I've sat and read this thread for several days now and I finally gots to add my 2 cents worth.

I'm originally from a small mountain community in east TN with relatives all over the mountains of VA, TN and NC. This area is unique, racially, for a couple of different reasons. Matt, living and doing research in this area can, most likely, vouch for this.

1. These highland areas are known to be an old settling place for the Ulsters.

2. Most every familly native to this area is in some way related to the native american peoples that lived in this area.

3. Some parts, not all, of this area were very racially forgiving and accepted the mixing of black and white. This was especially true in the eastern regions of TN.

All of the above I know to be doccumented from research my grandfather had done when I was a child. I still have the "book" that came from it. Both sides of my family have doccumented evidence of lineage that includes: native america, black, scot, irish, welsh and english.

DISCLAIMER!! Not to be confused with fact, the following are "my opinion and only my opinion". Should anyone find any of these thoughts or examples offending, don't worry, you'll get over it.

Had I been brought up to feel that every other race (i.e. black, spanish, even scottish for that matter) was inferior to mine or different from mine, I might share some of Mac's feelings but that wouldn't make those ideas right. I'd just be another biggot.

While tracing my family tree into the british isles through both the MacQueen and Austin links, I find that I can claim relation to almost every other scottish name (I stopped keeping track after several hundred). This is mostly due to the migration of the MacQueens into the central highlands and thier association with the Chattans. So Mac, get over your bad self, we're proabaly related.

Should anyone, ANYONE, ever invite me to go "play with the little girls", or the children, for the way I am dressed, they would promptly be invited to take a much better look at the sky. Usually when they once again opened their eyes. I have, on occasion, suffered the comments of some individuals who consider themselves "Clan purests" regarding the "Ulster" nature of my heritage. Most were ignored though a couple were invited to visit the devil in his homeplace.

I choose the tartan I wear for one or both of thise reasons, I like the look of it or it has some special meaning to me. Unlike Jimmy, I do have and will wear a Black Watch tartan kilt but wearing it is almost a reverent experience knowing that I am donning something of one of the most famous and highly decorated military units in the world. Having served, with pride and lost blood, for over 20 years in the U. S. Navy, I fully understand the nature of their military service. Bottom line? I allow no-one to dictate what I wear. I like to think of it as my American independence showing through, how's that for tradition?

End of opinions...

Because of some of the above I choose to be a member of the Chattan Alliance rather than a particular Clan or Family.

Tartans that I currently wear?
Black Watch, honoring the Ladies from Hell
Scottish National, honoring all of Scotland
MacQueen, family
Austin, family
Confederate Memorial, I'm from the south after all...
Edzell, my service in the Navy
Thompson, as decended from MacTavish, another family branch
MacLeod (the loud one), for my son (stepson but my son for all intent and purpose)

With certain ethnocentric views set aside, this has been a most enjoyable thread and much thanks to Matt and others for their research and input. I have learned a great deal from them.

Mike