‘Braided Lives’

Tucker’s quest to trace her family genealogy has led her into a segment of history that is virtually unexplored—the intermingled lives of Africans and Native Americans. Delving deeper into the complicated ties that bound Africans and Native Americans, she discovered reward notices for escaped slaves and began to scrutinize the decorative designs on clothing from the 1700s and 1800s, along with descriptions of non-white speech patterns. It wasn’t long before Tucker realized her research had gone beyond her own family’s genealogy.

Tucker’s research findings have been transformed into a provocative audiovisual slide presentation entitled “The Miscegenation of African and Native Americans.” The presentation of rare photos and oral histories draws the bold conclusion that three-quarters of African Americans have Native American ancestry.

Tucker, a librarian, is presently completing doctoral studies in bilingual/bicultural education and instructional technology at Wayne State University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in speech/visual arts from Northern Michigan University and a master’s degree in library science from Wayne State University.