Kilted Indian?

[Mr. MacDougall]

My earliest ancestors arrived in America before it was the USA. Other nationalities have been braided in at various points, but you can imagine what a muddle of nationalites there are in my family tree.

[prattw]

The early scottish settlement in what is now the US was largely from the highlands. (The great mass of lowland settlers, the Ulster Scots or "Scots-Irish", who were from the lowlands or border about as often as from Ulster, only began ca 1710.) Many of these highlanders wound up on the frontier and lots of them married into the native tribes, especially in the Appalachians. I don't know that anyone has ever done a survey, but I'd guess that near half of registered Cherokee have scottish surnames. My wife is Wallace and Cherokee, on the same side of her family.

On the theme of kilted indians, the Hopi (and some Pueblo people?) and some of the California tribes (IIRC) originally wore wrapped, unpleated kilts.

Will Pratt

Stand fast, Craigellachie!