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Stories about Native American culture

Explore our digital library of untold stories from Indigenous cultures, stories about Native American people and people of the African Diaspora. Learn more about us.

Empower > Preserve > Contribute > Unite > Build

Creating conversations that matter

I Love Ancestry is a virtual platform created to educate the general public, learn about each other, share knowledge of different cultures, instill hope and vision for social change, and honor the irrevocable connections to our ancestors.

Ancestry

Untold Stories of ancestors, trailblazers, unsung heroes and heroines who shaped the struggle for freedom. Exploring historical events, victories and alliances between communities of color.

Activism

Critical issues that directly affect marginalized people and Indigenous communities around the world.
Making the Invisible Truth visible, and Undoing Racism.

Profiles

Inspiring multiracial people and organizations that are making a difference in Indigenous communities and communities of the African Diaspora.

Dennika Mays: Planetary Guardian; Social Engineer and Ecological Architect

Dennika Mays: Planetary Guardian; Social Engineer and Ecological Architect

Documentary Film Project

AFRO NATIVE NARRATIVES
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Artful

Visual & performing arts, creative writing that highlights the experiences of communities of color through a new lens. Join our documentary film project.

Liberated

Collecting and sharing personal stories about race, skin tone, heritage, and culture in the formation of identity. Share Your Story.

Perspective: Discussion of critical topics with a point of view, including narratives by individuals regarding their own experiences.

Sustainability: Pushing accurate information, focusing on community-based solutions, empowering individual action and responsibility around personal and collective health.

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Become a supporter on PATREON

Become a Patron – The Patreon platform is a simple way for you to contribute on a monthly basis to the I Love Ancestry platform, our web documentary film project in the making, and our upcoming podcast series. Your donations will allow us to maintain our website, boost content for more visibility, and moderate our social media pages more effectively. Become a Patron* and join us on this journey of discovery as we provide exclusive experiences on Patreon to our subscribers, or “patrons.”

*We pay all our talents, podcasters, editors and filmmakers, which is impossible without Patrons like you!

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Make a one-time donation to us via PayPal.Me. Your contributions will assist us in maintaining our digital platform and allow us to increase the number of stories we publish for our audience. Donate

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Support our work by purchasing your favorite product merchandising from our online store .

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Purchase "Poems From A Far Corner" eBook

Coming soon you will be able to contribute to our campaign by purchasing through our online store the eBook of a series of poems by Charles W. Heckstall, Jr. (1929 – 2000), an American author who was born in Portsmouth, VA.

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Our impact on the community

The 'I Love Ancestry' Movement has powerfully, significantly brought us All together by honoring our indigenous/blended ancestral lines. I've learned so much here! Thank you Adrien Heckstall, for the many hours you devote to sharing knowledge of cultures, families, and communities!

Yvonne Rosegarden
Facebook
 

The 'I Love Ancestry' campaign really helped me to express who I am as a multiracial woman. I have always identified more with my native side but, as I said in my story I am also black and Italian...With this campaign I can express myself without feeling embarrassed or ashamed because we are all human and apart of the beautiful earth.

Simone DiCristofano
Facebook
 

The 'I Love Ancestry' Movement is a wonderful resource and counteraction to the American tradition of unnaturally dividing the races for economic and political purposes. As a Wampanoag, Bajan and educator, I'm very proud of and grateful to the I Love Ancestry movement!!!

Morgan James Peters
Facebook
 

I strongly recommend 'I Love Ancestry' to anyone interested in the little-known, untold stories of Black Indians, Native Americans and people of African descent, and their long struggle for justice in the Americas.

William Katz
Facebook
 

'I Love Ancestry' has been a long time coming for all our peoples here and all over Mother Earth. The rich fullness of our heritage composed of the past and the right now. I pray this vast sacred circle continues to enlighten, educate, and bless. To All Our Relations......Wado.

Marcellus Williams
Facebook
 

'I Love Ancestry' is a beautiful platform that showcases the beauty of blended people. It tells important stories that would otherwise remain untold. It is a forerunner in promoting cultural pride, awareness, understanding and tolerance. They celebrate the heroic deeds of ordinary people and magnify the beauty in our people personally and collectively. And who doesn't want more beauty in the world? Our world can always stand more beauty.

Maimouna Youssef
Facebook
 

Black Indians are constantly confronted with the fact that they do not fit any of society’s stereotypes for Native Americans. Those stereotypes are imposed by both whites and sadly, other Indians. This lack of understanding of another nation’s history has interwoven ignorance thus extinguishing fact. Nevertheless, despite their own distortions and mutations of the past, it is interesting to note how the right to remember or forget are not going unnoticed. 'I Love Ancestry' brings to light this hidden history by weaving a cultural and ethnic tapestry of personal biographies intersected with historical watershed events (i.e. slavery, blood-mixing, cultural blending), producing historically-conscious discourse about race, racism, and who is a “real” Indian. Employing discredited biological over cultural definitions of who is an Indian and who is not is an assault on our self-determination as Black Indians. We too have endured 450 years of forced assimilation making our walk one of plurality. It is time to tell our stories.

Julianne Jennings
Facebook
 

The 'I Love Ancestry' movement has broken down so many walls within many communities Showing the hardships and greatness of many indigenous nations. It has given voices to many people that felt that they have never been heard. 'I Love Ancestry' is a teaching tool for the ignorant . I appreciate all that the 'I Love Ancestry' team is doing. Please keep it going ! Yakoke

Malachi McDonald
Facebook
 

Adrian Heckstall's work with 'I Love Ancestry' has added such a complex, and needed aspect to the work on race and intra-race relations.

Shonda Buchanan
Facebook
 

'I Love Ancestry' has given me a wealth of information that is pleasing to spirit, mind and body. It is wonderful to be part of a community that understands how you feel. Being multicultural it is great to feel a sense of belonging to a community that knows how you feel and you can relate to. Thanks to bringing light to many issues that has been buried and forgotten. We are being enlightened and operating in light now. The truth is being told and the proof is here on 'I Love Ancestry'. Thanks for all the beautiful images and for sharing all your knowledge! It takes a village to raise a child. It is wonderful to be part of your village and making us aware of our great history! Salutation to all the Ancestors. One Love. Abundant blessings in love & light.

Nona Aquan
Facebook
 

I Love Ancestry has helped to know and understand my cultural relations and others like me to connect with and be accepted. There has been a conflict between lighter natives and darker natives, as well as light and dark Black/African Americans. This is a beautiful website where it seems we all can come to be on common ground, and have that sense of pride to be secure and proud of who we are.

Robin Brown
Facebook
 

I can never forget the day when I first randomly found the I Love Ancestry page. I couldn't believe my eyes! Not only was it dedicated to sharing the history, struggles and photos of Black people and Native Americans but also Afro Natives as well. I've always taken pride in my multiracial heritage (Black, Native American and European). So it makes me sad and angry when people say Natives are extinct and also Native Americans and Black people never mixed. Both people have been living together for thousands of years. . . us Afro Natives are not a myth! We are still here. My Native people are still here and always will be! I love everything that I am but I have always felt a special connection with my Native heritage. This page is life changing. It has shown me how things are changing. Our story is finally being told. This page has also given me more hope about finding more info about my ancestors. Thank you I Love Ancestry for helping tell our story! I can't express in words how much I appreciate your contributions.

Brittany McClain
Facebook
 

I Love Ancestry has been a great place to learn about ourselves, our history and each other. It has been a place where I have made new friends and became reacquainted with some old ones. A lot of people have become family to me. The information shared here keeps us abreast of what is going on now as well as how the past was. I Love Ancestry has enriched my life because I have stories to tell others because we are still here, plus stories to tell my children of a history I only partially grew up with, more reasons to be proud of who we are and the strength we inherited to endure and grow. It also gave me a place to belong with so many others like me, that didn't quite fit anywhere else. Learning about us has been the greatest gift.

Lajaynese Drewery
Facebook
 

I Love Ancestry is inclusive of all Native Peoples in the Americas, which is an important visual communications tool. It promotes diversity and destroys the stereotype of what a Native American should look like. We come from different ethnic groups but we are united as ONE by shared cultural heritage, oral traditions, songs, dances and creative hands experiences attached to geographical places. I Love Ancestry gives us a portal for sharing, making new connections, gaining new insights and knowledge as we come together in UNITY.

Carola Jones
Facebook
 

Aquene Family. I appreciate the work of I Love Ancestry because it allows for varying American aboriginal cultures to share their uniqueness with the rest of our relations. Especially here in the East, because of how history has dealt with us, we often find ourselves having to prove to other natives that there are indeed "real Indians" here in these parts. I Love Ancestry has been a tremendous resource in helping our efforts in this regard by not only presenting materials that help up to dismiss this myth, but also by assisting in our ongoing efforts to inform and educate others about our rich history and culture.

Raymond L. Watson
Facebook
 

There is neither enough room, time or testimony possible to express the worth and importance of having such a place or venue as I Love Ancestry in existence. Where else can you cover the broad history of so many peoples and people lost and unsung to time? Here we can share our family stories, accounts, and "crests", we read other people's stories noting how similar and yet so incredibly different they are. We take in, we enjoy, we share without disdain, we learn without envy or malice but with open ears and welcome. We are not "book Indians", for these are stories not found in books but are passed through the prism of the oral legend and tradition, in every way thus, made more valuable as they are valid. What a great forum and resource is, 'I Love Ancestry', Wado! Aho!

Anthony Smith
Facebook
 

I love 'I Love Ancestry' because it shines a spotlight on a group of people who are given very little attention. Not only are we still here but we are a very diverse people made up of different tribes and cultures and 'I Love Ancestry' gives a platform for the beauty of the original people of the Western hemisphere.

Nikia Reaves
Facebook
 

I Love Ancestry has created a desperately needed pipeline to receive and exchange information about and for indigenous people. The educational and spiritual benefits are absolutely invaluable. Many people, such as myself, have a beautiful diverse ancestry. However, without campaigns such as " I Love Ancestry", we wouldn't have the opportunity to learn and celebrate our roots. This is particularly true for those of both African and Native-American descent. The aftermath of colonization, slavery, and the creation of reservations left a rift that has culturally and spiritually paralyzed many of mixed descent.

Michelle Greer
Facebook
 

'I Love Ancestry' has been an outlet for me to explore the complexities of my heritage in a space that celebrates the differences we all have. I am so thankful for the community that the campaign has introduced to me. Being able to read the stories of those who are working through similar things as me has allowed me to gain a great pride in the road that has lead to the person I am today.

Shanese Steele
Facebook
 

Over the years it has been the norm too often to represent the various people of color of this hemisphere in a negative light. And even today well into the twenty first century, too many times the positive contributions of these individuals and/or groups of people are given lip service when anything positive is brought to light, if at all. However, more people from our respective communities have undertaken to present the broad spectrum of experiences and accomplishments, as well as express the beautiful diversity and pride that make us the people we are. Adrien Heckstall is among the most dedicated of individuals that has taken on the task of telling and documenting our own stories in a way that is objective and empowering. Through his tireless efforts, 'I Love Ancestry' continues to portray the best of our strengths, beauty, and dignity.

Lonnie Harrington
Facebook
 

Aquene, the stories, historical information, and comments are just some of what makes 'I Love Ancestry' great....when you add the incredible photos of past and present it brings everything together. Our stories come alive on 'I Love Ancestry', and we learn from each other.

Penny Gamble-Williams
Facebook
 

I Love Ancestry affirms that there are others who acknowledge, seek to embrace, and celebrate their mixed heritage. It fosters dialogue, both comfortable and sometimes uncomfortable - but oftentimes necessary. I especially appreciate the profiles presented and the stories shared, through which I have been introduced to some wonderfully talented, bright, creative, and engaging people doing positive things that I might not have otherwise known about. Keep up the good work!

Pamela Ifandy
Facebook
 

'I Love Ancestry' is a reminder of the importance of connecting ourselves deeply in our history so that we can grow strong as a fully aware community and reach into the future. We are more than who we are at this moment in time. We are an important link between our ancestors and our descendants. For those of us with multi-racial heritage, this campaign is also an important reminder of the strength we can derive from our unique heritage.

Mahealani Uchiyama
Facebook
 

'I Love Ancestry' has brought beautiful visual representation of who we are as natives with blended ancestry. Connecting our modern selves to our ancestors is a way of grounding us and healing us!

Jana Curley
Facebook
 

'I Love Ancestry' gives voice to the historical and contemporary intertwined relationships of Indigenous and Black people on Turtle Island. It also provides a digital platform for Afro-Native indigenous leaders across all sectors to network; promote and learn about one another. No cultural appropriation here. Just authentic stories told from an individual's personal narrative. As we are often invisible within the Black and Native communities it is important that we have a place where we can be seen; heard and respected.

Mahlikah Aweri
Facebook
 

The 'I Love Ancestry' Movement is a wonderful and much used resource. Connecting us culturally letting us know about others who share our culture and the historical posts are essential to our knowledge of our hidden history. AMERICA denies the existence of Native people who mixed freely with slaves both slaves of African descent and Native slaves of mixed tribes who were thrown into the vortex of human trafficking and bondage. I can't tell you how much I look forward to I Love Ancestry posts on FB. I use both the information and inspiration . Thank you for Existing for Us.

Karen Aiki Kelley
Facebook
 

From our teachings, we gain the understanding that in order to know where we are going, we must first understand who we are and where we come from. This can be a particularily precarious journey when you rise from mixed bloodlines. 'I Love Ancestry' provides a road map for those on that journey and serves as a thread to weave together our shared histories.. what a beautiful gift. Kinanaskomitinawaw.

Tasha Spillett
Facebook
 

'I Love Ancestry' has been an amazing site that has given voice to a group of people left completely out of history books. For me this has become a place of community where we can talk about our history with pride. It's also been a great resource for my documentary. We may be invisible to history but so many people want to share!

Macha Rose
Facebook
 

'I Love Ancestry' acknowledges our existence and our experiences as Native Americans with African Ancestry. To often our histories are overlooked or forgotten, but this forum gives us a chance to be heard, and seen as living breathing, representations of 500 years of cultural exchange.

Sheilah Dasher
Facebook
 

The 'I Love Ancestry' campaign, has afforded me a platform that has allowed me to reveal a part of my family history, which had been relegated to obscurity, looking back at my life growing up in a society that was for the most part black and white, I remember the frustration of trying to explain my heritage, and having it for the most part, brushed aside as a no matter issue. I have since found people who share my story, and who have a passion for a part of this nation’s history, which until now, was nothing more than whispers at the kitchen table.

Earl Stanley Burley
Facebook
 

Our world is a better place for having such a caring and passionate individual who has picked the interest of many Americans, inclusive of my own. Adrien Heckstall recognizes the power of knowledge, that said, he developed the I Love Ancestry website which, to date, has stimulated dialogue on current issues related to needed, national healing which, until recently, were rarely discussed in open forums. I wish him continued success and look forward to congratulating him personally during an anticipated award ceremony for his positive contributions to our society and ultimately, a stronger America. Having furthered my knowledge related to our Indigenous history, I’m compelled to continue my formal education in Leadership with an emphasis on Social Justice to further contribute to the healing and restorative justice our country sorely needs.

Spencer Sikes
Facebook
 

'I Love Ancestry' has been a tremendous source of information, culture, tradition, histories and connection points for not just myself, but also the community at large. I appreciate the wealth of diversity, voices and access to knowledge of the Black Native experience. Most importantly, I appreciate and love how the design of the site and its members is in alignment with relationship based culture. It's ALL about community and honoring our Ancestors. It is a space that one and all can come to and find virtual circle, reverence and respect for who we are as a people! Ashe'! Aho'! Amen!

Toni Renee Battle
Facebook
 
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