Where We Go and What We Carry with Us: An Autoethnographic Study of the Marginalization and Resiliency of Appalachian Indigenous Communities of West Virginia

Abstract

University of WashingtonAbstract Where We Go and What We Carry with Us: An Autoethnographic Study of the Marginalization and Resiliency of Appalachian Indigenous Communities of West Virginia Abandon GawinWaya Shuman Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Val Kalei Kanuha School of Social Work Most research claims that settler colonialism has been successful in erasing indigenous communities in West Virginia. While it is true that there are no federally recognized tribes in the state, this does not mean that there are no original indigenous people in this area. Oftentimes, the indigenous people of West Virginia are mixed with other races, including white admixtures. This study is an autoethnographical investigation into the story of my own mixed indigenous family in West Virginia. Interviews were conducted with seven of my family members from both sides of my family to provide a narrative counterpoint about these claims. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed three major themes: Claiming Identities: State Construction and Categorization of Race, Family as Foundation for Racial Identity; and The Role of Family: Agency in Racial/Ethnic Identity Disclosure. The results are discussed using a queer phenomenological framework to illustrate indigenous identity as more nuanced and complex than assumptions based on ideologies of the state and federal government.