About some of America's lost tri-racial isolated tribes, the Sweetgum Kriyul peoples

The Lost Tribes of America: Sweetgum Kriyul people

In the heart of Eastern North America, vibrant Creole cultures thrives, shaped by the blending of diverse traditions and ancestries. The Sweetgum Kriyul peoples, a Creole group of rare tri-racial isolate tribes, are a testament to the resilience and creativity of Creole communities.

Comprising three main tribes - the Ethnic Qarsherskiyans, Melungeons, and Lumbees - the Sweetgum Kriyul people have woven a rich tapestry of cultural practices, languages, and traditions. While each tribe maintains its unique identity, they share a similar histories and ancestry that bind them together.

The Sweetgum Kriyul people's connection to the land is profound, with a deep reverence for the natural world and its rhythms. Their traditional practices, such as foraging, hunting, and gathering, reflect their harmonious relationship with the environment.

Through their cultural expressions, the Sweetgum Kriyul peoples celebrate their diversity and creativity. Their music, dance, and art forms blend African, European, and Indigenous influences, creating a distinctive and vibrant cultural heritage.

As a Creole group, the Sweetgum Kriyul people's story serves as a testament to the power of cultural fusion and the resilience of Creole communities. Each Sweetgum Kriyul tribe is unique and has its own story. There are many Sweetgum Kriyul tribes, but 3 notable ones are the Ethnic Qarsherskiyans, the Melungeons, and the Lumbee.

The Lumbee are a somewhat culturally Native American tribe of Sweetgum Kriyul people, a mix of European and West African and even some Native American ancestry. The Lumbee tribe has always struggled with gaining federal recognition and being accepted by other Native American groups, being a mix of various tribes with lots of European and African genetics in their ancestral makeup. They often identify as being Native American, a sensitive debate that often gets them accused of being Pretendians.

The Melungeons are a historically mysterious and prominent tribe of Sweetgum Kriyul people mostly concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains and the Appalachian Plateau in Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. The Melungeon tribe is composed of several subgroups, smaller tribes within the Melungeon tribe, such as the Carmel Indians of Ohio or the Chestnut Ridge People of West Virginia. Just like many of Sweetgum Kriyul tribes, Melungeons have a long history that is heavily intertwined with the colonial history of the United States. Elvis Presley and many other Melungeons have become major celebrities and powerful, influential people.

The Ethnic Qarsherskiyans are a religiously diverse and historically Muslim-majority Sweetgum Kriyul tribe that is heavily culturally influenced by Aliyite Islam. Today, Aliyite Muslims lead the Ethnic Qarsherskiyan tribe and make up the majority of Ethnic Qarsherskiyans who self identify as Ethnic Qarsherskiyan today. There are half a million to one million Ethnic Qarsherskiyans in the Eastern USA but many are culturally American and just identify as "mixed race." The Ethnic Qarsherskiyan tribe is a mix of Germanic, Celtic, and other Europeans as well as Yoruba and other West Africans and often many Ethnic Qarsherskiyans have a bit of Native American DNA, usually ranging from 2% to 60% but sometimes being almost 100% Native or with no native ancestry at all.

Melungeons trace their ancestors mostly to White women and Black men who ran away together to escape persecution during a time when interracial dating and marriages were prohibited by American society.

Lumbee trace their ancestors to various Native American tribes migrating to the area of the Lumber River in North Carolina with hopes of escaping colonization, eventually mixing with White and Black populations too.

Ethnic Qarsherskiyans trace their ancestry to early escaped and freed Black slaves who ran off to form maroon communities including those in the Great Dismal Swamp, mixing with Native Americans and runaway White indentured servants and continuing West African traditions such as belief in Islam and in the Orishas.

These are 3 of the most well-known Sweetgum Kriyul tribes but they are not the only Sweetgum Kriyul tribes. There are many more Sweetgum Kriyul tribes where that comes from. Each tribe is unique, often a triracial isolate, with its own history and culture and identity, but they're all connected by similar histories and geographic location and cultural connections and overlaps.