All My Relations

Years ago, 1997 to be exact, my sister and I were at what was to be one of the last pow-wows given by the Lenni-Lenape in the city of Philadelphia. While enjoying the festivities we kept hearing beautiful music playing as we walked around. I inquired about the music and the man wrote down the name Ulali. The following week I had the CD in possession. 

There is a song on the CD Mahk Jchi called 'All my Relations'. As the singers go through their chat, they speak of All their Relations or more directly all the people of this world that have affected their lives good, bad or indifferent. 

As I listened to each song on the CD, it struck a chord deep in me about my own family heritage. Growing up I -and to some extent- even today,- was asked, "What are you?" The question back then was hurtful to me and many times, I would scream, "Can't you tell?” Children can be very mean; a product of ignorance passed down from their parents. 

Grandma Yates

As the years passed my responses became more colorful, a definite sign of immaturity but a blanket for me to protect myself from the harmful names that were often thrown my way. I had enough to contend with being self conscientious and shy much less add my race on top of it. Couldn't I just be human first, race second? 


This prompted me to start work on a coming of age story set in the late 1940's that would span decades using some of my parents experiences and my own. I shelved the story many times finding it difficult to dip into sensitive areas. 

I thought about my story as I was adding links on my blog to places that would help others make a connection to their heritage and wondered if others had the same experiences as myself and incorporated their ancestral beliefs and background in their own works. 

Sharing yourself in an intimate fashion certainly can expose you to ridicule but it can be a healing balm as well. Last night my sister shared that, she and my cousin are loading documents into ancestry.com. Our family, which has been somewhat of a mystery to me was finally unfolding in documents and we have even had a few shocking surprises! It was as if I had stepped into the NBC show 'Who Do You Think You Are'?

I am excited to find a part of my missing family history but more importantly when someone asks me the question "What are you?" I can answer definitively, these are all my relations; I am they and they are a part of me.