[Richard Kimball]

None of my ancestors owned slaves, at least as far back as I can trace them, which was their first entry into Texas in the early 1800s, although I don't know if the Cherokee part of my family tree owned slaves. It was common for some tribes to take prisoners and use them for forced labor, but I don't know that much about the Cherokees. I did have an ancestor that was a Lt. in the Confederacy, and my brother has a photo of him in uniform with his pistol and saber.

I don't really care, other than as a historical interest. The columnist is obviously suffering from LGS (liberal guilt syndrome), in which you feel obligated to feel guilty about something you didn't have anything to do with, while feeling no guilt about bad things you do.

[AnAmericanMother]

The North Carolina band of Cherokees held slaves just like everybody else. In fact, free blacks held slaves.

Fish don't know they're wet, and when something is part of your local culture it's just accepted as part of the landscape.

[Mogger]

Some of my ancestors (white) were captured by Indians in Royalton, Vermont, taken to Montreal and sold to the French as slaves.

[PAR35]

The last Confederate general to surrender was Stand Watie, a Cherokee and a slaveowner. Slavery was common among the Cherokee.

Actually, I'm not sure he surrendered. He may have just signed a cease-fire with the Yankees.