intermixing of cultures

[Jeffrey Kopp]

On Wed, 30 Jun 1999 20:36:02 -0700, you wrote:

><wry chuckle>  I'm a webfooted Seattlite.  I was born here in 1958.  My
>dad, in Ballard -- north and west just a tad from downtown Seattle --
>1928.  His dad was born on San Juan Island in 1895.  My great grandfather
>was born in Langley, BC, in 1853 or thereabouts.
>
>In the early 70s I remember there was shift in Public Opinion regarding
>Indians; in the early 70s I found out that my father had Indian
>ancestors.

Well, there was the Boldt decision about then.  It raised a lot of
resentment but also brought publicity, and with that came a renewed
public awareness, and perhaps some sympathy.

>When my dad was growing up, in a rural community north of Seattle, he and
>his brother and sister would tell any askers that they were Italian,
>because a little boy "in the area" was beat to death for being a "dirty
>little Indian" and not one person thought to question it.
>
>>>From the few family stories, my Grandfather Don didn't have much trouble,
>but then again he was also a part-(-full?) time bootlegger . . . and the
>youngest of 7, so he knew about getting along.

It certainly didn't seem to hurt one's popularity to know how to get
some booze in those days.  There's a Washington speakeasy in our
history, too, but I don't know much about it.

>. . . .

>Now, I could be wrong -- it wouldn't be a first -- but by and large I
>think that the balance of tolerance and intolerance in the Pacific
>Northwest is more . . . kahkwah . . . than elsewhere in the United
>States.  There *are* some right scary pockets of the latter at least that
>was my spin on it -- I don't remember where they were more than "east of
>the Cascades" but there were places Dad wouldn't stop when we went
>camping over there.  Gas stops were spaced so stopping There wasn't
>necessary.
>
>It's a real mixed bag, depending on who you are as well as where you are.

Yes, one really has to know where they are to really know where they
are in the Northwest.  Things vary considerably by locality, probably
depending on who's related to whom and where the power lies in each
community, things not easily discernible by a visitor.

>Just my two cents worth.

With plenty of change!

I enjoyed visiting your Web site tonight and see it's grown.  I
haven't been terribly motivated to pursue my family's history too
far, as my ancestors for the most part are boring.  One branch made
it across the Oregon Trail, but aside from that remarkable
accomplishment, they seem boring, too.  There must have been more,
but too many details have been lost to memory.  I wish I was a better
listener when I was a kid.  A lot of colorful stories sailed over my
head.

>
>Lisa Peppan
>A Child of the Northwest
>lisapeppan at juno.com
>Genealogy Research at http://members.tripod.com/~LisaPeppan/index.html