History – What Does “The Renaissance” Mean?

 

When people speak of art, antiques or other cultural objects, they’ll often use the expression, “Renaissance Period.” You probably know what it means but it still might not be clear. (I like things clear.) The time period for the Renaissance was the 14th – 16th centuries, or 1500’s – 1700’s. It comes from the French word renaitre, meaning to be born again. Before the Renaissance, poetry, sculpture, plays, pottery, ornamentation and architecture from the non-Christian past was frowned upon because Rome and much of Europe had abandoned Paganism and adopted Christianity. With Christianity, it became an attribute to be free of worldly pleasures and seek enlightenment through service to others. The Renaissance was a revival of the art and culture of the ancient pleasure seekers and sometimes a rebellion against the restrictions of Christianity.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the Civil War Era Historic Romance, Black Pansy.

Available Here:

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Pansy-Suellen-Ocean/dp/1484900278

Do Native Americans Believe in God?

Lately, the question was asked, “Do Native Americans believe in God?” As someone who has studied Native American culture, lived in communities with Native Americans and have a little Indian ancestry myself, I can assure you that yes, it is common for Native Americans to believe in God. Not only do America’s churches have Native Americans in their congregations, but most of America’s Indian tribes throughout history have had strong “spiritual” components. However, Native Americans didn’t (and often still don’t) believe in God the same way as Europeans who colonized the New World. Native American spiritual beliefs are so sacred and diverse; I wouldn’t attempt to explain them. Their spiritual beliefs were rooted in nature, and they did not go about proselytizing the way Colonial Europeans did. Many of America’s Indians believed that a person’s relationship to divinity was a private matter and were astonished at the “in your face” attitude of the European Christian newcomers.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy IV – Native Americans Hidden in Our Family Trees. Available here:http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Genealogy-IV-Native-Americans/dp/1500756105

Genealogy… Thirty-Seven-Thousand-Years-Ago

Usually when I think of my ancestors, I visualize them in fashions from a medieval era; stiff collars, lace up shoes or tunics and sometimes I’ll envision more primitive cultures who wore deerskin and loincloths. But imagining what they were like thirty-seven- thousand years ago is a strange sensation.

Native American historical timelines tell us migrating tribes came from Siberia to North America. If American Indians’ oral history is that there was no one else around, archeology discoveries aside, as a group they consider themselves America’s first people and deserve more than a little respect for that.

Visualizing our ancestors sitting on the side of a grassy hill wrapping a stone onto a stick to sling an animal or fishing in the warm sunshine along a rapidly flowing creek… can be good for the head. Primitive ancestral history belongs to us all. Whether you descend from European, African, Middle Eastern or Asian ancestry, it is our story. Why not take the time to visualize it?

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy IV – Native Americans Hidden in Our Family Trees. Available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Genealogy-IV-Native-Americans/dp/1500756105

What Do You Think of When You Hear the word Poland?

When I hear the word “Poland,” I think of the Holocaust and millions of innocent people who died on Polish soil. However, those dreary and sad images were not always the case. When you think of Poland, imagine you hear the beautiful sound of flutes. Ancient Roman writings tell the story of early Poland as a place where strange people made beautiful sounds with their flutes and were so peaceful, they did not use swords. These gentle, pastoral people were sheep and cattle shepherds, spun and wove their own clothing, kept bees and fished and hunted in the vast woodlands. Sounds a lot like the Acadians who went from France to Canada.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the Civil War Era Historic Romance, Black Pansy.

Available Here:

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Pansy-Suellen-Ocean/dp/1484900278

The Love of Gold Goes Back to the Stone Age

People love gold. I know because I live in the Sierras and I’ve met many modern-day gold miners. They will stand in the hot sun all day with their primitive picks and pans, happy with the thought that maybe they’ll find a nugget or at least enough gold “fines” to make the day worthwhile. Stone Age tools embedded with gold tell us that early man learned how to melt gold and craft with it. The Egyptians became highly skilled gold jewelers by about 5000 B.C.E. Fine specimens can be found in museums. You’ve heard of King Solomon’s mines? Those gold mines brought Solomon great wealth. The precious metal was pounded then stretched and worked into fine jewelry and maybe to decorate military armaments. The gold was used to reward his best soldiers and for the purchase of food and goods for the well-being of his people.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the Civil War Era Historic Romance, Black Pansy:

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Pansy-Suellen-Ocean/dp/1484900278

Using Territories to Find the Tribe of Your Native American Ancestors

Some of us have Native American ancestry but it’s so far back in time, it’s nearly impossible to decipher what tribe they belonged to. First off, there were hundreds of tribes. However, wouldn’t it be nice to narrow it down to a maybe? If this is your desire, you must consider Indian territories from old maps and match them with states. Not states as they are today but as they were during the Colonial era. For example, at one time Virginia included Kentucky and West Virginia. By 1810, this part of the country had been colonized heavily and Indian lands had been “ceded.” Tribes with names like Shawnee, Lenni Lenape, Wyandot and Potawatomi who called that land home, may have found themselves in Oklahoma by 1907. Before Tennessee was a state, North Carolina included that area, so Cherokee tribes in North Carolina could also mean Tennessee. Your Indian ancestors from Georgia could have been Creek, Chickasaw or Choctaw, as Georgia in the early days of America, included some of Mississippi and Alabama.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy IV – Native Americans Hidden in Our Family Trees. Available here:http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Genealogy-IV-Native-Americans/dp/1500756105

Who Were the Old Southerners?

Originally, the southern part of America was home to Indian tribes. After their land was “ceded,” the old south was primarily populated by the English. Latinos populated the land previously held by Mexico, Spain and France. Eventually, other ethnic groups migrated into these Latin areas and Latinos became minorities. Other ethnicities who populated the “old south” were the Welsh, Irish, Scots and Germans. There were French protestants, Huguenots who populated America’s early south, some of whom may have been Jewish and hiding their ethnicity to escape persecution.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the Civil War Era Historic Romance, Black Pansy:

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Pansy-Suellen-Ocean/dp/1484900278

Southern Ancestors of North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee

For those of us who have ancestry dating back to Colonial times, it can be terribly confusing which “state” our ancestors hailed from. If you were told that your ancestors came from Georgia back in America’s earliest years, it’s important to know that back then some of what we know as Alabama and Mississippi were known as Georgia. If your family history says your people were from North Carolina, when America only had thirteen states, North Carolina included Tennessee. If Colonial family lore tells you that your ancestors came from Virginia, you’ll need to look at Kentucky and West Virginia on the map to get an accurate depiction of the geographical area where they lived.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the Civil War Era Historic Romance, Black Pansy:

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Pansy-Suellen-Ocean/dp/1484900278

People Finding Native American Ancestry is Growing… So Should the Funds

New technology in genealogical research is helping more and more people find that they are American Indian. At the same time, resources for Indian college and health funds are stretched thin. Well maybe… just maybe… the government should kick out a little more. After all, when newly arriving Europeans were running out of land the U.S. government made the Indians compensate. If more and more Americans are discovering their Native American heritage, why shouldn’t they receive a small piece of that inheritance? Even just a little? Out of respect for their elders? It makes me dizzy when I see how much money our government wastes. The American people have lost billions of dollars through corruption, especially over oil in the Middle East. Let’s invest that money wisely and there’s no better place to start then in the health and education of Native people whose resources were taken long ago.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy IV – Native Americans Hidden in Our Family Trees. Available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Genealogy-IV-Native-Americans/dp/1500756105

Half the World May Have Scandinavian Ancestry, the Vikings Really Got Around

The Vikings raided France, England, Scotland, Ireland and they raided the Middle East as well. When they went into Lebanon, they left their genetics behind and when you travel through the back roads of England, you will see colorful Nordic longboats in canals. One of the more famous world figures of Viking stock was William the Conqueror who became King of England. He was in Northern France before he invaded England. From this Viking descendant, we have the current Royal House of Windsor, Queen Elizabeth and her children, including Princes William and Harry. Convincing evidence shows the Vikings made it to North America long before Columbus, whether or not they “mixed” with the Native population that long ago, I do not know.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy VII – DNA, Jumping Into the Gene Pool. A High Tech Gathering of the Tribes. Available here: