to mr lightfoot
 

mr. lightfoot, my aunt mary jean kee did a geneoligy reserch quite some years ago. she told me my great g g g g g grandmother was Lina Lightfoot of the tenn. northeast cherokee, her husband was a captain moss of the union army. she told me our name Kee was short for Cherokee, and that i was a distant 5th cousin of yours. i live in springfield mo and my number is in the phone book. please call if you like. i also play the drums, some guitar, and a little bass, as well as do some composing.
thanks
Morris A. Kee Jr.

Re: to mr lightfoot
 

Hi Morris - Gordon Lightfoot doesn't check this website/message board. It is a fan based website.
From all accounts that I'e ever read about the Lightfoot family tree that Gordon belongs to it is highly unlikely that he is related to you in any way. His family origins are traced back to England (and Scotland) for several generations. His family came from England in the early 1800's.
If you click on this link you will find a Gordon Lightfoot family tree that was researched by one of the people who post here.
http://www.corfid.com/vbb/showthread...ht=family+tree - click onthe picture to enlarge the family tree details.

Re: to mr lightfoot
 

Unfortunately last (and first too for that matter) names can only give a broad interpretation of what one's "nationality" and/or heritage may be. This can be difficult to research and assess/interpret from available records and so goes unrecognized. Modern technology (DNA studies), though not precise, may fill in some gaps.

It is possible that Gordon Lightfoot has some native american heritage -despite no obvious common 'names' that are evident on a chart like this.

More indepth research and available records would be needed to determine one's heritage and names, birthplace of ancestors, etc., are only some indicator as to one's heritage.

Though Lightfoot is also a common Scottish name...who's to say that the name didn't have it's origins from right here in America? Or that Mr. Lightfoot may have native american heritage through another family member? And this can apply to either the maternal or paternal lineage...or both!

Could be that the name "Lightfoot" was 'adopted' by native people from Scots of that name -and that it's origins aren't native american at all.

Thousands of Native north American peoples traveled to Europe and throughout the world...very early and at least by the mid-1500's.

There are many native peoples and others in Canada whom may even have Basque heritage that they may or may not be aware of it. The Basques interacted with the Micmac and Europeans in Canada -at least by 1532.

Now commonly referred to as the "Basques of Red Bay" for their whaling/fishing village...other cultural material and evidence has supported their presence and interaction with native peoples.

There are several Basque places names that still remain in Canada as well as Basque words that were incorporated into French (Canadian) and Mic'Mac vocabulary. Actually, a common surname among Mic'Mac is "Basque" and the Basques/MicMac spoke a pidgin language.

The debate is still open as to whether the Basque's jai alai was borrowed from native lacrosse or vice-versa. What this boils down to is being able to date available evidence. For instance, the Basque's used a basket for 'picking' fruit from fruit trees and this is the same form as the 'modern' cesta.

Anyway, I thought I should point out the fact that names and birthplace aren't always (or exclusively) indicators of one's heritage. Many people have these names and don't have one drop of blood in relation to the national heritage attributed to this name.

Re: to mr lightfoot
 

So all of gord's great grandparents were English! I never knew this. Great news!

Re: to mr lightfoot
 

Gord has explained many times that he is Scottish and he has NO Native American blood.

Re: to mr lightfoot
 

Exactly! Nor Native Canadian blood either!
lol

.. I've been asked many times - (and once by Gord himself) if my last name (Westbrook by marriage) was of Native origin..nope - it's English/Scottish/Nova Scotia/Ontario - just like Lightfoot....and like my maternal family origins.

my maiden name makes me second generation Canadian with Italian heritage going back for generations on my fathers side.

If we go back far enuf we're probably all related..

I'm sure somewhere along the way I was related to or actually was a native of the Caribbean. No Canadian can hate winter as much as I do without a reason..I've got Caribbean heritage with a love of the tropics in me somewhere in my past!

Re: to mr lightfoot
 

ok obviously the anthropological perspective is being lost or otherwise misunderstood here.

Anyway, I'm 2nd generation American on the 'Italian' side (and my last name is Italian) -these of my ancestors lived in Italy for many generations...some were native Italians and others were Scottish emigrants. They all became enculturated where they lived (Italy), regardless of their roots. I recognize that there is Scottish blood roots and there have been some customs retained by the family....but we consider ourselves to be Italian.

The maternal line - at least 300 years in Canada via France.

There is a rare gene that has been passed along to my son. My son has a rare genetic disorder with some already serious and some potentially serious medical challenges (reverse optic nerves, pulmonary stenosis, growth hormone deficiency and a lesion at the base of his skull...to name a few). This breaks my heart every day and I strive to provide him with the best quality of life and some normalcy.

But it wasn't just "me" who carried this gene. In order for him to have this disorder...the gene had to come from both parents.

My son's father was born more than 3,000 miles away from me -in the mountains in the Basque region of Spain...where his family lived for many generations.

The genetic mutation probably occurred somewhere between southern France and northern Spain probably some 500+ years ago and too far back for us to be able to research back via vital statistics. So the genetists who studied our case could only tell us not much more than this from the markers they found that we both had.

People have varying and even serious reasons for researching their ancestry, and yet others...can obviously view their own and even other's with much folly.

Re: to mr lightfoot
 

good luck to you, Kee

well, what an eye opener, so to get the real scoop we need to put aside all this geneology stuff and instead be getting dna samplers from our relatives, that's a lot of exhuming and urn opening

btw, i am sure i've no Italian blood - i speak in monotone with hands dangling at my side ;)

Re: to mr lightfoot
 

Sounds attractive jj

and no need to retrieve DNA from dead relatives! That's something different. Your DNA alone. Genome mapping can match to region(s) of origin.

Re: to mr lightfoot
 

It's easy peasy JJ - Lisa had all kinds of genetic testing done a couple of years ago..even with her part Italian arms flapping around the geneticist managed to get her DNA!
lol
you're so mangiacake it would be really easy...maybe you're not a "Jones" after all..
;)

Re: to mr lightfoot
 

lol, bland? so true
if ever reincarnated, for starters, i'd like to be branded with a multi-syllable name:)

Re: to mr lightfoot
 

Jim-Me.. - 2 syllables..

;)