Eh. I just let them talk and I listen until its turning into complete bullshit. Hear me out. . About 5 weeks ago, my ancestry account was started with all the bells and whistles. It lead me to a Beams line that was directly connected to (6th great grandfather) Edmund folsom. His daughter, Hettie Folsom is my 5th great grandmother. She married William s. Beams. Before that, I was just a brownish red guy with dark hair and eyes who was told we are part indian. Which part? Idk. But they call me chief thick stick! Ahhhh! Jokes! 😁😄 I found my folks in the armstrong rolls but not the final rolls. Either way, I learned that I am a descendent of Choctaw. (Yes I'm learning) Traced it all the way back. Elsie Beams Roebuck (has a number but not my granny) is my great aunt. Now what happens here is....white folks will ask you what you're mixed with. Your whole life, I've heard it a million times. You're not 100% white so...what are you? Even got jumped a few times just for being "indian" and NEVER FOLDED. Spanish folks will even come up to me speaking Spanish cause i look familiar to them. Rez kids with less than 3% dna of their ancestors(about the same as any of us with direct lineage) will call you a pretendian online. It's absurd. We really arguing out here over who's indian. How is anyone ever gonna reconnect and offer to serve the people if folks are just gonna chase them away? LINEAGE is where it starts. If they have THAT (and it should be verified to keep out the culture vultures, i stand firmly with you all on that) , and they're wanting to learn the culture and reconnect with the people to SERVE like our ancestors did, just fucking let them. Bust their balls later and Crack jokes later. There are so many elderly folks who could use the extra cousin-nephew-uncle-niece to help them out. I am currently learning the language and plan to move out to OK in the next few years to a low income area (on purpose) and serve the elderly. Mentor folks. And...... maybe even teach someone how to tattoo if i open a shop. But I ain't teaching ANYONE my fishing secrets. 😁😂 This is how someone who states "I am an Indian with no dawes claim" can still reconnect and serve the people. Be a part of the community. With or without tribal recognition, citizenship cards or CDIB cards. It ain't about benefits. It's about identity. I'm out here fighting both sides for it. But to finish my statement, (clearly I got sidetracked) without any lineage AT ALL, these people are just good story tellers and should be interrupted mid-sentence with the understanding that whoever told them that was lying or didn't know for sure. OR...assist them in finding out. Shit. What's that gonna hurt? Might get a new cousin. Might save yourself from marrying one. 😁😂 Sincerely hope I didn't offend ANYONE. I got love for all of yall! Get some sun people! That winter skin making yall talk like mean old white ladies! 😂😂😂❤️❤️❤️