BNAAI founders
Our Story
This 84-year-old photo shows my maternal Black Cherokee Indian great-grandmother, born in 1920, holding my maternal grandmother, born in 1941. Both my maternal and paternal grandparents were recorded as “Colored” on their birth certificates.
Our research reveals a lineage connected to many people, with ancestors listed on the Dawes Rolls as Cherokee by Blood, Creek by Blood, and Choctaw by Freedmen, holding blood quantums of full, IW, 1/8, and 1/16. Historical records identify them as White, Mulatto, Negro, Black, Choctaw Freedmen, Creek Freedmen, Nansemond, and Indians of Dulac Bayou, Terrebonne, reflecting the deeply intertwined histories of Native peoples, the enslaved, and the enslavers.
My family’s DNA is a vibrant mix of Italian, Irish, Hispanic, Latino, African, West Indian (Trinidad and Tobago), Puerto Rican, French, American, and European roots.
Our family roots reach Queens, the Bronx, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Lousianna, Indiana, and France, and extend across Scotland, England, Cornwall, Northwest and Germanic Europe, Northwestern Germany region, Quebec, Demark, Central Scotland & Northern Ireland, as well as Benin & Togo, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Central and West Africa, Southern Bantu Peoples, Eastern Bantu regions, Yucatan Peninsula, and the northern and central Philippines. This heritage embodies generations of resilience, kinship, and connection across lands and peoples.
Through knowledge, we reveal our roots.
Reclaiming the Past, Restoring the Future.
AncestryDNA does not identify specific U.S. Native American tribes, instead reporting broader Indigenous Americas regions based on samples mainly from Canada, Mexico, and South America, partly due to limited participation from U.S. tribal communities affected by historical exploitation.
Having Native American ancestors or Indigenous DNA does not confer tribal citizenship. Membership is a political and cultural status, determined by each nation through family ties, historical records, or sometimes blood quantum—a system imposed by the U.S., not traditional tribal practice. Many people maintain strong cultural or family connections without enrollment due to forced adoption, parental consent issues, or historical “paper genocide.” While DNA cannot grant citizenship, it can help reconnect Native Americans with their communities (Ancestry.com).
We honor the past, but the path ahead is ours to make.
It's time to walk a new path!
DNA tests do not establish tribal citizenship or Freedmen status. Membership requires documented lineage to the 1898–1914 Dawes Freedmen Rolls, accompanied by supporting birth/death certificates, as well as a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood. Many Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole Freedmen were historically excluded despite treaty rights, and Chickasaw Freedmen were never recognized. Generations of mixed ancestry and “paper genocide” make proving eligibility nearly impossible. The system is designed to fail, underscoring the need for new pathways that honor the heritage and rightful tribal connection of Freedmen.
About the Black Native American Afro Indigenous Logo.
Grounded in balance, direction, and purpose, we stand united in liberation, resilience, and hope.
We are surrounded by and among the Five Civilized Tribes: Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole, where color holds sacred meaning tied to balance, direction, and purpose. These colors embody endurance, unity, and the interconnected spirit of African and Indigenous peoples, with each hue carrying memory, meaning, and identity across generations. In Native traditions, color is alive with spirit and purpose, reflecting life, harmony, and the sacred bond between people and the land.
Our Foundation
Our foundation is built upon the colors of the Pan-African flag: red, black, green, and yellow, each symbolizing heritage, unity, and strength. Red represents the blood shed in the struggle for freedom. Black honors the resilience and identity of African peoples. Green signifies the richness of the land and the promise of renewal. Yellow, or gold, reflects prosperity and a bright future. Rooted in the flag of Ethiopia, the only African nation never colonized, these colors have become a global emblem of liberation, pride, and unity across Africa and the diaspora.
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, June 29). Pan-African colours. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
These colors embody African and Indigenous unity.
The colors we chose are deeply connected to the traditions of the Five Civilized Tribes. In the Chickasaw Nation, light purple symbolizes the people’s honor and pride. For the Choctaw Nation, blue represents prosperity and hope for future generations. The Muscogee Nation’s green reflects industry, agriculture, and renewal through the Green Corn Dance. Among the Cherokee, orange honors the sacred, eternal flame, the enduring heart of their people. Across several tribes, purple is revered as a color of wisdom and spiritual power. In the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the colors of the four directions embody harmony, balance, and the interconnectedness of all creation.
Rooted Together in Strength and Spirit.
Our feathered Native American bonnet, adorned in red, cream, and black, is sacred regalia rich in spiritual and cultural meaning. Red represents life, courage, and the “Red Road” of righteous living; black symbolizes protection from negative energy; and cream, or white, signifies purity, peace, and the heavens. The bonnet embodies honor, protection, and spiritual strength, with its eight eagle feathers standing as a sacred testament to courage and believed to shield the wearer from harm.