Digging for the Red Roots by Mahir Abdal-Razzaaq El

My name is Mahir Abdal-Razzaaq El and I am a Cherokee BlackfootAmerican Indian who is Muslim. I am known as Eagle Sun Walker. I serve as a Pipe Carrier Warrior for the Northeastern Band of CherokeeIndians in New York City.

There are other Muslims in our group. For the most part, not manypeople are aware of the Native American contact with Islam that beganover one thousand years ago by some of the early Muslim travelers whovisited us. Some of these Muslim travelers ended up living among ourpeople.

For most Muslims and non-Muslims of today, this type of information isunknown and has never been mentioned in any of the history books.There are many documents, treaties, legislation and resolutions thatwere passed between 1600s and 1800s that show that Muslims were infact here and were very active in the comunities in which they lived.Treaties such as Peace and Friendship that was signed on the DelawareRiver in the year 1787 bear the signatures of Abdel-Khak and MuhammadIbn Abdullah. This treaty details our continued right to exist as acommunity in the areas of commerce, maritime shipping, current form ofgovernment at that time which was in accordance with Islam. Accordingto a federal court case from the Continental Congress, we help put thebreath of life in to the newly framed constitution. All of thedocuments are presently in the National Archives as well as theLibrary of Congress.

If you have access to records in the state of South Carolina, read theMoors Sundry Act of 1790. In a future article, Inshallah, I will go into more details about the various tribes, their languages; in whichsome are influenced by Arabic, Persian, Hebrew words. Almost all ofthe tribes vocabulary include the word Allah. The traditional dresscode for Indian women includes the kimah and long dresses. For men, you were to look at any of the old books on Cherokee clothing up untilthe time of 1832, you will see the men wearing turbans and the womenwearing long head coverings. The last Cherokee chief who had a Muslimname was Ramadhan Ibn Wati of the Cherokees in 1866.

Cities across the United States and Canada bear names that are ofIndian and Islamic derivation. Have you ever wondered what the nameTallahassee means? It means that He Allah will deliver you sometime inthe future.

Article Taken from:MESSAGE, July 1996(Copyrights Message Magazine as long as proper acknowledgement has been stated, it can be reproduced)"