T.C. Justine Baker

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T.C. Justine was Cherokee.

T.C. Justine Baker was a member of the Cherokee Deer Clan.

== Biography ==

=== The biography for T.C. Justine Baker: ===

just update 10/23/2023: I'm doing more on my Cree line (Prudhomme/Mercier) and adding the documents I'm able to find. My old computer barely comes on and not able to figure out who sent me some of the records. I would like to find a land deed for my 4th great grandmother Mary Lousie Prudhomme nee Mercier. Gulf Rail, etc tried to take all but 4 acres of it and Supreme court rule in her favor, due to her children taking it up the courts. Unfortunately that was after she passed in poverty. It saddens me to read relatives begging for money owed years after the orginal land was somehow obtained and then owned by The Town Company. Power, greed and many who became quite wealthy, not my relatives. Not sure what all I tried to organize below but it is really for my descent to come across. I'll add a tiny bit more in the future on something major going on. Something I hope they never fully understand or relate to. In meantime, I'm doing my best to be a stubborn strong woman but always determined to see justice.

Began this journey as a child, with thanks to my grandparents. In particular, Betty Jean McMAHAN (Pope) of Cherokee & Irish descent. As well, Elsie Evline CATRON (Laughery, Frazee) of German descent.

Books of Family/Ancestors: My paternal grandfather down to my biological father is in Sevier/Madden's Sevier Family History. My maternal line via my grandmother is in Kettenring Family History, one of my uncles is not listed in it. James Barnes wrote a book on my Cherokee line of which I am mentioned. (This info needs to be added on this site.)

Society Memberships: Oklahoma Genealogical Society (around 1998), National Society Daughters of the American Revolution - Spanish Trails Chapter, Las Vegas (around 2000) in Las Vegas, NV via James Sevier (eligible under more), through my paternal grandmother's father, a mason of good standing in Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri and a line of masons, Order of Eastern Star (around 2000) in Las Vegas, NV - Park Chapter.

Cherokee Nation Citizenship/Card Holder - Before my grandmother Betty passed away, and before the internet, my research allowed her and I, to become citizens (blue card holders) of the Cherokee Nation - Tahlequah.

""HEALTH:""-Cavernous Malformation/Cavernoma right prefrontal lobe found around 2000. Anxiety Disorder, Complex PTSD, Trauma, Abuse and Trafficking Survivor, 2016 repeated imaging Atelectasis w/out referral by ER, April 2021 COPD via Xray, Nov 2021 CT - Centrilobular Emphysema w/supleural nodule on upper right lobe and a subpleural nodule upper left lobe <4mm. Other: Artheroscleosis and Scoliosis (since childhood). COPD and Emphysema hereditary with maternal grandmother. Maternal aunt had COPD and NSCLC - non small cell lung cancer - adenocarcinoma all found around time of breast cancer. Cousin - paternal 1st cousin, cavernous malformation and paternal grandmother also likely cause of death with preceding stroke like symptoms that simulated dimentia.

Advocacy Work & Documented Education: RAINN Indigenous Awareness Month - 2020 Interview (it does unfortunately have some errors) RAINN - Consultant - Maze Research Report MIWSAC (Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition) - Speaker/Trainer: 1. Sex Trafficking: Runaway/Homeless Youth and Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives -virtual TA 2. Sex Trafficking in Indian Country Alaska & Beyond - virtual TA & pending January Conference 2022 workshops - instructor U.S. Dept of Transportation - Survivor Consultant for "Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking" training material for employees 2021 & pending 2022 Awareness Posters consultant Polaris (Trafficking Organization) - Survivor Consultant - Research project for improved awareness https://polarisproject.org/national-survivor-study/ OVC TTAC - Advanced Training certification course begins Oct 2021-January 2022 Alaska Native Birthworkers Community/ANTHC: Full Spectrum Indigenous Doula Other: EMI (via FEMA/DHS) certs/courses with Professional Letter/Recognition those require around $80 per credit to be transferred to Fredericks College in Maryland for an actual degree. I uploaded several certs and transcripts to my sources, including my Microsoft Certified Professional number. Haven't added up all my CEs and hours, but besides being a survivor, I felt it important to also gain an education in advocacy. It provides a good insight into what is being taught to those working in those areas and where improvements could be made. Certainly wasn't what I wanted to grow up and do, but surviving many things, do my best to use that experience for positive in the world. Would be nice to transfer all my credits/CEs to a degree someday.

""College':" University of Alaska - Fairbanks, University of Alaska - Pacific (Certificate), Alaska Computer Institute - Fairbanks, Tohono Oodham Community College.

Cree Ancestry: Direct descent via Gabriel PRUDHOMME (French/Canadian) and Margaret/Susan via their daughter Mary L. PRUDHOMME (Mercier/Mercer) and down the line. Margaret/Susan sp. of Gabriel was Cree - First Nations. It is unlikely his decent to my maternal grandfather or his parent was registered with the tribe. Which thereby, makes me not eligible for dual citizenship. In the event they were, via Canada's First Nations regulations, you can be a member of a tribe in the United States as well as First Nations. My DNA results via Ancestry.com is slightly elevated than my first cousin on my paternal line that is also Cherokee through that side. Cree is via my maternal grandfather. That stated, Ancestry's DNA estimates as of September 2021, do not yet show my maternal cousins having Indigenous ancestry. That doesn't mean it isn't so. Many recordings state Margaret/Susan was Cree. Census states she was Caucasian and of Canada. Meanwhile news, obits refer to her children as "half-breeds".

"Tribal Heritage Racism": Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri even in the mid 1900s were very racist against Indigenous people, even part Indigenous. My paternal grandmother's family moved there from Tahlequah before she was born. She stated regarding racism, "I was told to tell people I was Scotch-Irish." Even in the 1970s of my youth, as racism increased against the Blacks in the area, it continued and still existed among the Indigenous people. There was a brief time when it was "trendy" and also many stories of ancestor a Chief or Cherokee Princess.

Tribal Citizenship: However, for many who may actually be descendants of tribes in the U.S. there are requirements to obtain membership. Some tribes require a degree of blood quantum. This is not via DNA test unless adopted or otherwise needing to prove birth to a relative that is a member of the tribe. Citizen/Membership is all via vital record evidence to the ancestor on rolls. If an ancestor didn't march along the Trail or otherwise go to where the government assigned, and then still partake in the rolls, in the U.S. it doesn't matter if the person is 100% full blood. Even an Ancestry DNA test stating so would not matter. Though this is more relevant to U.S. laws/rules of the time and BIA (a government agency on behalf of tribes - but I'll dispute that being a truly accurate description), it's still the rule. Many argue it and many tribes are still seeking Federal recognition which is a long legal battle sometimes won and sometimes not. One must also keep in mind the "stories" aren't always true and some did file claims to tribes that were disputed and or ruled as not a member.

Allotments/DAWES: In reading through many Cherokees ancestor's applications pending their potential piece of land, genealogies and witnesses of each applicant to confirm was required. If ancestors had passed before the DAWES, others had to verify/testify and know the ancestors. If not, then no land and the descent of that individual cannot obtain member/citizenship. Meanwhile, it is quite likely some did try to gain land and weren't direct descent. Before the Trail of Tears and Indian Removal Act, many Scotch/Irish, even other tribes, etc. were adopted into the tribes. However, it appears none who were adopted via prior customs became member/citizen or gained any allotment. However, there is an interesting interview of one Cherokee Chief's sons regarding his father, "adopted" but not a member/citizen. In it, the question was asked, and if it weren't for Samuel MAYES (father of two chiefs) not liking politics, it appears he could have ran to be elected Chief of the tribe. I'll scan and upload that document, which either Oklahoma Historical Society or Oklahoma Genealogical Society sent to me around 1998. Like Starr's book, the long page 12 or more interview makes no reference to Samuel MAYES father of Chiefs, spouse Annie or his children with her. However, cM via DNA is conclusive. Plural marriages were not publicized in written accounts of that time.

Past Research, Finding & Now Conclusive Evidence:

On my Cherokee research, the sites that existed had members that were not thrilled of my connecting Annie "Ah-ni-wake" (spell varies) SPIRIT to Samuel MAYES (father of two chiefs and only referenced in books to spouse, Nancy). My cousin James Barnes, has written a book on Annie and through research and working with other cousins has compiled a significant amount of our family which needs to be added, as well as ancestors further back then I have yet added.

Twenty two later, my Ancestry.com page shows shared DNA matches of appropriate cMs with descendants of Nancy. As well, a higher portion of cMs to Annie (being direct vs 1/2). Note: One Ancestry.com profile user managing a relative profile has Charlotte MAYES Ballard as the descent of Samuel and Nancy. So, the living descent has higher and equal cM. I did send them an email. Ancestry.com matches also do not show all of his children with Nancy. My visible tree on there does and hopefully as Ancestry evolves with more relatives, that will be easier to view.

In addition, gathered quite a few documents on Samuel as well. In addition records do show, Annie's mother did have a prior husband to The Spirit/Spirit. The two last name RAVEN boys she adopted are in sequencing numbers of Annie's Dawes application.

Notes: around 1998 or 1999 - a couple of people debated my ancestor being Samuel MAYES who was also wife to Annie on a forum. They also didn't believe he ran cattle to California or mined gold saying something that he must have been Howard Hughes and a plane too. No, but he did have a ferry and was good friends with Sam Houston (known for his connection to Texas). I shouldn't have responded but I did and not as diplomatic anymore than the instigators. People in academia debate and genealogists/historians/researchers do to. The cM evidence noted above, besides documents, clarified my initial findings and conclusions. For those who wish to argue of my doing a sun dance and participating in ceremonies, which is a periodic jab on a group page, I don't begin to understand their reasoning or requests I be removed from a page that requires proof you are of the tribe. Many states away, I still participate in ceremonies, learn everything I can and very involved in Indigenous issues and customs. Though I'm not a midwife as my gr-grandmother, I am a full spectrum doula in Alaska and very grateful to work with and learn from many tribes and individuals of those tribes. I love practicing the old ways and learning to hopefully share with other tribal decent. It's very important to me.

'PROJECTS/PUZZLES to SOLVE:'

'1. Sevier to Spain' - From what I recalled, the book Sevier Family History by Madden & Sevier referred it being unclear their connection to the castle in Navarre/Javarre.

'2: PRUDHOMME of now called Kansas City - condense my notes on this site of ancestor Gabriel PRUDHOMME. Find descent, confirm ancestral parents and locate records of his spouse - Cree - First Nations.

With probate records, including that of his daughter Mary L. PRUDHOMME Mercier/Mercer and much history, some confusing, sugar coated or inaccurate, complete a publication. As of 2021. only two signs barely mention Gabriel. The challenges the family went through, including his death in 1831 to a Supreme Court ruling in 1874 on behalf of his daughter or died in 1868, before it and in poverty, a letter to one of the 14, also plea for funds owed to him is gut wrenching. History is made by the writer. One by the McGhee family that profited and is known refers to the Prudhomme as "squatters". McCoy is called the father of Kansas City. Gillis is also known as a father/founder of Kansas City. While they were all increasing in wealth and social status, over the land and established work of Gabriel Prudhomme, the family heirs struggled. Some being paid as low as $5 in various increments. The land sold to his daughter Mary via Gillis and his niece's husband, ended up increasing in value and was encroached upon with disregard. The lower court finding out of of all the land she had deed to, 20 acres was sufficient. The Supreme Court, as mentioned, didn't rule in her favor until after her death in poverty against three large organizations which included the Missouri River and Gulf Railroad. It is a story that has yet to be told/written/shared. It's one many can relate and is the true origin of Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.

Mission ....

My maternal grandfather's line, as I'm aware is not written. The Prudhomme is his line. The land in Kansas is where his home still stands, next to a small part of a farm that was his brother's.

Further being of the area, where most of my family still resides. and many fond memories, it would be nice to cover this line with accuracy.

How I began in tree research.....

Before I could turn the pages in an old family album of my paternal grandparents, I was memorizing the people and history of our ancestors. It was important to my grandparents so it became to me. My maternal grandmother, on my visits to her home and aunts/uncles also always shared the stories and I still remember when the Kettenring book arrived. Websites on trees didn't exist, we had books and stories.

On birthdays and memorial day, we'd visit the cemeteries nearby of our family. On weekends or school holidays, I remember besides the zoo, going to many historical sites across the states in area, family reunions, pow wows and rodeos.

Those memories and that I love questioning things and finding out hopefully that I'm right. Research has always been fun to me. With the internet it makes things easier. Libraries and writing letters, trees with blanks to be filled (of things I'd forgot or needed clarity), finally Ancestry (which was free to use, initially), other Genealogy sites also started sprouting up including FindAGrave.

When I initially got on the internet, I had a Compaq with Windows 98b. (It led into my fascination in tech.) Countless A drive discs and Gedcom/FTW files to merge and just as many errors including my own. Tech quickly evolved with bigger than that 2GB hard drive. Yet, it took endless hours to merge files and inevitably another computer or backup drive would die. So, rather glad for such sites and saving all of the papers I'd make copies of from library record searches. Also happy to see they are easier to obtain on the internet as my papers age and less likely to be preserved vs. the internet.

Research is my thing, I'm always finding things and people but it was long before I was using the internet. Something I have a knack for and puzzles intrigue me.

So, the natural makings of why for most of my entire life I'm still at this. The stories that aren't told/known are the fun ones. For the most part, royal lines and famous people are known, what is still out there waiting to be discovered and proven is what I enjoy the most.

Other About Me: For My Descendants

The above is genealogy related and not necessarily my bio. Doing research, I love when I learn more about the person than just a name or date. What their life was like and interests. So, for those generations from now that may come across this, here is some more about me...

At around 4, I ended up living with my biological father (served in Vietnam). What led to that was traumatic, but not nearly as bad as the years after. Thankfully, there was school and off times were usually spent with my paternal grandparents.

I attended school in Knob Noster, Missouri, Warrnesburg, Missouri, Henderson, Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada and North Pole, Alaska. After, I studied and continue to study many things of interest and or related to things I'm involved in. I love to learn. In grade school, I rarely read the popular latest Newberry books, mostly sticking to non-fiction and the Encyclopedia to find answers to questions of which I always had plenty. (Would perhaps explain my company Magnus Mens/Great-Mind.com in the late 90s before Google.)

GOALS of youth - I loved to learn, so everything which I figured theatre allowed me to do that. Other than that, a doctor. That, in large part due to the passing of my step-mother when I was 9 and she was 27 from melanoma. Very big words for a kid to know/learn. Oncology and Neurosurgery were big interests. Law, was certainly another possibility, but around 19 was making arrangements for pre-Med at St. Mary's and then Med at KU where I was born.

The Arts - Throughout school and after, I was in various plays, did background work on films, television and bit stuff, even had a production company with William Darold McDonald who was the kindest loving person to me that I've ever met. I own his screenplay, Fear's Parasite, which would probably be more affordable to make compared to the old days. Around 12 yrs of age, 6th grade Mrs. Jarolim, we had an assignment to write a poem titled "Red Is..." Without my knowledge, it was chosen to be published for the Young Writers. Every year we had conferences and met authors of the area at the nearby university then called CMSU in Warrensburg. I still write poetry, lyrics, etc. and most is stuffed in a journal as I do. Other than performing arts/stage, I love to sing and one day I'll learn how to play guitar. When younger my maternal grandmother taught me to play her organ with the pedals and multiple keyboards. I can still play things by ear but my left hand and chords I've forgot. (Long before youtube and tabs.) Also big into spfx makeup and was approved for Dick Smith's Advanced course. Ended up going to San Diego and worked on a horror film, but did far more on my own than I did in San Diego. Love Halloween, haunted houses and class horror films.

Tech - Off and on years of Computer Science, which bored me, though at 6 it was intriguing, eventually after getting one to make genealogy easier, I had to know how it all worked. My first website was on Geocities Homestead and I started studying for my MCSE and Cisco CCNA not long after. (MCP is on my sources images.) First start up I went to work for was Dibco and flew to Dallas to get flash drives integrated into e86 set top boxes. I also coded HTML media overlay. A friend visiting Vegas had given me a ton of Macromedia software before it hit the shelves. (It was later bought out by Adobe Software.) Around this time also, I was a DEPP for the U.S. Navy and scored high enough to go into Cryptography with a letter of recommendation from the CIO of DARPA (come to find out, former NSA). Instead, I ended up working for Hello Network which did Video Streaming tech as a Network Administrator and Beta Tester. Also, briefly did tech support for a local ISP - during dialup days but had a T1 at home via my roomie and was often for fun and learning, doing NOC stuff. Meanwhile, I had started MagnusMens, Inc. aka Great-Mind. It was a knowledge portal because search engines were awful at that time and the internet needed a place for expedited access to knowledge. Eric Cole was on my initial board, advisors were various heads of academia departments, I2 and the Abilene Project were among partners. They lay out was what people now call the Cloud. At one point, Google came to exist and their home page had an index of Universities and I sent them an email to just link to my site and save their time and resources. They did. By the time of the dot com crash, an investor stated if I'd wrote it on a napkin vs. spending about a year coding the initial site, it would have been funded. Meanwhile, and no longer at Hello, I had already begun my 2nd tech company, Tycoon Technologies under MagnusMens (which was on co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak's personal website Woz.org) . It was due to a dream/nightmare. Traveling often to San Jose for Hello with my roomie, finding his palm pilot, cell, video camera, digital camera and catching a red eye dreamt one night that I took all of it apart and created one device. Woke up, drew a very bad sketch and started putting together the business plan of how it would work. NY Times, Richard Brandt was going to cover it in the New Economy column upon funding. Associate at Wind River was going to design the prototype and an exec at Qualcomm was also going to come aboard the company. Besides them and an ex, only two others heard of what I was doing and had signed NDA/Non-Circumvents of the business plan I pitched it too. Meanwhile, I had a successful web design company on S. Las Vegas Blvd. and teamed up with a sign company to get the word out. It did well, though that relationship ended when after pitching to an investor and going back to pick up a check, they had backed out. The person that introduced me to them wanted a finder's fee but didn't understand that had to be carefully handled due to SEC regulations. So, no $10 million and no more relationship/marriage or the office for my web company that I paid for. (I don't have his name as a spouse on here or Ancestry. Nor will I.) Fast forward after a lot of life, next company's...StuckOver.com was a travel portal/social network which evolved into BudLodge.com an alternative to AirBnB with only 2 states having so far legalized cannabis. I set up a marketing strategy on the net and social media for the pre-launch. Within 46 days over 3 million hits and the site crashed the servers at GoDaddy. Shortly after, a signed ad contract for $1 million payable over 18 months with a cannabis industry funding company. Though for many reasons I shouldn't have had Wes on the company, his ex girlfriend's actions ended the contract which I didn't have the means to enforce. Still, charged ahead with articles, tons of traffic, an investor that come to find out was Andrew Afar/Conrad/etc. a notorious con-artist, Forbes wanting to come up, stay and cover the company, legalization in Alaska and more states and flown within 48 hrs of a call from an investor to Sacramento. It was fun, stressful and time consuming, which took time from music and my relationship with Wes. He passed in January 2019 and with grief, I just stopped. Grief also opened the window to much I'd not dealt with and a door into advocacy.

Advocacy: DOT consultant - DOT Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking Training (Poster Series scheduled for 2022), Polaris Trafficking Survivor Consultant (Research Project), Office of Justice Programs Subject Matter Expert in Trafficking, RAINN Speaker's Bureau - speaker and consultant for Mapping the Maze of Injustice Federal Funding in Indigenous Communities (living document/research), MMIW issues, Credentialed via CASTla/NSN (National Survivor Network), Certified Counselor for Crisis Text Line, NAADAC, National Congress of American Indians, Speaker/Instructor for MIWSAC, Full Spectrum Indigenous Doula through Alaska Native Birthworkers Community with Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, training/education in Forensics (Alaska Nurses), Trafficking, Domestic Violence, Trauma including through OVC TTAC and more. With hopes and trying to use tech to improve awareness on Missing Persons and Trafficking.

As of Septmember 2019, I am still learning guitar, enjoy creating Native art and paintings and besides advocacy, spend time doing research and adding to my family tree. Meanwhile, living near my children and parents (whom I'm super close to but don't live super close to). My dad (actually step-father), is retired USAF military police. He was stationed in Thailand during Vietnam. Then he met my mom while stationed at Whiteman AFB in Missouri. As part of FourexFour, was one of 50 chosen to serve at Nellis AFB and would be gone for 6 days and back for four. I still remember when talking to my friends and the clicking on the phone. His work (like my paternal grandmother) was classified. Being curious, not sure why I didn't try to figure out what he did or where. Years after is when I was told by someone 4ex4 and groom lake. Anyway, when I moved in with them, before starting school, was told it wasn't an issue who my friends were but if any were Russian or approached by anyone Russian I was to notify my dad. I did and it was no issue/concern. I remember years before growing up in Midwest near the base and seeing silos and the threat of nuclear was was a very real possibility. I remember being there when the movie, The Day After televised. Now you can see on Youtube the "reaction" of people to it from old news. My dad is super awesome, does love to talk politics and if there is anything not unclassified, he'd not tell me or anyone. Very trust worthy and I respect and admire that about him, along with his loyalty to my mom. They've been married forever and how marriage should be.

Rural life = I do still have hopes to be further out of town and enjoy the rural/somewhat off grid style life before Wes passed away. It was my zen from a lot of what I'm not an advocate in. Other weird facts: No longer in school and trying to fit in like youth, I enjoy that I tend to excel on exams. Medical Note: Around 2001 a cavernous malformation was found on the right side of my brain. It is hereditary, my cousin and my paternal grandmother suffered from symptoms similar. My cousin passing in her 40s and my grandmother was lived until 2005. Cancer, including Leukemia and Breast along with Cardiac are things that run in the family. Some have a great ability at telling jokes, others, including myself are great at practical jokes.

""Summary-Trivia"" - Was once a Marilyn Monroe impersonator. Two paintings by Jerry Blank. Later switched to Lady Gaga (less drama). Studied Latin dance, aerial and fire spinning arts. Mac Pro makeup artist. Dick Smith - Advances SPFX, Vocalist, Dot Com Founder/Tech, Writer/Poet, Painter, Activist/Advocate. Besides keyboard and novice at guitar, I played the flute in Jr. High. Hobbies over the years include learning at least a few words in various languages. Literary preference is non-fiction, though if historical, as I continue in research, much of it is debatable. Philosophy is fun to read. My favorite fiction is The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran and Anthem by Ayn Rand. Things I'm not a fan of, discussing politics, religion or reality television. It just disturbs me how many enjoy the misery of others in this world. That concept doesn't make anyone's life better than another. Though there are certainly people that will do what they can to hope for such outcome. So probably why, after so much or just getting old, I keep mostly to myself. It's a good break and needed one. Even after a bad back from rural life, I would prefer retiring on a remote mountain.

Sources

• First-hand information. Entered by T.C. Justine Baker at registration.