Black Indians: A Hidden Heritage

by William Loren Katz

The compelling teen nonfiction account of how two heritages united in their struggle to gain freedom and equality in America.

The first paths to freedom taken by runaway slaves led to Native American villages. There, black men and women found acceptance and friendship among our country’s original inhabitants. Though they seldom appear in textbooks and movies, the children of Native and African American marriages helped shape the early days of the fur trade, added a new dimension to frontier diplomacy, and made a daring contribution to the fight for American liberty.

Since its original publication, William Loren Katz’s Black Indians has remained the definitive work on a long, arduous quest for freedom and equality. This new edition features a new cover and includes updated information about a neglected chapter in American history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Indigenous, American History, African American, Native American, Race

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating subject, but dry on delivering the materials. Many controversies as well.

[B. P. Rinehart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very good introduction to a history often whispered and gossiped about by African-Americans in the USA (including in my family) but never until this book comprehensively talked about and researched for a wide public.

This book does a very good job at dissecting the history of the relationship between Blacks and "Reds" from the earliest days of Slavery until the turn of the 20th century.

The two things that surprised me the most about the Black-Amreican American-Indian relations was the involvement of the tribes in the slave trade which was often by compulsion, but sometimes very much voluntary.

Then there are the Seminoles. I was very fascinated by the relationship and the long-lasting impact that Africans had on this Florida tribe, fundamentally changing it for good. Unlike every other American Indian tribe the Seminole so fully integrated themselves with Africans-slave and free-that they became difficult to tell apart and it made them very early participators in the Abolitionist movement. The group would eventually fight two wars Against the US government before being resettled but they were resisters until the end and remain an in my mind a very fascinating group that stands out for me.

There was a lot more that I learned, a lot more that I discovered, but I think the best case is to read this book and learn about a history that will definitely not be talked about any time soon in your United States history textbooks.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

In his introduction to Black Indians the author noted two things.  First, that he wrote it primarily with young people in mind.  Second, that he did not intend for it to be an academic piece of work. 

Thus, it is not surprising that the prose was in a more casual at times rambling, if not occasionally dramatic narrative style with numerous interesting stories about various Black Indians, the role they played in American history, etc.   The book also included many copies of paintings/engravings and/or photos of the many people he wrote about.  The two chapters on the history of the so called Black Seminoles were both better organized and even more informative. 

As it is a non-academic book Katz did not provide footnotes.  Thus, there is no way to verify if the facts and opinions he expressed were accurate.  In fact, there were at least two inaccuracies that I noted.  First, he claimed that Native Americans treated escaped Southern African American slaves with kindness because they ‘hated slavery.’  It was not true that NA's hated slavery because many tribes had slaves themselves.  Theda Perdue’s book is a useful elucidation of that:  Slavery and the Evolution of Cherokee Society. Another good book is Slavery in Indian Country by Christina Snyder.

Second, the author opined that the Chickasaw were the harshest of slave masters.  But Tiya Miles wrote a book some years later about one Cherokee plantation owner who was extremely cruel and violent:  The House on Diamond Hill. 

Some other good books related to this one might be Race and the Cherokee Nation by Fay Yarbrough, African Americans and Native Americans in the Creek and Cherokee Nations, 1830-s to 1920's by Katja May, or Ties that Bind by Tiya Miles.

For those who wish to read an interesting piece of historical fiction about one African American man who went from being a slave to becoming a chief of the Creek Nation I would suggest Citizens Creek by Lalita Tademy.

Despite these inaccuracies IMHO BI would be a good introductory text for readers unfamiliar with Native American history and culture.  For someone like me who has done quite a bit of reading about the NA people already this book has the drawbacks noted above.  Thus, I would give it 3 stars.

[Theophilus (Theo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in the 50s it was fashionable to claim Native American blood rather than admit our slave ancestors may have been violated by their European masters or others of the dominant class. In the 60s it became a sign of solidarity to deny any other blood than black African ancestry. With the current popularity of family history research, Katz's book is as relevant as ever. Though first published in 1986 the information has not lost its value, nor has the relatively untold story of relations between the black and red peoples of America become less intriguing. An easy read, it whetted my appetite for more information on this subject. Not just for blacks or Native people, this is an informative read for anyone who is even remotely interested in their fellow Americans and the history of this country.

[Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting, and of course, our history books don't mention at all the number of escaped and freed slaves who joined Native American tribes. Two marginalized groups coming together to one-up the white man? Yeah, no real surprise why this part of our history got hushed up. Though I was surprised when familiar names did pop up, like Billy the Kid for instance, though I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at how Hollywood whitewashed our historical figures.

This is short though, and so it's largely just an overview. I'd like to see some more in depth books on this subject, but for what's here, there's still a lot to chew over.

Oh, and don't skip the intro. The history of this book is just as interesting and important as the subject itself. No surprise, people tried to say this was nonsense and fantasy, when, if you think about it for just two seconds, it makes a hell of a lot of sense, and you can just look at the pictures and portraits to see the truth of the matter.

[Theshiney · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a much more cohesive, and overall more enjoyable book than katz' black west. tho both have some of the same historiclal figures and stories i feel they cannot be repeated enough inorder to subvert the dominant paradigm of the west and the frontier... the one thing that got me in this book was the authors assumption that "mixed-breed" (in this case, white/red) indians were bigoted and "pure-bloods" were more accepting of blacks. this 'natural' inclination just based on one's race shows a bias in his writing that might hinder his assertions for some people. i am not deterred. what is gained in this book is a history vastly different than the one presented in school or media. and instead of collecting bits and pieces and putting them together seemingly hodge-podge, as in the black west, this reads more as a fluid account and seemed, in general, more thoughtful and thorough on his bits and pieces.

[Alison Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had read this book 30 years ago. My ancestors were mixed Black and Native, they fought in the American Revolution to gain their freedom and the Civil War. This is American history! We are more connected than we know. Grateful to read it though it triggered anger: if I had been taught this history in school I would have felt more connected to this land called America.

[Teresa Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was not a lot written about this topic and I was trying to find more information and sources when this book was recommended to me. I was not disappointed.

I not only read this, I like it so much I carried this book in my museum gift shop in the UGRR Secret Quilt Code Museum Exhibit 2005-2007. It was a great seller and I received many positive comments from those who purchased the book also.

[Mindy Burroughs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read. Tons of information and insight densely packed into a 200ish page book of indispensable knowledge. Very well written and accessible.

[Vernelle Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since my grandmother was a Seminole Indian, I did know a little about the Seminole wars prior to reading"Black Indians". However, this book is full of information and photos of people I knew nothing about. For example, it traces the arrival of the first enslaved Africans brought into South Carolina near the PeeDee River by the Spainards in the 15th century. They escaped to the Indians in the woods. Also, there are accounts of Indians and Blacks who excaped slavery throughout the Americas intermingling and fighting the slave catchers and the U.S. army. Later, some Black Indians fought with the U.S. Army. This is a history lesson that you will not get in your classroom.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing read. I knew just a bit about the Black Seminoles, but most everything else in this book was a revelation. I love how Katz offers broad strokes of history before zooming in to detail the lives of individual people. Lively and readable. Recommended.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything a three-star historical nonfiction book loves to be: interesting, dry, depressing.

[Mena · Rating 2 out of 5]

weird & racist
like instead of being like The concept of “cowboys vs indians” is a deeply flawed understanding of the American west, author is like Some Black people were cowboys too!

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In March of 2024, I visited the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City (absolutely worth the trip). Among the various emotions this stirred up, one of the questions I walked away with was, “what are all the references to black Indians about?”. My ‘80s American history curriculum never touched on this, and it certainly wasn’t something movies or TV had really touched on either. This book answers that and other questions, while also providing crucial perspective on the different relationships among First Americans, Black Americans and European Americans.

[Ebony Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book because it gave a real outline of African-Americans and Indians relationship in regards to marriage, slavery, and doing business with each other. It really laid out the Seminoles Indians who happen to be African-American and Indian and discuss how they arrived in Mexico and still live there today. This is a good read that offers a great history lesson in understanding Black Indians.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many blacks have become members of Indian tribes usually in the American Southeast. Prime examples are the Seminole, Creek, and Cherokee.

[Jessi Riel · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much interesting and important information—a great resource

[Madeline Comeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great info on yet another group not discussed in high school history class!

[Joe Vigil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing history.

[Candida · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author did such a great job of researching and writing this book. He points out right at the beginning the backlash that he faced when he started writing this and I was pretty surprised to hear that. I really thought everyone knew about the comfortable relationship that African slaves and indigenous peoples have historically had in many parts of the Americas. This book reads like a novel and I can appreciate how hard it must have been to use inoffensive terms when speaking about this subject. It was a very enjoyable book and one that will explain about a lot of people's genealogy.

[Flora R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, aimed at documenting an ignored/actively suppressed part of American history, is interesting but too scattershot for me to strongly recommend. About half its length is digressions into particular persons of black and Native American heritage without any narrative through line besides the fact that they’ve been left out of American history and pop culture.

The epilogue, which establishes the limitations his publisher put on him (apparently it was to be aimed at a young adult audience) helps make sense of why the book isn’t as detailed as it could be. On the other hand, it makes even less sense why the book wouldn’t have a clear organizing principle to guide an inexperienced reader of history.

I’m glad I read it, but I also hope I find something more scholarly addressing any or all of the half dozen most interesting elements.

[John Stroup · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of these black Indians do not live in forests or broad plans for the stereotype that they are. Most live in Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, Cleveland, and Denver. They’be occupied much of the lands. They’ve made a long march from farms, words, and ranches, to skyscrapers, subways, and ghettos. The main goals for these African American Indians what’s to build a model for the future generations and to be a leading voice like their ancestors. The conflicts at these black Indians had was The racial discrimination of their racial differences And ethnicities. This book asked the question why are black African Americans only mentioned in the history books and why there was very little in the history books about the black Indians and struggles from the enslavement. This one of the best books I've read about these hidden heritages.

[Emeka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice introductory and eye opener into a complicated and often ignored topic. Many people get shocked and/or upset when hearing melanated people’s are indigenous to all areas and not just Africa. The Indigenous American lineage and heritage being amongst many “black” peoples is one that is discussed in this book. I enjoyed it.

[Bryan Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A valuable look at the history between two groups of people and their shared mistreatment by colonization and expansion of the United States. I enjoyed the many beautiful examples of how Black and Indigenous have been intertwined, both positively and negatively, for the last 400-plus years.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good intro to the subject, but I think I would have preferred a more in depth cultural history than the bio vignettes.

[Taylor G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched account of an often ignored group of people who helped shaped the West. Does not skip over how terrible the US government and military were and isn't pro-nationalist.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A historic gem I didn’t know exit. So much history about Black slaves and Native American, how much shared history we have. Do not let our history be denied.

[Roger DeBlanck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katz’s research does the important job of recognizing the largely forgotten and oftentimes ignored history of Black Indians throughout the development of America. In doing so, he illustrates their significant contributions, honors their sacrifices, and bears witness to their struggles for equality. The history Katz sets forth begins with the earliest American settlements. He tells how in 1526 the Spaniards fled the colony of San Miguel de Gualdape in South Carolina and left their slaves behind. These abandoned Blacks joined with Natives and established a thriving North American colony, which was governed under democratic principles of equality.

When the Europeans economized enslavement in America, Katz makes clear how the Natives embraced runaways and united with them to confront the Spaniards. The greatest fear of the Europeans was the relations between the Blacks and Indians. They created communities that Whites viewed as dangerous and labeled as “maroon.” In fact, the alliance between the Blacks and the Seminoles proved one of the biggest threats to the stability of the South’s institution of slavery.

Katz also brings much needed clarity to the exploration and development of the West. History has refused to mention such facts as the founders of Los Angeles in 1781 were mostly Africans and a mixed race of Blacks and Indians. Additionally, the Europeans relied heavily on Africans to negotiate with Indians during expeditions. Even when Whites forced the Indian nations to carry out slavery, whites despised the Natives’ lenient approach to handling slaves and considered it too mild.

Confederate defeat had many Blacks leaving White society for Indian nations where they had significantly more opportunities to succeed than they ever would have under Whites. By the time of the Oklahoma land rush, Katz explains how Black Indians dreamed of a free state for people of color, but racism and White greed thwarted their efforts. Before and after the Civil War, it was white oppression that drove Natives and Africans to further unite due to their common birthrights, families, communities, and spiritual beliefs.

Katz shows how on the frontier Natives shared much of what they had with Africans, and it was thousands of African Americans who labored as cowboys to help establish the Texas plains. The South merely replaced slavery with segregation and sharecropping, while in the West the Natives faced an unrelenting loss of their land. The Dawes Act of 1887 essentially stated that “savage” Natives needed to submit to white ways, and the act transferred property to whites from the Indians, who the government deemed incapable of taking care of the land. Even when the government used Black troops, known as “buffalo soldiers,” to defeat the Natives, history shows that the Blacks detested persecution of the Indians.

Throughout the history of America, relations and alliances between Indians and Blacks have helped forge the cause of development and the call for equality. Black Indians may not be a comprehensive study, but it is an important book in giving a voice to an entire group of Americans who have been marginalized for too long. The record Katz sets forth corrects many of the misunderstandings of the past and fills in gaps that have been neglected.

[Littlebookterror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Northern states were also worried enough by a Black Indian presence to send investigators. Rhode Island, Long Island, and New Jersey reported thorough mixtures of the two peoples. A report on the Narrangansetts found they were “nearly all of mixed blood and color, in various degrees and shades.” The same was said in state reports on New York's Southhampton and Montauk Indians. A shocked legislature concluded “they are only Indian in name.”

(emphasis mine)

I love it when I stumble upon a random book that I didn't even know I was interested in! Now, was it the smartest move to start here when my knowledge of American history in general is patchy at best? Who cares, I learned about so many cool people.

I still haven't gotten around to watching the TV show Rez Dogs (I will though!) but its criticism regarding its lack of Black Indigenous representation in front and behind the camera was probably the first time I learned something about this topic beyond the fact that they exist. (For context, here isone article that offers an overview and opinions.) And I've been working on picking up more Indigenous lit, particularly nonfiction when possible, so this was an opportunity I would let pass me by. Not to mention how old this is; I don't think reading older nonfiction is useless but I am more aware of how both information and social attitudes have shifted, so I do tend to go with more recent works when possible but it's wild to think that someone was documenting this 20 years ago.

My starting point
I know practically nothing? Aside from the general idea that there must have been contact, I could not give any further details. I know a few tribes has slaves and I know there is a controversy about a ruling that excluded Freedmen from claiming membership (that was overturned?), the full historical context I am totally not grasping. And that's it.
So I'm totally ready to learn something. (Narrator: She was, in fact, not ready, she was so unprepared that she had to start the book again halfway through.)

Who's the author?
William Loren Katz, born 1927, was a white teacher and historian whose five decades-long career was focused on African and Native American history and its crossection. His writing, research and lectures has won several awards and was praised by other people in the field. He passed away in 2019.

What did I learn?
The initial definition Katz uses for Black Indians, can refer to both, a person with dual Black and Indigenous ancestry and a person who is ethnically Black but have spent time with Native. That touches on the complexity of identity and touches on a common theme throughout the book (of (not) being enough and the visual politics) and how claiming dual heritage can invalidate one or the other – reminding me of how DNA testing can me misused or misinterpreted (Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science is still on my mind and the notion of Black people “intruding” on tribal lines just like white people makes so much sense when viewed in context of the modern concept of Blood Quantum.)
There was (is) deliberate exclusion of Black Indians from the narrative to further the divide between both peoples and this book does an excellent job of remedying that even if I floundered at times since the book does assume you have at least a general knowledge of the times and places he talks about. I don't but they are still fascinating tales of people shaping a new existence, so it's not exactly a hindrance but note that this would be a great option to reread.

Roanake is famous but there was another Spanish colony six decades earlier that ended with the Europeans running and the enslaved Africans left behind. (Katz states the subsequent colony was a peaceful one; I am maybe surprised there were no tensions? The above-linked article mentions that there are apparently no records of that time, so that might just have been conjecture. I found another article on them that says they can only speculate what happened to the enslaved people left behind.)
It talks about slave volt in 1570's Mexico where Black and Indigenous people fought side by side and the founding of maroons which shifted from governing their communities as African kings and courts to governors and commanders as time went on.
Or the Republic of Palmares that came into existence in Brazil in the early 16th century and fought off the Portuguese several times. It consisted of runaway slaves and local Indigenous peoples which developed their own society and government.
It also goes into detail about how the Europeans introduced Indigenous tribes to slavery which brought in turn a great economic shift. Yet many tribes treated their enslaved people much kinder than their white counterparts and deviated from the expected behaviours. (Makes sense then that freed Black people would decide to stay with their previous owners and build a new life on Indian territories.)
There were other cool factoids in here, like how the city of Los Angeles was founded by 44 people and only two of those were white, or how there was an honest attempt to make Oklahoma a Black-run state.

And at last a few more names, for my memory:
Crispus Attucks, first person killed in the Boston Massacre in 1770
Frederick Douglass, leader of the African-American civil rights movement, 19th century
Filippa Maria Aranha, rebel leader of the Mola quilombo in Brazil
Wildfire (Edmonia Lewis), internationally renowed sculptor (look at this!)
Cherokee Bill (Crawford Goldsby), cowboy outlaw
Lucy Parsons, political figure and social anarchist

Essentially the book covers several decades and countries with so much more detail than I could list on here, the writing is accesible, the audiobook narration pleasant

Additional Notes
I already linked to a few pieces and you can assume that I looked up pictures whenever possible.

Tangentially related, I read this fascinating 2018 article on the ongoing struggle of the Lumbee Nation to be federally recognized and would you believe part of the problem is that they have a history of intermixing with freed slaves? History has come back once again to haunt us and, hey, I recognize that Kim TallBear person!

There was another article that includes a short overview and gives some more book recommendations, which I will certainly look into. I also found one myself through a YouTube video, called IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas.

I'm slowly watching some more videos and will add them later if I found them helpful - one of the downsides of audiobooks is missing out on any other material that was included.
.


I finally took the plunge and looked at what my local library has in terms of nonfiction on the Americas – none of the popular recs I see but it'll have to do, so here's to hoping some more titles like this will pop up on my Goodreads.

[Danica is Booked · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t my favorite book. Can’t really peg it. Especially since I was so excited to read it.

Perhaps because it was so centered in frontier life.

We do need a lot more books on this subject though.

It was just a bit dry.