Researching My Heritage

I am now living in a state where the Native American is the majority and us white folk are the minority. The interesting thing is that you can be a small percentage in Oklahoma in order to get any kind of assistance or special help. In Colorado, they are pretty strict, you have to be more than a quarter of a percent in order to apply for the same kind of help.

So, interestingly, my dad's mom was Cherokee and my mom's side is Choctaw. If I can find out if their families were registered with any of those tribes here in Oklahoma, I can get the help I need. Do not take for granted what you have; it is the small things that really do matter. This has become more clear to me than ever. Food, medical, utilities, and housing; the four main living groups.

While researching my dad's mom's family I found at that my Great-Grandpa, C.C. Cheatwood, was inprisoned at the ripe ol' age of 60 by the Lynchburg, West Virginia court system, for violating the Internal Revenue Act. Hmmmm, I thought that paying taxes was optional back before 1902. This will lead me to even more research as I find this absolutely fascinating.

When I was in school I had a Civics class in which we visited interesting political and legal issues like "paying taxes". Our teacher instructed to actually read the constitution in order to "debate" whether or not we felt that paying taxes was a "requirement". We, as a class, were amazed to find out that it isn't mandatory, "they" just want us to comply.

I am still researching and hope to make an actual educated determination of: 1) Is this C.C. Cheatwood really my Great-Grandpa and 2) Is really mandatory to pay taxes. I'll let you know what I come up with.