My mom was 92 ,she died a few mos, ago of covid. My grandma was in her 80's I was in my 30's when she died. I was 16, when my great grandma died , she was 99. I loved their stories. They made their own lye soap, soap made from flowers. Canned, foraged for black berries, healing herbs. Both had wood stove cooked on, and heat. Had fruit trees, grapes. Smoke house for meats, made buttermilk, cottage cheese, they had a cold house that was built over a spring branch. Rocked inside with shelfs. And big rocks in the water to set stuff on. Am happy to have been with them in those days.
I was blessed to know my great grandmother and my great,great grandmother. They lived through the Depression as well as my grandmother who grew up during those years.
Am 65 now n member all my grannies n gpas n the farm, n all the other homes, even the Adobe one in New Mexico . ALL THIER HOMES !!! Lot ti es when get woke at nite, I put self back to sleep by walking farm, or the homes !!! Amazing I not member yesterday , but can member every room in their homes n lands I used to work n play. On!!! GOD BLESS ALL OUR G'S AND G'S !! And all our memerys
Am 65 now n member all my grannies n gpas n the farm, n all the other homes, even the Adobe one in New Mexico . ALL THIER HOMES !!! Lot ti es when get woke at nite, I put self back to sleep by walking farm, or the homes !!! Amazing I not member yesterday , but can member every room in their homes n lands I used to work n play. On!!! GOD BLESS ALL OUR G'S AND G'S !! And all our memerys
You can thank the butthurt everything has to be PC for that. Even when I was 5 or 6 I was fascinated by the stories the old timers would talk about. I would sit and listen to them for hours. I still love it when you can find somebody older that will talk about their upbringing.
dj beard: I remember asking my grandmother to tell me stories about her life. She spoke about 1908 when she was an eight year old. There was no elastic, so their underwear buttoned. There was no rubberband, so they tied their hair with a ribbon. There were bare light bulbs that hung from the center of the room, and turned off and on by pulling a chain just like we've seen in antique movies. Always fascinated by those who came before us.
If you have parents, grandparents or other elders still living, get them to talk about their upbringing and what it was like for them, how they felt, what challenges they faced. History of your family matters.
Such good advice. We almost all have cell phones with video and audio recorders on them now. We should do something like this video and also have videos just for remembering them should they pass before us,
As a 27 year old who grew up in privileged suburbia, stories like these make me feel nostalgic of a time and place I’ve never experienced. These women grew up without a lot, but their lives were so very rich.
Your life can be just as rich if you focus on deep interpersonal connections as if your life depends on it. I remember this lifestyle from my childhood. Our powerful technologies and appliances have shaped our days. But what’s missing is “visiting people,” like the one lady said - which means, maintaining deep human connections.
Our lives were hard. I’m 39 and I grew up without electricity, running water, or central heat. I’ve been sick my whole life as a consequence. My people are melungeon (look it up). You are nostalgic for something most of your generation mocks.
@animaanimus8011 thank you for introducing me to something new(Melungeon people). Heart breaking to learn. Devastating that there are voices so loud for justice and many of those same voices use slurs about their own who still deserve justice. I'm sorry your life is being romanticized by demographics that made it so.
@@muzikmind77If u like this- y'all should watch "American Hollow Documentary" here on YT. It follows 1 family living in a KY appalachia Hollow (Holler) for 1 year. It was an HBO special. It's great!!! I will try to find a link. But, it's really ez to find here on the UA-cams lol🤣😂🤣
@@DrDIY1 that was one of the first ones I watched after whites of west Virginia and it pretty much broke my youtube into nothing but related mountain folk videos they are all pretty good
I am a middle-aged woman of African-American, Native American, French and Irish descent. I grew up in the country and watching this not only made me very nostalgic I cried happy and sad tears. Thank you so much for this documentary!
So somewhere way ,way back ,maybe we are related, as I am also of French and Irish descent? The joke in high school among my black friends, was that one of our relatives , was African American because of my moms curly, curly hair, and beautiful full lips. She has often been asked if she was, and so have I. We also have dark skin. These women were so beautiful, finding kinship with each other, having lived very similar lives. Its a shame people can't all share this sentiment, and see what we have in common, rather than what divides us. I do my best to live the 2 great commandments that Jesus taught, Love the lord with all your heart, soul ,mind and strength, and the other is like unto it, to love your neighbor as thyself. Doing our best to live like this brings me a lot of peace,
@@primesspct2just food forethought the indigenous French who were known to before they were considered French they were also a lot of word Indians Indian descent and it was of a mixed race of Indians some of them came very dark with very curly hair and then they had the other Indians that were more closer to the aesthetics of a Asian or some kind of a Spanish because let's be clear throughout my study of history I found that Indian the word Indian is just a way to classify a group of people just as they do Caucasians and negroids okay Indians come in many colors shapes there are sanitize Indians that are negroid Indians and then you have like Chippewa Indians which are more closer to a Asian phenotype but with all of this being said back to my first narrative a lot of French people indigenous people are colored they have a very swarthy complexion just as the Italians and that is without saying there's a history with Francis and other countries where French but what I will say for the most part is Louisiana is one of those places where the cage on which speak are french-speaking mixed race just likeCreole people Creole people are another group of people that are French except for Creole people speak French with an African
What a marvelous documentary of mountain heritage. Isn't it remarkable how these women talked about what they had in common? Not one of them said they were victims of poverty or oppression. They saw their lives as gifts & were grateful and generous.
When my son was about 18 he said " you know what Mom, I am glad we never had much growing up, its given me character, and I don't take things for granted, like so many of the kids I go to school with. They are spoiled and entitled" The wisdom of his statement astounded me at the time. We always had a roof over our head, clothes on our backs and food enough. So to me that's not poor. If I watch documentaries from other countries, I see true poverty, and I feel rich indeed.
God provides you with what you need and the knowledge to grow, gather and build from the earth God created this earth with natural resources to provide us with everything we need
Alot of people could. We are missing out on the one thing we do need which is love. Woman dont need man, man dont need woman,its bullshit because we do. For a happier more fulfilling life till death is having someone to love you and live back is the most rewarding thing to mankind.
God-fearing, salt-of the earth, self-sustaining, wise, and beautiful women that I could listen to for hours! They each remind me of my grandma from the mountains of Tucker County, WV, whom I miss very much! Thank you, and God Bless you for posting this!
Laura Stern I was born and raised in Tyler County and Lord knows what I'd give to be back living on that old gravel road. I miss the peace, quiet, and simple living. Living the town life sure ain't for me!
I love listening to elders tell how life was for them. When I was a teenage, my grandma tried to tell me about her youth, but like many teens, I brushed her off. I wish I had listened. There was much I could have learned.
My brother and I were the same, we often brushed my great aunt off too; we DID get to hear SOME stories. Today we regret but are thankful for some of the things we learned!❤️
My attention was caught immediately when I saw the thumbnail of this video . I saw the picture of the precious old Indian lady and my first thought was That's my grandmother! She looks just like her! So I just had to keep watching. Funny thing, my dad's name is Sequoyah. I really enjoyed this video! Precious people, those old ones. Makes me long for that life.
How wonderful to see this documented and hear the stories. My siblings and i blessed to have a cherokee and scots irish grandma. Kind woman. Miss her so much.
These women are such beautiful humans. What they went through. What we take for granted today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your lives with us!
I have more admiration for these three women and those like them than any one I've known. One of their most important decisions was to stay put where they were born and happy. Leaving country life was something I wish my mother had never done. But it was her decision. I just feel us children would've fared better near family and nature.
I love this! I just ran across it tonight. Born and raised in Sylva, NC. I remember Mary Jane and the Queen family from mountain heritage day growing up. She passed in 2007. Amanda Swimmer is still alive, I believe I saw where she was teaching something about pottery in the one feather not long ago. My Dad is a local artist, he did a painting of her. Makes me miss my grandma who passed a year ago. I left back in 2003, but wanted to come back the whole time. Now I'm back I don't think I ever want to leave again, it's like a different world and it's in my blood.
My Mama is now 89 yrs old and I love when she tells us stories of the old days...they had it hard compared to us and to our children too, but I think they were happy and contented. We kids were happy growing up in a small rural community. We had structure, good, strong hardworking parents and wise grandparents. We were blessed. TY you for sharing this lovely video....those stories are priceless!!! Cheers from sunny FL :-)
My mother was born in 1919. They lived way up in the mountains. Her father was killed in an accident. There were bears, panthers and wolves. The boys hunted and fished. They collected coal that fell off of the trains and had to escape from RR men. She told stories of rattlers, copperheads and cottonmouth snakes. When I went there I was terrified the whole time. I didn't want to hear once upon a time stories when I was small but I wanted to hear about stories when she was small.
These ladies make me miss my great-grandma even more. I was blessed enough to have her until I was over 30 years old. If it had not been for her guidance and love.....But for the Grace of God. She lives in me.
These women look so relaxed, at peace and you know they've worked hard. This is a gem of UA-cam videos. I know I'll watch it again and again. Thanks for posting. I love the format.
I wished I would ve known Mary Jane Queen what a great singer. I play 5 different instruments and have a guitar from my daughter Crystal. I love good old country hillbilly music! I almost married my high school sailor boyfriend. After Vietnam War he returned found me then at that time my teacher convinced me that David John Baker would come home from war in a box ,so I found another. I regret to this day What happened. He and I had plans to get married a nd go to live in the Norfolk,Virginia Mts. It wasn t to be. If David reads this of TJHS of Cedar Rapids, Iowa please Bligh me back. Amen.
My son Derrick Clayton Smith and his family live in the Smokey mountains and love it. He s accomplished Mechanical Engineer there and met the hillbilly people that are in my book Christy and they met some if the people who live around French Lake.
We say, Appa-latcha. We also say "Chur-key", not Cher-o-kee. My family has been in the Blue Ridge of NC since 1750. My mother had 7 brothers and 7 sisters, one of which was her twin. These stories are the backbone of my childhood.
It's such a spectacularly beautiful area. I drove through from massachusetts to pick up my puppy. I will never forget how in awe I was around every bend..just when I thought I'd seen the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen there would be something even more glorious.
Beautiful, just beautiful... Reminds me of my Gramma and her kids.. i still took water into my Grandmas house in my high school years. my little brothers did her wood cutting andd filling up the wood box. This was in the 60s... She cooked on a wood stove and heated water on that stove for all needed. i am now close to 70 and have very fond memories of that life style. I am very blessed ! my mother at 90 doesn't have to do these kind of chores anymore. she was 2nd to last of 11 children.. So they had 1st hand knowledge in this kind of liiving in Northern New Mexico..
I’m 44 years old mother of 6 mixed race Hispanic and white now I am blessed to have 4 grandchildren Never had the pleasure to have a grandmother but I will pass along our family’s traditions . Praying for God’s wisdom blessing and protection
What special Women. Its true about our elderly here...we dont seem to care that much...In 2020, its not only the elderly......Im headin that way.....give me the mountains!!......I could hang out, drink coffee n talk to beautiful elders like this everyday....KISS.....thank you for this awsome video
Lisa Toney me too. I think it's because we can relate as to how things used to be. It's a time lovingly remembered, in whatever degree, now gone. It's worthy of getting emotional over. :(
@@sabrinacle you are very blessed to have 9 grandchildren. I had 3 unborn children, they all died. I can only visit in the baby section of the cemetery.
I'm from Wilkes County, NC.. and this is so how my grandparents were raised. It's pronounced App-a-latch-a where I'm from. I've always been proud of where I'm from and these mountains have produced strong men and women. It's a shame that the communities are not as cohesive as they used to be any more. I miss my mountains very much!
These stories are the life of my mother and my family. I remember these types of mountain people. This was their way of life. As they die, the way they lived dies with them. They will always be in my memory and in my heart.
Love this! Reminds me of my grandma. We are a mix of Irish and Cherokee on maternal side but my grandfather’s father came from Lebanon! Both grandparents were extremely hard working and very frugal with financing. 2 of many wise words were passed down to us kids 1) Waste not- want not!! 2) And idol hands are the devil’s workshop. But we also learned pride from anything other than hard work was sin. Technology has replaced tradition. That’s so sad!! Simplicity/ honesty/ humility/ kindness/loyalty/ modesty/ and most threatening is the decaying of FAMILY!!!! These are divine seeds that are all so sadly lost to hi tech and corporate cities / lost on greed and vanity. Seeds of respecting and learning from our elders is mocked and we can not recover from losing heritage!! The seeds today are planted upon shallow trampled on ground. No one is cultivating simple culture. 😞
So much of that is true, But there are those of us that do our best to live simple lives and to teach our children to as well. My mom lives with me and my family is very close. My sons are happily married to their very first girlfriends from highschool and take good care of their grand mothers and of me., And I think many young people are trying to live their lives the old fashioned ways, more and more these days. They are the minority, but they are out there, So take heart that there are some. God is still working, and He finds his own,
@@dodadeb8954it is very rare to see Cherokee blooded people who by the way just to give you a food for thought Cherokee Indians are actually indigenous afro Indian that came about from p Africa most of the time people say Cherokee Indian but Cherokee Indians are just an Indian group of people that came out of Africa
I was so lucky to meet Amanda Swimmer in June 2015 at the Voices of the Cherokee Festival. Bought one of her pottery vases and she signed it for me. Wonderful Cherokee Elder woman!
She reminds me of my dear grandmother too....the strongest and most stoic human being I’ve ever known...she was mostly of Irish descent but she had a grandmother who was, as far as I can discern, the daughter of a Native American man...I’ve had trouble tracing much beyond that...she was a wonderful person...I continue to be in awe of her many years after her death...I inherited her cheekbones and I hope some small measure of her strength..RIP Big Mama...small in stature but very big in spirit.
So much respect for these women... a native Northcarolina girl here. Mountains are closer to God, and have loved my life growing up in the mountains ❤🙏
This lady talks just like me and my family. I grew up just like this. My mom and mommaw did all this and taught me to do it also. The music was old. Religion was old regular primative baptist. My school went from K thru 12. We lived in a coal camp. Everyone was kin some way. She has our accent. Love it. Im 68 years old.
These women speak plainly and honestly about their childhoods. If you listen closely to these ladies, you will see many things they have in common. It occurs to me that although we have progressed with our technology in this century, the overall sense of family and the children playing outside together seems to have almost vanished. The children playing outside and doing chores around the house appears to have kept them in better physical condition that most of today's children. These kids didn't need to go to a gym to stay in shape. I suspect that these ladies' children would look you in the eye when they talked to you instead of being preoccupied with punching buttons on a "smart" phone. I would have been happy to have had any of these three women as my grandmother.
We had a lot of kudzu here in northwest N.C. We played in it and swam in the creeks and rivers. We always swung on the grapevines, slept on a pallet on the front porch, I’m 72 now.😊 I lived just to go to the store and get a Pepsi, RC cola, moon pies and honey buns. Primed tobacco to make eating money, we made sleds and wagons for the hills also. We used old car hoods to slide on the snow, cherry and Sarvis trees had great eating berrys too.
Lovely women to share their stories. I enjoy hearing what the past was like & the people you meet along the way. It helps to understand why people are the way they are sometimes.
im Appalachian. it's really pronounced appa-latch-ya. if anyone e was wondering. lol. we say " it's Appalachia, and if ya dont say it right I'll throw an apple atch-ya."
+Louisa Capell in your part, remember this mountain Range doesn't only exist in the south, It goes from Canada to Alabama, people from Ohio, Pen, Newyork say it differently from the South and it depends also from where you are down south.
All of my family are from these areas. These women remind me so much of my grand mothers and great aunts, Thanks so much for posting, brought tears to my eyes.
Three delightful ladies. My granny on my dad's side was just like them. She was Scotch/Irish mountain folks from Alabama. The main quality is their contentment. Seems that folks who complain the most are the ones who've had the easiest lives. Ladies like these seldom complain.
What's wrong with you? I was going to ignore your but I could not, What"s wrong with you? a fine beautiful film why can"t you live and let live? you must be a young ignorant self-absorbed pecker head, grow up vulgar one.
These marvelous women are a precious legacy -- their lives and their memories are so valuable, as one can see the positive interweaving of the Cherokee culture with the Scottish-Irish. Thank you so much for these wonderful videos!
@@ingenueblue8914 Well write your own examples of how your people interacted with the Scots-Irish and Cherokee people. Maybe she doesn't have enough familiarity with black culture to talk about it. If she did talk about it you'd be critical of her speaking as a non-black person.
That 80 ur old native american reminds me of grandmother who I miss terribly. Her skin is so smooth and bright just like her Her story is similar to my grandmothers. Bless You
This video reminded me of my childhood & my granny & great aunties. I was born in East Tennessee & spent majority of my childhood in Virginia. My granny and other relatives always had huge gardens and basements full of jars of veggies, fruits, jams, apple butter, pickles and so many goodies. I never left visiting any if my relatives without handfuls of jars. I miss that and this video sent me back to those wonderful years
I really enjoy history. My parents were older than these people and I'm a little younger. I saw many of the things growing up on a farm that they talk about. What I didn't see, my parents talked about. People weren't taking drugs and killing people. We just had a good time. We would have a peanut boiling and play games. There was always lots to do, fishing, hunting, etc. And we worked hard, too. It's sad that people can't enjoy a simple life today.
HML376: I too love history. And, like these ladies, this is REAL HISTORY; living, breathing, walking and talking history. My dad would often sit at the supper table and tell stories ( many of which I remember to this day) of how he grew up and what that was like. His grandfather, a Cherokee, lived to 106 years of age!
HML367 yes agree. I remember the syrup making, and the mule that was attached to something that turned the sugar cane grinding wheel. We sometimes bought the cane juice before it was cooked for syrup. Boiled peanuts, yum. The agriculture of the time was awesome.
This was an absolutely beautiful and amazing video. The ladies represented truly knew how to LIVE. Though nothing was of ease, through their words they clearly understand how to live life to the fullest. This video was taken over twenty years ago and these women were in their early too mid 80s. As they shared their personal experiences and memories, their minds were very clear and without hesitation. Very young in mind and spirit. Thank you for producing and the sharing of the video. Best regards
Even though these three beautiful Ladies are from a specific area in the USA. they could sit alongside my Grandmothers in Australia and compare the exact same stories of growing up self sufficient and strong and healthy. Yes it was hard but they all had glorious childhoods from the memories they related. How sad that from the past we have devolved and separated and almost seem completely different in this 'modern era". Thankyou for posting such a beautiful vid!!!
Thank you so much for this wonderful documentary. I enjoyed it so so much. I live in the Appalachian mtn of East Tn. My great grandparents were Scotts-Irish and also Cherokee Indian - like these women, I am also proud of my heritage. I really enjoyed learning how they each grew up with a strong work ethic and faith in God. These women are perfect role models to look to...they were hard working and led vibrant lives. I'm so glad they shared their stories with the rest of the world. All of us could learn from each of them.
The first lady has such a beautiful countenance. So modest yet strong and principled. The other ladies aren't far behind her. A real pleasure to hear their stories. We will never see their likes again - more's the pity.
My granddaddy was Welsh; he went to ivy league schools. He fell in love with a Cherokee woman, but we were not allowed to talk about where she came from. I found her on the native American rolls. Feels good to know what genetics led me to be more like her than those I was raised with.
It was because there was a fear if they knew she and her children were Cherokee they would be considered full Native. The one drop rule also affected Native people not just black people although that's the narrative now. It was more dangerous to be Native than any other group because the government would have forced your ancestor to send her children to residential schools like Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania at the time. That was the law.
Doing my genealogy of my father who adopted me i saw his uncle married a Native woman and lived on a reservation in Oklahoma. Eventually, they moved to Louisiana where his brother married a Creole woman. We didn't know she was Creole or what that was until we got older.
My gg grandparents where each mixed. One Cherokee Welsh and the other LA/MS Choctaw Irish. My 3rd g grandmother was full blooded Choctaw her middle name was the last name of plantation owner who adopted her as an in fant after her parents died in Yellow Fever epidemic. At 16 she was married off to another plantation owner who was a confederate veteran.
I keep this in my saved videos and watch it over and over. I grew up about an hour away from the mountains in Pennsylvania. My dad's family had these same values and experiences. I grew up in the 70's, and it was good, but wish I could have grown up when these women did. Thank you for a wonderful documentary.
I wish I had the opportunity to hear the stories of early years of my Grandmother's life or even the chance to have met my Grandfather and listen to him tell me his stories. I miss those opportunities and am glad to hear these Ladies.
A beautiful documentary of American Women and the American way. We handle it ourselves, and build strength of character through the struggle. Lots of love to the pioneers of past and present.
Watching this makes me wish I could just call my gramma and talk to her one more time! I’m so appreciative of the times that she did talk to me about her childhood and life, but I would kill for just one more story 💔
Such beautiful Ladies They have so much that they can share. I would consider it a privilege to know any one of them God Bless each of them and their children and their children’s children 🙏💜😇🥰
I see my ancestors reflected in all of their faces. Their stories are amazing and beautiful. They are three strong women that could teach us a thing or two!
I enjoyed this doc so much. Makes me yearn for a home I never had , my soul knows these places I’ve never been. Tku. The stories, the music ad Nd poem I so loved. ESP luv these women were believers. 🙏💕
They all look like they'd feed you a home cooked meal and give great grandma hugs. No world exists in the comfort of women like this. Reminds me of my great grandmother when she was alive in Big Creek, WV
Born and raised in East Tennessee...lived most of my adult life in Townsend and Walland. It's so amazing to hear these women say things I was taught when I was young. My husband's Daddy always said you don't blow on potatoes or corn... but I think he also said okra and pole beans too. He was born in a little cabin on the River between Townsend and Walland. His grandfather was Big Will Walker. He's in every book you'll find on the people of this side of the mountains. You'd think I'd get tired or bored of hearing other people say the same things I've heard living here but, the older I get...the more it means to me. I loved this documentary.
Our government does not want us to know or understand our great heritages. We have always been a proud and prosperous nation of hard working god fearing men and women.
@@apersonwhoknows you don't, but we have always honored God in this country. Read a constitution. We have always believed we receive our rights from God
Violets divine spiritual shop LLC Divine There is only one "God" supreme being , we all bow to him...., he is of no nation or people, ALL debts will be paid.
@Violets divine spiritual shop LLC Divine A European god? Do you mean as in the ancient oaks worshipped by the Celts, or the Norse gods worshipped by early Scandinavian & Germanic peoples, or maybe even the ancient Roman or Greek gods? I'd bet my eye teeth the statement that mentioned "god fearing" was in reference to was to the god worshipped by adherents of the Judeo-Christian religion. It's been the predominant religion in these parts (southeastern US) for 250+ years. It didn't originate in the dark, damp, dank forests of Europe, but instead it sprang from the sunny desert country of the middle east. Just as native American religions were supplanted by the predominate religion of western Europe, the various religions of early Europe had in turn been supplanted by a religion from the middle east. The god of Abraham works in mysterious ways.
I love these stories and how they speak about their families with so much love and respect for one another. They were such hard workers and even though they didn't have much schooling but they were pretty smart people.
i'm from east central KY. technically i grew up in the foothills, in the bluegrass region of central KY. but i've lived in the mountains in eastern KY now for several years. i absolutely love this part of Appalachia so much. there's nothin better than this rural life, its harder and i understand why some people think its too difficult a place to live in. but its so beautiful. and there's so many vivid, vivid memories i have of this place, you get so strongly rooted to place, here in Appalachia. and you're steeped in your own culture, and your own people, generations back. and your own history. there's old cemeteries, stone fences, churches, homesteads, all over the place. its such a beautiful region and the culture and history is incredible. i love it here. and its really, really nice to hear perspectives from non-white cultures that lived here in Appalachia. they made our whole culture so rich and varied, and really influenced all of us, more than we realize i'm sure. what a great documentary, love this
Truly BEAUTIFUL women , each and every one of them. My family lived down there a long time ago and I did about 40 years ago. They were the Scot Irish. All in all I think those mountain's brought us some of the finest, hard working people who ever lived and I deeply respect them. Thank you all for your wonderful stories.
Im 48 and i thought it was a wonderful movie. I miss my grandfather. In the 1970s when i was young. I remember him tell me stories of the depression and WW2. We should all talk to older people and love and respect them. Hopefully we will all be old one day. What would we want for us in the future. Thanks for making this.
I loved this documentary, my family hails from Macon county in the Cartoogechaye community, and I grew up with women like this feeding and caring for me. Thank you so much!
Thank you and all these lovely women for sharing their stories and their lives as they grew up. This is our historic legacy in parts where everyone has a story to tell and so many lessons to learn from them. We need to pay attention and learn from our elders as much wisdom is there 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Thank you so much for this video. I am from North Carolina and loved going to the beautiful mountains up around Cherokee. I no longer live in that area but relate to these women and what they say and how they say it even though I am younger... Beautiful people.
Yes, my family is triracial, but identify as African American since the government mandated it. 20 years ago Afro-descended Appalachianers didn't identify with the culture of the larger Black community. They were just as country as the Whites and hunted, fished, and farmed. Now you can find many of these communities infested with sagging pants, blunts, and horrific music. That came about with the internet and cable tv which caused our culture to disintegrate into the ruins similar to that of the inner cities that produced the garbage. I so wish that they would head on down the mountain with their destructive culture. We don't want any Mike Brown's in our communities. Folks in the inner city don't even accept us as most Blacks from the Blue Ridge either don't even look the par, or just plain don't fit in. Hell I had a dna test and it said that I was 32% White and 25.2% Native American, and I'm not even a standout in the community. We don't need dna though because we know our family histories. Its all we used to hear sitting around in the cold months while everybody was gathered round the Warm Morning stove with the pot of soup made from the canning jars. My gramma pictured in my profile still lives up high on the ridge and is 101 years old, still gardening.
This was awesome thank you so much for this content. I am 53 years old and ever since I was a kid I always had a fascination and felt a connection to homestead culture, especially Appalachian. The one thing that I always found refreshing is no matter how much research I’ve never come across strong obvious racism in this culture for some reason it just never really seem to exist the same way it did in many other regions of the south; that alone makes them special and unique!💯those three women saw more similarities in each other then they did differences.I think that’s awesome really that’s what America should be💯
This reminds me of my mother and grandmother growing up born and raised in Southern Texas. My mothering born in 1922 and my grand mother born in 1905. Good old fashioned living. Religion was the one part that held people strong, it was faith. Amen I remember their stories well.
We'd call them poor, but it is we who are poor. They were rich with life, songs and laughter - all the things that really mattered. Gone are those days.
My mother was born at this time in Alabama. I grew up hearing stories exactly like this. This wonderful documentary sure makes me miss momma. These people are known as the golden age generation. No generation can come close to these wonderful people!
Amanda I’m seventy seven and work at our church called pioneer girls and help with lesson while parents are in sanctuary ❤ the piece of of pottery that you are holding looks like the one that I have from a gift for my wedding glad to hear you’re active in your community thank you for sharing your childhood memories ❤
Oh how I wish I could visit with these wonderful ladies and while away an afternoon. I hate for the vid to end .....that's the sign of a good story. And I sure enjoyed this one. Thank you for sharing it with us.
My mom was 92 ,she died a few mos, ago of covid. My grandma was in her 80's I was in my 30's when she died. I was 16, when my great grandma died , she was 99. I loved their stories. They made their own lye soap, soap made from flowers. Canned, foraged for black berries, healing herbs. Both had wood stove cooked on, and heat. Had fruit trees, grapes. Smoke house for meats, made buttermilk, cottage cheese, they had a cold house that was built over a spring branch. Rocked inside with shelfs. And big rocks in the water to set stuff on. Am happy to have been with them in those days.
I was blessed to know my great grandmother and my great,great grandmother. They lived through the Depression as well as my grandmother who grew up during those years.
What precious memories
Am 65 now n member all my grannies n gpas n the farm, n all the other homes, even the Adobe one in New Mexico . ALL THIER HOMES !!! Lot ti es when get woke at nite, I put self back to sleep by walking farm, or the homes !!! Amazing I not member yesterday , but can member every room in their homes n lands I used to work n play. On!!! GOD BLESS ALL OUR G'S AND G'S !! And all our memerys
Am 65 now n member all my grannies n gpas n the farm, n all the other homes, even the Adobe one in New Mexico . ALL THIER HOMES !!! Lot ti es when get woke at nite, I put self back to sleep by walking farm, or the homes !!! Amazing I not member yesterday , but can member every room in their homes n lands I used to work n play. On!!! GOD BLESS ALL OUR G'S AND G'S !! And all our memerys
Oh yea Navajo here!!
Now I get older and I appreciate and realize how much history this nation has and how little they teach us in school.
lilyvampwolf you can think the public schools not teaching you anything on the Libtard Democrypts!!!!
^^^^^ Acts like only one party is guilty.
You can thank the butthurt everything has to be PC for that.
Even when I was 5 or 6 I was fascinated by the stories the old timers would talk about. I would sit and listen to them for hours. I still love it when you can find somebody older that will talk about their upbringing.
dj beard: I remember asking my grandmother to tell me stories about her life. She spoke about 1908 when she was an eight year old. There was no elastic, so their underwear buttoned. There was no rubberband, so they tied their hair with a ribbon. There were bare light bulbs that hung from the center of the room, and turned off and on by pulling a chain just like we've seen in antique movies.
Always fascinated by those who came before us.
lilyvampwolf You can't even imagine the half of it!
If you have parents, grandparents or other elders still living, get them to talk about their upbringing and what it was like for them, how they felt, what challenges they faced. History of your family matters.
Such good advice. We almost all have cell phones with video and audio recorders on them now. We should do something like this video and also have videos just for remembering them should they pass before us,
There are some wonderful quotes here.....by everybody ...this is just ...idk.....
Surreal? Lol
At 77, my wife 76, today’s kids, don’t give a damned
Once the old folks are gone, so is your history. Nothing was free in the old days except honesty, hard work and your faith in the Lord.
@@jasonreimer4742 l]l,koojhhhbvuip.pki!p.ppko,ooo0
As a 27 year old who grew up in privileged suburbia, stories like these make me feel nostalgic of a time and place I’ve never experienced. These women grew up without a lot, but their lives were so very rich.
Some pple in Appalachia still live like this even in 2023. I’m in the foothills of Appalachia near Whitley County Kentucky
I can relate !😢
Your life can be just as rich if you focus on deep interpersonal connections as if your life depends on it. I remember this lifestyle from my childhood. Our powerful technologies and appliances have shaped our days. But what’s missing is “visiting people,” like the one lady said - which means, maintaining deep human connections.
Our lives were hard. I’m 39 and I grew up without electricity, running water, or central heat. I’ve been sick my whole life as a consequence. My people are melungeon (look it up). You are nostalgic for something most of your generation mocks.
@animaanimus8011 thank you for introducing me to something new(Melungeon people).
Heart breaking to learn. Devastating that there are voices so loud for justice and many of those same voices use slurs about their own who still deserve justice.
I'm sorry your life is being romanticized by demographics that made it so.
this type of documentary is why I love youtube.
Me, too!!
AGREE!
Biggest fax ever
@@muzikmind77If u like this- y'all should watch "American Hollow Documentary" here on YT. It follows 1 family living in a KY appalachia Hollow (Holler) for 1 year. It was an HBO special. It's great!!! I will try to find a link. But, it's really ez to find here on the UA-cams lol🤣😂🤣
@@DrDIY1 that was one of the first ones I watched after whites of west Virginia and it pretty much broke my youtube into nothing but related mountain folk videos they are all pretty good
I am a middle-aged woman of African-American, Native American, French and Irish descent. I grew up in the country and watching this not only made me very nostalgic I cried happy and sad tears. Thank you so much for this documentary!
So somewhere way ,way back ,maybe we are related, as I am also of French and Irish descent? The joke in high school among my black friends, was that one of our relatives , was African American because of my moms curly, curly hair, and beautiful full lips. She has often been asked if she was, and so have I. We also have dark skin.
These women were so beautiful, finding kinship with each other, having lived very similar lives. Its a shame people can't all share this sentiment, and see what we have in common, rather than what divides us.
I do my best to live the 2 great commandments that Jesus taught, Love the lord with all your heart, soul ,mind and strength, and the other is like unto it, to love your neighbor as thyself. Doing our best to live like this brings me a lot of peace,
@@primesspct2just food forethought the indigenous French who were known to before they were considered French they were also a lot of word Indians Indian descent and it was of a mixed race of Indians some of them came very dark with very curly hair and then they had the other Indians that were more closer to the aesthetics of a Asian or some kind of a Spanish because let's be clear throughout my study of history I found that Indian the word Indian is just a way to classify a group of people just as they do Caucasians and negroids okay Indians come in many colors shapes there are sanitize Indians that are negroid Indians and then you have like Chippewa Indians which are more closer to a Asian phenotype but with all of this being said back to my first narrative a lot of French people indigenous people are colored they have a very swarthy complexion just as the Italians and that is without saying there's a history with Francis and other countries where French but what I will say for the most part is Louisiana is one of those places where the cage on which speak are french-speaking mixed race just likeCreole people Creole people are another group of people that are French except for Creole people speak French with an African
What a marvelous documentary of mountain heritage. Isn't it remarkable how these women talked about what they had in common? Not one of them said they were victims of poverty or oppression. They saw their lives as gifts & were grateful and generous.
When my son was about 18 he said " you know what Mom, I am glad we never had much growing up, its given me character, and I don't take things for granted, like so many of the kids I go to school with. They are spoiled and entitled" The wisdom of his statement astounded me at the time. We always had a roof over our head, clothes on our backs and food enough. So to me that's not poor. If I watch documentaries from other countries, I see true poverty, and I feel rich indeed.
God provides you with what you need and the knowledge to grow, gather and build from the earth
God created this earth with natural resources to provide us with everything we need
@@primesspct2😊
Priceless footage…Blessed my heart big-time! Thank you 😊
This is so precious. It gives you a warm feeling inside and a longing to know pure, gentle souls, like these women.
Crying from how much these women remind me of my grandmother and aunts. Hendersonville will forever be home.
3 women who lived life to the fullest and took on the responsibility God gave them to do. Well done, ladies!!🙏🏼❤️🇺🇸
People like this are the backbone of this country and they will create a irreplaceable gap when they are gone.
And they really are 😭
I couldn't agree more. 🇨🇭😊🌺🇫🇷
N English it’s already happened. In 2020 not one school teaches history
Pakistanis will replace them just fine
Native Americans were not greedy. We should have built the wall then!
Back when people didn't know they wanted "stuff". They had plenty to eat, and clothes to wear. I could learn a lot from these ladies.
TAMBSin M they are still like this in the mountains
@@copgirl11 indeed.
A simple life
Alot of people could. We are missing out on the one thing we do need which is love. Woman dont need man, man dont need woman,its bullshit because we do. For a happier more fulfilling life till death is having someone to love you and live back is the most rewarding thing to mankind.
@katy bourassa no, being poor is not fun. I grew up poor. I wouldn't call these ladies poor though.
Wonderful documentary of these strong, loving women. Thank you 🙏🏻 New Zealand 🇳🇿
God-fearing, salt-of the earth, self-sustaining, wise, and beautiful women that I could listen to for hours! They each remind me of my grandma from the mountains of Tucker County, WV, whom I miss very much! Thank you, and God Bless you for posting this!
Laura Stern I was born and raised in Tyler County and Lord knows what I'd give to be back living on that old gravel road. I miss the peace, quiet, and simple living. Living the town life sure ain't for me!
Laura Stern My mans people are from Tucker county. Coal mining country
Death to israel
@@TehDuckStalker Idiot wtf has Israel got to do with either this documentary or this comment ???
hers and 2
I love listening to elders tell how life was for them. When I was a teenage, my grandma tried to tell me about her youth, but like many teens, I brushed her off. I wish I had listened. There was much I could have learned.
My brother and I were the same, we often brushed my great aunt off too; we DID get to hear SOME stories. Today we regret but are thankful for some of the things we learned!❤️
My attention was caught immediately when I saw the thumbnail of this video . I saw the picture of the precious old Indian lady and my first thought was That's my grandmother! She looks just like her! So I just had to keep watching. Funny thing, my dad's name is Sequoyah. I really enjoyed this video! Precious people, those old ones. Makes me long for that life.
Sherry Taylor I’m Cherokee and German. My sons name is Sequoia. I spelled it like the tree
How wonderful to see this documented and hear the stories. My siblings and i blessed to have a cherokee and scots irish grandma. Kind woman. Miss her so much.
These are dear Sweet Stories told by dear Sweet People!!! God bless them!!! Thank you, for sharing!!!
The smile after Mary Jane says "1914" is priceless and beautiful! Three amazing, strong and proud women. Definition of salt of the earth.
These women are such beautiful humans. What they went through. What we take for granted today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your lives with us!
I have more admiration for these three women and those like them than any one I've known. One of their most important decisions was to stay put where they were born and happy. Leaving country life was something I wish my mother had never done. But it was her decision. I just feel us children would've fared better near family and nature.
I love this! I just ran across it tonight. Born and raised in Sylva, NC. I remember Mary Jane and the Queen family from mountain heritage day growing up. She passed in 2007. Amanda Swimmer is still alive, I believe I saw where she was teaching something about pottery in the one feather not long ago. My Dad is a local artist, he did a painting of her. Makes me miss my grandma who passed a year ago. I left back in 2003, but wanted to come back the whole time. Now I'm back I don't think I ever want to leave again, it's like a different world and it's in my blood.
Cheyenne Brown Is the black lady Elizabeth Allen still living?
appalachian. possum, I grew up in Jackson county. My family gets together there annually and I just hate to leave!
What about the black women ,is she alive?
M
You're a very lucky person....I would have LOVED to grow up in that area....I've been near your area...its a special place for sure...God bless
Could listen to older people talk all day about past times. RIP lovely ladies.
C R Same!
My Mama is now 89 yrs old and I love when she tells us stories of the old days...they had it hard compared to us and to our children too, but I think they were happy and contented. We kids were happy growing up in a small rural community. We had structure, good, strong hardworking parents and wise grandparents. We were blessed. TY you for sharing this lovely video....those stories are priceless!!! Cheers from sunny FL :-)
😅❤❤
My mother was born in 1919. They lived way up in the mountains. Her father was killed in an accident. There were bears, panthers and wolves. The boys hunted and fished. They collected coal that fell off of the trains and had to escape from RR men. She told stories of rattlers, copperheads and cottonmouth snakes. When I went there I was terrified the whole time. I didn't want to hear once upon a time stories when I was small but I wanted to hear about stories when she was small.
These ladies make me miss my great-grandma even more.
I was blessed enough to have her until I was over 30 years old.
If it had not been for her guidance and love.....But for the Grace of God.
She lives in me.
These women look so relaxed, at peace and you know they've worked hard. This is a gem of UA-cam videos. I know I'll watch it again and again. Thanks for posting. I love the format.
I wished I would ve known Mary Jane Queen what a great singer. I play 5 different instruments and have a guitar from my daughter Crystal. I love good old country hillbilly music! I almost married my high school sailor boyfriend. After Vietnam War he returned found me then at that time my teacher convinced me that David John Baker would come home from war in a box ,so I found another. I regret to this day What happened. He and I had plans to get married a
nd go to live in the Norfolk,Virginia Mts. It wasn t to be. If David reads this of TJHS of Cedar Rapids, Iowa please Bligh me back. Amen.
My son Derrick Clayton Smith and his family live in the Smokey mountains and love it. He s accomplished Mechanical Engineer there and met the hillbilly people that are in my book Christy and they met some if the people who live around French Lake.
What a lovely observation
They are southern! The most relaxed hospitable people in our country
We say, Appa-latcha.
We also say "Chur-key", not Cher-o-kee.
My family has been in the Blue Ridge of NC since 1750.
My mother had 7 brothers and 7 sisters, one of which was her twin.
These stories are the backbone of my childhood.
...or tsalagi?
You are blessed to know you're history!
It's such a spectacularly beautiful area. I drove through from massachusetts to pick up my puppy. I will never forget how in awe I was around every bend..just when I thought I'd seen the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen there would be something even more glorious.
Lucky you
I could sit and listen to them gals for hours, God bless them.
I enjoyed the black women the most,because I know she went through a lit more hardship than these two women ,I admire all the other two women to.
They are not gals,they are women.
Beautiful, just beautiful... Reminds me of my Gramma and her kids.. i still took water into my Grandmas house in my high school years. my little brothers did her wood cutting andd filling up the wood box. This was in the 60s... She cooked on a wood stove and heated water on that stove for all needed. i am now close to 70 and have very fond memories of that life style. I am very blessed ! my mother at 90 doesn't have to do these kind of chores anymore. she was 2nd to last of 11 children.. So they had 1st hand knowledge in this kind of liiving in Northern New Mexico..
I’m 44 years old mother of 6 mixed race Hispanic and white now I am blessed to have 4 grandchildren Never had the pleasure to have a grandmother but I will pass along our family’s traditions . Praying for God’s wisdom blessing and protection
What special Women. Its true about our elderly here...we dont seem to care that much...In 2020, its not only the elderly......Im headin that way.....give me the mountains!!......I could hang out, drink coffee n talk to beautiful elders like this everyday....KISS.....thank you for this awsome video
I don't know why.... this video made me so emotional. These three woman are so precious. I'm so glad I came across this documentary.
Lisa Toney I feel the same. I honestly want to move to another place back to simplicity.
Lisa Toney me too. I think it's because we can relate as to how things used to be. It's a time lovingly remembered, in whatever degree, now gone. It's worthy of getting emotional over. :(
Lisa Toney I’m crying too. I have 9 grand children but I feel like I have nothing to give them. What did I ever do? Whine about Vietnam and smoke pot
@@sabrinacle you are very blessed to have 9 grandchildren. I had 3 unborn children, they all died. I can only visit in the baby section of the cemetery.
They are so strong and happy
I'm from Wilkes County, NC.. and this is so how my grandparents were raised. It's pronounced App-a-latch-a where I'm from. I've always been proud of where I'm from and these mountains have produced strong men and women. It's a shame that the communities are not as cohesive as they used to be any more. I miss my mountains very much!
Yes! Natives and genuine Appa latch uns know that! City slickers and pretenders say Appa lay chuns. Easy to spot the difference!
Iv got ancestors from wilkes. Iv spent so much time researching. That's why I'm here.
These stories are the life of my mother and my family. I remember these types of mountain people. This was their way of life. As they die, the way they lived dies with them. They will always be in my memory and in my heart.
I love these 3 ladies. I could listen to them talk all day
I just love and respect these women!
Choann Radick They were strong and I am grateful for this they taught me to be independant. A tue survivalist for sure
Love this! Reminds me of my grandma. We are a mix of Irish and Cherokee on maternal side but my grandfather’s father came from Lebanon! Both grandparents were extremely hard working and very frugal with financing. 2 of many wise words were passed down to us kids 1) Waste not- want not!! 2) And idol hands are the devil’s
workshop. But we also learned pride from anything other than hard work was sin.
Technology has replaced tradition. That’s so sad!! Simplicity/ honesty/ humility/ kindness/loyalty/ modesty/ and most threatening is the decaying of FAMILY!!!! These are divine seeds that are all so sadly lost to hi tech and corporate cities / lost on greed and vanity. Seeds of respecting and learning from our elders is mocked and we can not recover from losing heritage!! The seeds today are planted upon shallow trampled on ground. No one is cultivating simple culture. 😞
So beautifully said and so tue.
So much of that is true, But there are those of us that do our best to live simple lives and to teach our children to as well. My mom lives with me and my family is very close. My sons are happily married to their very first girlfriends from highschool and take good care of their grand mothers and of me.,
And I think many young people are trying to live their lives the old fashioned ways, more and more these days. They are the minority, but they are out there, So take heart that there are some. God is still working, and He finds his own,
@@dodadeb8954it is very rare to see Cherokee blooded people who by the way just to give you a food for thought Cherokee Indians are actually indigenous afro Indian that came about from p Africa most of the time people say Cherokee Indian but Cherokee Indians are just an Indian group of people that came out of Africa
Such wise words in your comment i wish more wisdom for future youth of the world. It is so badly neeed
@@primesspct2 amen!! ❤️
The first lady reminds me of my grandmother so much. I miss her. It's amazing how simple their lives are/were and how happy they were.
I was so lucky to meet Amanda Swimmer in June 2015 at the Voices of the Cherokee Festival. Bought one of her pottery vases and she signed it for me. Wonderful Cherokee Elder woman!
beautiful soul folk.
Mine too, she was born somewhere in the Appalachians and was half Cherokee and half Shawnee.
She reminds me of my dear grandmother too....the strongest and most stoic human being I’ve ever known...she was mostly of Irish descent but she had a grandmother who was, as far as I can discern, the daughter of a Native American man...I’ve had trouble tracing much beyond that...she was a wonderful person...I continue to be in awe of her many years after her death...I inherited her cheekbones and I hope some small measure of her strength..RIP Big Mama...small in stature but very big in spirit.
She reminds me of mine as well.
So much respect for these women... a native Northcarolina girl here. Mountains are closer to God, and have loved my life growing up in the mountains ❤🙏
This lady talks just like me and my family. I grew up just like this. My mom and mommaw did all this and taught me to do it also. The music was old. Religion was old regular primative baptist. My school went from K thru 12. We lived in a coal camp. Everyone was kin some way. She has our accent. Love it. Im 68 years old.
That first lady puts me in the mind of mom. She died a little over a year and I miss her. Thank you for putting this up.
These women speak plainly and honestly about their childhoods. If you listen closely to these ladies, you will see many things they have in common. It occurs to me that although we have progressed with our technology in this century, the overall sense of family and the children playing outside together seems to have almost vanished. The children playing outside and doing chores around the house appears to have kept them in better physical condition that most of today's children. These kids didn't need to go to a gym to stay in shape. I suspect that these ladies' children would look you in the eye when they talked to you instead of being preoccupied with punching buttons on a "smart" phone. I would have been happy to have had any of these three women as my grandmother.
BEAUTIFUL ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. I HAVE SO MUCH PRIDE COMING FROM A WOMAN LIKE THESE🙏
Listening to these ladies talk remind me of my gram.
I'm a black seventy year old woman, she is describing my childhood 😘👍🏼also.
We all are more similar then we are different from eachother
We are the leaves of one tree and the flowers of one garden regards from Ireland
Born and raised Appalachia, my family were not rich and we worked hard on the farm.
My fathers side is Melungeon.
We had a lot of kudzu here in northwest N.C. We played in it and swam in the creeks and rivers. We always swung on the grapevines, slept on a pallet on the front porch, I’m 72 now.😊 I lived just to go to the store and get a Pepsi, RC cola, moon pies and honey buns. Primed tobacco to make eating money, we made sleds and wagons for the hills also. We used old car hoods to slide on the snow, cherry and Sarvis trees had great eating berrys too.
Ima white woman almost 70 and she is explaining my childhood to.
Lovely women to share their stories. I enjoy hearing what the past was like & the people you meet along the way. It helps to understand why people are the way they are sometimes.
How touching, the first lady remembering that she was the little one. The power of a memory
Thank you for the stories. These are ladies are women I could spend the whole day with. Freedom is worth it all
im Appalachian. it's really pronounced appa-latch-ya.
if anyone e was wondering. lol.
we say " it's Appalachia, and if ya dont say it right I'll throw an apple atch-ya."
+Louisa Capell ....lol
+Louisa Capell in your part, remember this mountain Range doesn't only exist in the south, It goes from Canada to Alabama, people from Ohio, Pen, Newyork say it differently from the South and it depends also from where you are down south.
Where in Appalachia, because my family is from southern KY and say Appa-la-chia (she-a)
Louisa Capell thank you for enlightening me, I'm fascinated with these folks. I'd like to learn all about their history any tips?
im from southwest va blue ridge and we pronounce app a latchya
I could sit and listen to these ladies lives stories nonstop. Beautiful ladies.
Three of the most beautiful women ever. What a wealth of information.
What an absolute gem to find on YT. Wonderful documentary!
All of my family are from these areas. These women remind me so much of my grand mothers and great aunts, Thanks so much for posting, brought tears to my eyes.
Three delightful ladies. My granny on my dad's side was just like them. She was Scotch/Irish mountain folks from Alabama.
The main quality is their contentment. Seems that folks who complain the most are the ones who've had the easiest lives. Ladies like these seldom complain.
flysubcompact My people were from here and also Ky and Tenn
I grew up with this music and knowledge will soon be living back on the Cherokee land.
SCOTISH. scotch is a drink. Other than that, great comment
What's wrong with you? I was going to ignore your but I could not, What"s wrong with you? a fine beautiful film why can"t you live and let live? you must be a young ignorant self-absorbed pecker head, grow up vulgar one.
+Carole Patton amen
Carole Patton well said.
These marvelous women are a precious legacy -- their lives and their memories are so valuable, as one can see the positive interweaving of the Cherokee culture with the Scottish-Irish. Thank you so much for these wonderful videos!
And black people as well.
I come from these people in these areas.
@@ingenueblue8914 Well write your own examples of how your people interacted with the Scots-Irish and Cherokee people. Maybe she doesn't have enough familiarity with black culture to talk about it. If she did talk about it you'd be critical of her speaking as a non-black person.
@@ingenueblue8914 I would love to hear about your family!
That 80 ur old native american reminds me of grandmother who I miss terribly. Her skin is so smooth and bright just like her Her story is similar to my grandmothers. Bless You
Grade A+ video.I remember my parents telling stories as these ladies did.Thanks for sharing these 3 beautiful ladies' heritages.May they R.I.P 💯💯
We have so much to gain from learning the ways of our grandmothers. Thank you for this video.
This video reminded me of my childhood & my granny & great aunties. I was born in East Tennessee & spent majority of my childhood in Virginia. My granny and other relatives always had huge gardens and basements full of jars of veggies, fruits, jams, apple butter, pickles and so many goodies. I never left visiting any if my relatives without handfuls of jars. I miss that and this video sent me back to those wonderful years
and hugs many many hugs
most definitely!!!
If you can, keep that wonderful tradition alive by gardening and canning for giving to the next generation.
South east ky here. Middlesboro
I'm from East TN . And Amanda the first lady reminds me of my little Granny.
I really enjoy history. My parents were older than these people and I'm a little younger. I saw many of the things growing up on a farm that they talk about. What I didn't see, my parents talked about. People weren't taking drugs and killing people. We just had a good time. We would have a peanut boiling and play games. There was always lots to do, fishing, hunting, etc. And we worked hard, too. It's sad that people can't enjoy a simple life today.
HML376: I too love history. And, like these ladies, this is REAL HISTORY; living, breathing, walking and talking history. My dad would often sit at the supper table and tell stories ( many of which I remember to this day) of how he grew up and what that was like. His grandfather, a Cherokee, lived to 106 years of age!
It's the media brainwashing the young, dividing the nation.
HML367 Amen
HML367 it shows us how far die we’ve gone as a society. Morality was most important.
HML367 yes agree. I remember the syrup making, and the mule that was attached to something that turned the sugar cane grinding wheel. We sometimes bought the cane juice before it was cooked for syrup. Boiled peanuts, yum. The agriculture of the time was awesome.
This was an absolutely beautiful and amazing video.
The ladies represented truly knew how to LIVE. Though nothing was of ease, through their words they clearly understand how to live life to the fullest.
This video was taken over twenty years ago and these women were in their early too mid 80s. As they shared their personal experiences and memories, their minds were very clear and without hesitation. Very young in mind and spirit.
Thank you for producing and the sharing of the video.
Best regards
I was born in the wrong area and the wrong time!! Listening to these women makes me wish I had grown up with them!!
Even though these three beautiful Ladies are from a specific area in the USA. they could sit alongside my Grandmothers in Australia and compare the exact same stories of growing up self sufficient and strong and healthy. Yes it was hard but they all had glorious childhoods from the memories they related. How sad that from the past we have devolved and separated and almost seem completely different in this 'modern era". Thankyou for posting such a beautiful vid!!!
I know what you are talking about , also from New South Wales. I miss strong Peoples of my youth. All love and grit. Thanks to their marvelous spirits
Like the nice lady said "No fussin'" be respectful and honor our ancestors. Thank God for my Ancestors that lived in all three places.
Lovely, knowledgable ladies, great that their lives have been documented.❤
Thank you so much for sharing these folks story's.
Your words about sodas are profound! My mother never bought drinks, and I appreciate that now. Bless you🌹
Brava! Cheers for giving a platform for these women to share their experiences. We need more films like this in the world - thank you!
Thank you so much for this wonderful documentary. I enjoyed it so so much. I live in the Appalachian mtn of East Tn. My great grandparents were Scotts-Irish and also Cherokee Indian - like these women, I am also proud of my heritage. I really enjoyed learning how they each grew up with a strong work ethic and faith in God. These women are perfect role models to look to...they were hard working and led vibrant lives. I'm so glad they shared their stories with the rest of the world. All of us could learn from each of them.
It is really unusual to see such European mixtures with Cherokee and not find any afro
The first lady has such a beautiful countenance. So modest yet strong and principled. The other ladies aren't far behind her. A real pleasure to hear their stories. We will never see their likes again - more's the pity.
My granddaddy was Welsh; he went to ivy league schools. He fell in love with a Cherokee woman, but we were not allowed to talk about where she came from. I found her on the native American rolls. Feels good to know what genetics led me to be more like her than those I was raised with.
It was because there was a fear if they knew she and her children were Cherokee they would be considered full Native. The one drop rule also affected Native people not just black people although that's the narrative now. It was more dangerous to be Native than any other group because the government would have forced your ancestor to send her children to residential schools like Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania at the time. That was the law.
Doing my genealogy of my father who adopted me i saw his uncle married a Native woman and lived on a reservation in Oklahoma. Eventually, they moved to Louisiana where his brother married a Creole woman. We didn't know she was Creole or what that was until we got older.
My GrandDaddy came from Wales to Carolinas and nice to Appalachian mountains of Ky. Hi cuz!!! Lol
One thing I know is my GrandDaddy was Seventh Day Adventist?
My gg grandparents where each mixed. One Cherokee Welsh and the other LA/MS Choctaw Irish. My 3rd g grandmother was full blooded Choctaw her middle name was the last name of plantation owner who adopted her as an in fant after her parents died in Yellow Fever epidemic. At 16 she was married off to another plantation owner who was a confederate veteran.
I keep this in my saved videos and watch it over and over. I grew up about an hour away from the mountains in Pennsylvania. My dad's family had these same values and experiences. I grew up in the 70's, and it was good, but wish I could have grown up when these women did. Thank you for a wonderful documentary.
I do as well
I wish I had the opportunity to hear the stories of early years of my Grandmother's life or even the chance to have met my Grandfather and listen to him tell me his stories. I miss those opportunities and am glad to hear these Ladies.
A beautiful documentary of American Women and the American way. We handle it ourselves, and build strength of character through the struggle. Lots of love to the pioneers of past and present.
Watching this makes me wish I could just call my gramma and talk to her one more time! I’m so appreciative of the times that she did talk to me about her childhood and life, but I would kill for just one more story 💔
Such beautiful Ladies
They have so much that they can share. I would consider it a privilege to know any one of them
God Bless each of them and their children and their children’s children 🙏💜😇🥰
I see my ancestors reflected in all of their faces. Their stories are amazing and beautiful. They are three strong women that could teach us a thing or two!
Wise, beautiful women! I love to hear a beautiful Seniors story❤️
Beautiful video of beautiful people! Thank you for posting this.
I enjoyed this doc so much. Makes me yearn for a home I never had , my soul knows these places I’ve never been. Tku. The stories, the music ad
Nd poem I so loved. ESP luv these women were believers. 🙏💕
They all look like they'd feed you a home cooked meal and give great grandma hugs. No world exists in the comfort of women like this. Reminds me of my great grandmother when she was alive in Big Creek, WV
Born and raised in East Tennessee...lived most of my adult life in Townsend and Walland. It's so amazing to hear these women say things I was taught when I was young. My husband's Daddy always said you don't blow on potatoes or corn... but I think he also said okra and pole beans too. He was born in a little cabin on the River between Townsend and Walland. His grandfather was Big Will Walker. He's in every book you'll find on the people of this side of the mountains. You'd think I'd get tired or bored of hearing other people say the same things I've heard living here but, the older I get...the more it means to me.
I loved this documentary.
I love Townsend, TN
Our government does not want us to know or understand our great heritages. We have always been a proud and prosperous nation of hard working god fearing men and women.
Your right
You don't need a god to be hard working.
@@apersonwhoknows you don't, but we have always honored God in this country. Read a constitution. We have always believed we receive our rights from God
Violets divine spiritual shop LLC Divine
There is only one "God" supreme being , we all bow to him...., he is of no nation or people, ALL debts will be paid.
@Violets divine spiritual shop LLC Divine A European god? Do you mean as in the ancient oaks worshipped by the Celts, or the Norse gods worshipped by early Scandinavian & Germanic peoples, or maybe even the ancient Roman or Greek gods? I'd bet my eye teeth the statement that mentioned "god fearing" was in reference to was to the god worshipped by adherents of the Judeo-Christian religion. It's been the predominant religion in these parts (southeastern US) for 250+ years. It didn't originate in the dark, damp, dank forests of Europe, but instead it sprang from the sunny desert country of the middle east. Just as native American religions were supplanted by the predominate religion of western Europe, the various religions of early Europe had in turn been supplanted by a religion from the middle east. The god of Abraham works in mysterious ways.
I love these stories and how they speak about their families with so much love and respect for one another. They were such hard workers and even though they didn't have much schooling but they were pretty smart people.
i'm from east central KY. technically i grew up in the foothills, in the bluegrass region of central KY. but i've lived in the mountains in eastern KY now for several years. i absolutely love this part of Appalachia so much. there's nothin better than this rural life, its harder and i understand why some people think its too difficult a place to live in. but its so beautiful. and there's so many vivid, vivid memories i have of this place, you get so strongly rooted to place, here in Appalachia. and you're steeped in your own culture, and your own people, generations back. and your own history. there's old cemeteries, stone fences, churches, homesteads, all over the place. its such a beautiful region and the culture and history is incredible. i love it here. and its really, really nice to hear perspectives from non-white cultures that lived here in Appalachia. they made our whole culture so rich and varied, and really influenced all of us, more than we realize i'm sure. what a great documentary, love this
Truly BEAUTIFUL women , each and every one of them. My family lived down there a long time ago and I did about 40 years ago. They were the Scot Irish. All in all I think those mountain's brought us some of the finest, hard working people who ever lived and I deeply respect them. Thank you all for your wonderful stories.
They were Indigenous Cherokee American Indians who were the original inhabitants before the squatters came from Europe.
Love this simple life and how hard working and resourceful they were.
Im 48 and i thought it was a wonderful movie. I miss my grandfather. In the 1970s when i was young. I remember him tell me stories of the depression and WW2. We should all talk to older people and love and respect them. Hopefully we will all be old one day. What would we want for us in the future. Thanks for making this.
This is just a marvelous documentary, well done these are three gems.
I loved this documentary, my family hails from Macon county in the Cartoogechaye community, and I grew up with women like this feeding and caring for me. Thank you so much!
Thank you and all these lovely women for sharing their stories and their lives as they grew up. This is our historic legacy in parts where everyone has a story to tell and so many lessons to learn from them. We need to pay attention and learn from our elders as much wisdom is there
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Thank you so much for this video. I am from North Carolina and loved going to the beautiful mountains up around Cherokee. I no longer live in that area but relate to these women and what they say and how they say it even though I am younger... Beautiful people.
Nothing but Respect to Grandma Swimmer!!
Edzon AllAboard Barboza
All these regional cultures have almost vanished with globalisation, technology and consumerism. A look into the past ! Great documentary.
why it take so long for them two let people know who they are
dont never be shame where you come from oh who you are,yes
nice documentary i love it
I know! It's even very different where I live in the foothills.
Freeman Rolle
Thank you. It's really a heartbreaking thing for me to see people reacting so negatively so thank you sir for saying somthing nice.
Yes, my family is triracial, but identify as African American since the government mandated it. 20 years ago Afro-descended Appalachianers didn't identify with the culture of the larger Black community. They were just as country as the Whites and hunted, fished, and farmed. Now you can find many of these communities infested with sagging pants, blunts, and horrific music. That came about with the internet and cable tv which caused our culture to disintegrate into the ruins similar to that of the inner cities that produced the garbage. I so wish that they would head on down the mountain with their destructive culture. We don't want any Mike Brown's in our communities. Folks in the inner city don't even accept us as most Blacks from the Blue Ridge either don't even look the par, or just plain don't fit in. Hell I had a dna test and it said that I was 32% White and 25.2% Native American, and I'm not even a standout in the community. We don't need dna though because we know our family histories. Its all we used to hear sitting around in the cold months while everybody was gathered round the Warm Morning stove with the pot of soup made from the canning jars. My gramma pictured in my profile still lives up high on the ridge and is 101 years old, still gardening.
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This was awesome thank you so much for this content. I am 53 years old and ever since I was a kid I always had a fascination and felt a connection to homestead culture, especially Appalachian. The one thing that I always found refreshing is no matter how much research I’ve never come across strong obvious racism in this culture for some reason it just never really seem to exist the same way it did in many other regions of the south; that alone makes them special and unique!💯those three women saw more similarities in each other then they did differences.I think that’s awesome really that’s what America should be💯
This reminds me of my mother and grandmother growing up born and raised in Southern Texas. My mothering born in 1922 and my grand mother born in 1905. Good old fashioned living. Religion was the one part that held people strong, it was faith. Amen I remember their stories well.
We'd call them poor, but it is we who are poor. They were rich with life, songs and laughter - all the things that really mattered. Gone are those days.
Beautiful story about loving honest people..enjoyed every moment and proud to be American as they are..
My mother was born at this time in Alabama. I grew up hearing stories exactly like this. This wonderful documentary sure makes me miss momma. These people are known as the golden age generation. No generation can come close to these wonderful people!
Amanda I’m seventy seven and work at our church called pioneer girls and help with lesson while parents are in sanctuary ❤ the piece of of pottery that you are holding looks like the one that I have from a gift for my wedding glad to hear you’re active in your community thank you for sharing your childhood memories ❤
Our Pastor, Arnold Murray, brought these people in a teaching when he was in the area studying rock writing.
Good show!
Oh how I wish I could visit with these wonderful ladies and while away an afternoon. I hate for the vid to end .....that's the sign of a good story. And I sure enjoyed this one. Thank you for sharing it with us.
mukwah111
mukwah1111 i knew i enjoyed it because it felt like it was over in 10 minute not 42. Although i have to admit the music couldn’t stop soon enough.
Can I go with you to visit these amazing, remarkable, women?!
Katie Kat Totally agree with your whole post. Loved listening to these ladies.(But yep, that music had to Go!.....And the sooner the better!😁)