 08, 1999 at 22:23:51:
: The Melungeons
Well, my mother's family is from Northern Appalachia (Vermont),and has been since the 1780's.
They/we are of English and American Indian ancestry. All of my aunts and uncles have steel
blue eyes, black hair and olive skin. Actually, people
ask me if I'm middle eastern, so I think that would solve a
large part of the melungeon mystery. Also, has anyone ever
looked into the physical anthropology of the British Isles? I mean, not every
one there is blonde and fair-skinned; the Iberians, the Romans and
Phonecians traded with the early inhabitants.
However, I was unaware of an early Iberian presence in what
would become the U.S
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: In Eastern Kentucky, ia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, people with dark skin and blue eyes have lived for centuries, representing a different ethnic heritage from the Scotch-Irish immigrants typically ociated with the area. They are known as the Melungeons.
: Exactly what ethnic heritage the Melungeons represent, though, is a matter of much research activity (and sometimes heated debate). In this special episode, Kentucky Life consults historians, archaeologists, and authors to discover who the Melungeons were -- and who they are today.
: The arrival of the Melungeons in the New World may have predated the first settlement at Jamestown; some historical records indicate that Melungeons were living in Appalachia as early as 1567. One theory is that they are descendants of shipwrecked Portuguese sailors who intermarried with local Native American tribes. Other researchers contend that the Melungeons actually have Muslim roots -- in Turkey or elsewhere in the Middle East -- while some have speculated that they represent black/white intermarriage, "hushed up" by later racism.
: Whatever their origins, estimates put the number of Melungeon descendants today at around 200,000. Recent years have seen a flurry of activity aimed at recovering and honoring Melungeon heritage, including a 1997 "family reunion" in ia called First Union.
: Producer: Ernie Lee Martin