Oral History Interview with Reginald Meeks

Partial Transcript: "Tell me more about how the Anishinaabe brings members in?"

Segment Synopsis: Meeks states that many times Native American ations will bring in members to replace family members who have died, and to continue to grow the family and to sustain the tribe. Meeks was brought into the Anishinaabe Nation. He states that there is no difference between someone who is an adopted family member or someone who has been born into that tribe.

Keywords: Anishinaabe Nation

Partial Transcript: "Tell me about how you learn of your Cherokee heritage while growing up in Tennessee?"

Segment Synopsis: Meeks believes that Bradley County, Tennesee, is in the heart of Cherokee land. Bradley County is located in Southeastern Tennesee, close to the city of Chattanooga. Meeks' mother is from Cleveland, Tennesee. Bradley County is extremely close to the Cherokee Reservation. Meeks speaks about his great-great-grandfather who took the name Klein, and Meeks' middle name is Klein. There was an Indian village named Paint Rock.



Meeks learned Native traditions from his parents and his grandparents. His mother would hunt with her father. He states that people from all over the state would come to Paint Rock to learn to hunt from his great-great-grandfather and his great-grandfather. His mother learned the stories about these men, and then passed those stories onto him.

Keywords: Bradley County (Tn.); Chattanooga (Tn.); Cherokee Nation; Cleveland (Tn.); Paint Rock

Subjects: Cherokee Indians; hunting

Partial Transcript: "Tell me about those stories that you learned, how are you passing those along to your family? Are you passing them only to family members, or those outside the family?"

Segment Synopsis: Meeks states that he is somewhat restrictive in sharing his stories. He occasionally does not feel that his daughter is listening to the information about Native traditions that he is trying to tell her. He feels that his four year old grand-daughter is very receptive to his traditional Native stories, music, and dancing. He reflects on the fear of being open, because he has witnessed the negative backlash that openness sometimes brings. He speaks about being connected with nature - and states that we have a responsibility to get reconnected to nature.

Partial Transcript: "So how do you balance the work that you do at UofL, with the work you do at the Capitol, with that (the Native) part of you?"

Segment Synopsis: Meeks states that sage heals and protects; he keeps sage on him, and sometimes burns sage in a turtle shell in the office. A pipe was passed down to him, and he states that being a pipe carrier has responsibilities that come along with it. He states that the sage and the pipe are things that allow him to walk in different worlds at the same time. He talks about some of the racial struggles in this country, for Native Americans and African Americans.

Keywords: folk belief; folk medicine; University of Louisville

Partial Transcript: "These ideas and these concepts about who you are, where your history is, and your relationship to others, how do you pass that along? How overtly are you passing things along?"

Segment Synopsis: Meeks discusses traveling to Pow wows with his daughter. He states that she would dance, and she was able to borrow Native regalia during Pow wow ceremonies.



Meeks discusses a summer camp he and his siblings attended when they were children that were run by Quakers. One of the camps was about Indian culture, and he discusses what that experience was like.



Meeks goes on to discuss his extended family and the relationships he has with them.

Subjects: Pow wows; Quakers

Partial Transcript: "What tradition do you dance?"

Segment Synopsis: Meeks discusses the various types of traditional dance that he performs. He speaks about how he learned these traditional dances from camp. He has won National competitions for his dancing. He also knows how to sing and play on a drum. His siblings have also danced.

Subjects: dance; folk dancing; folk music; folk singing; tradition

Partial Transcript: "Is there something I haven't asked about, that you feel is an integral part of the story?"

Segment Synopsis: Meeks states that the most integral parts of the story, in his opinion, are things that he does not feel comfortable talking about. He talks about life-changing experiences, that take time to truly understand. He believes himself to be a work-in-progress, but feels really blessed and hopes that he is a blessing to other people.