TAM'S INDIAN HERITAGE AND THOUGHTS ON BEING A "TREE HUGGER" AND "PRINCESS MOON EYES"

April 1, 2013



By Olivene Godfrey

When Tam came into our lives about 2 years ago, Barry and I thought she and her late mother had the appearance of American Indians.  I never mentioned my thoughts until recently and I asked Tam if she had any Indian blood, and she replied that one of her great, great grandmothers was a "full blooded Cherokee Indian."  I couldn't contain my delight at her revelation, and I asked if she minded if I told you about it and she said she didn't mind as she is proud of her Indian heritage.

Tam and I have had a wonderful rapport since we met and I have been delighted that we agree on so many things, even our political views.  And we are both "tree huggers" and believe we need to do more to save our environment.  Indians lived on our land for 10,000 years without harming the environment.  The Cherokee called a tree "brother" and only took the wood from trees that were needed.

Back in the 1900's I wrote a novel titled "Princess Moon Eyes" which was about the life of a young woman whose mother was a Cherokee Indian and her father an English American.  They lived in Northwest Georgia.  The heroine had the dark complexion and high cheekbones and black hair of the Indians and vivid blue eyes of her father.  When the hero meets the heroine, he is reminded of an Indian legend of a group of white people with vivid blue eyes who once lived briefly atop Fort Mountain, and the Indians called these people, "the moon eyed" tribe.  So, the hero mentally calls the heroine "Princess Moon Eyes."

I did a lot of research on the American Cherokee Indian at a time before the internet made research easier.  The novel became a best seller in Europe.  Since I had sold the novel out right for a set fee, I don't get royalties from the sales.

Perhaps, I did get some name recognition.  Tam is working on my novel to be published, hopefully, this year.  I also have three more novels I hope to have published in the future.  Since I am an old lady now, I hope I live long enough to see these novels published, as I spent many hours of hard work writing them.

See you next time.  (As told to Tam)