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Coalfield Progress, VA
July 15 2004
Book studies Turkish, Melungeon links
By ROBERT BAIRD, Staff Writer
KINGSPORT, TENN. - A new book by Brent Kennedy and Joseph Scolnick
Jr. sheds some light on a neglected area of U.S. history - the
migration for centuries of Turkish people to America. The book also
explores where the Ottoman Empire and Turkey fit in the history and
culture of the Melungeon people and their descendants. The authors
and their book, "From Anatolia to Appalachia: A Turkish-American
Dialogue," were featured during last month's Fifth Union Melungeon
Gathering held here. There's evidence of a connection between
Melungeons, Turkey and the Ottoman Empire, Scolnick says. "The
Melungeons are apparently mixtures of Caucasian, Native Americans,
and Blacks, who as well have genetic links to the entire
Mediterranean area, plus, in some instances, Anatolia (the heartland
of Turkey), the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Northern India," Scolnick
wrote in the book.
"The Turkish-Melungeon relationship exists and will be of interest to
many people, if for no other reason than that it records human
interactions across centuries and continents," Scolnick continued.
Kennedy wrote: "Whatever the final scholarly verdict may be on the
origins of these so-called 'mystery people,' a seemingly irreversible
association has developed between the various Turkic populations of
the world and the Melungeons of Appalachia. This book is an
exploration, as opposed to an explanation, of these developing
relationships."
Scolnick is a political science professor at University of Virginia's
College at Wise and a noted foreign policy scholar with a longtime
interest in the Mediterranean area.
A Wise native who now lives in Kingsport, Kennedy founded the
Melungeon Research Committee and wrote the groundbreaking book "The
Melungeons: The Resurrection of a Proud People" 10 years ago.
Scolnick and Kennedy first began collaborating on the book during a
1999 trip to Turkey. In addition to essays written by Scolnick and
Kennedy, the book is a collection of interviews with a variety of
Turkish citizens, including representatives of the Assembly of
Turkish American Associations and the Turkish ambassador to the
United States.
The work was printed last year by Mercer University Press and is part
of Mercer's Melungeon book series.
DNA research has linked Melungeons to Turkey, Portugal, Italy,
northern Africa, Malta, northern India, Cyprus and the Canary
Islands, plus has shown connections to Native Americans, northern
Europeans and African-Americans, Scolnick said during a lecture on
June 17, the first day of the three-day Fifth Union event.
Kennedy said, "We mixed with people. That's the nature of human
beings and of migration."
According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, the Ottoman Empire was
founded in the late 13th century by Turkish tribes in Anatolia and
existed until 1918. At its height, the empire included portions of
northern Africa, the Middle East, central Europe and western Asia.
The Ottoman Empire was huge and included such present-day areas as
Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Albania, the Balkans and Austria,
Kennedy said.
Scolnick said the Ottoman Empire covered a wide area and was ruled by
a government that never attempted to assimilate its people. It was an
"enormous melting pot."
During his research of the Melungeon people, Kennedy says he saw
references to Turkey and Armenia. Some Melungeon families have
connections to Turkey and the Ottoman Empire, he said.
Turks, Armenians and Arabs were brought to Jamestown as slaves,
Kennedy noted.
Some people brought to the New World by Spanish, Portuguese and
French settlers had Ottoman backgrounds, Scolnick said. Some of those
individuals escaped or were stranded once they got here, he said, and
it's possible they met and were incorporated into Native American
tribes, married and had children.
DNA research indicates Melungeons have roots in Turkey, the Middle
East, India, Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, as well as having
Native American and African-American ancestry.
America was started by people from many countries and regions,
Scolnick said. It's utter nonsense to believe the notion that this
country was created only by settlers from England, he says.
July 15 2004
Book studies Turkish, Melungeon links
By ROBERT BAIRD, Staff Writer
KINGSPORT, TENN. - A new book by Brent Kennedy and Joseph Scolnick
Jr. sheds some light on a neglected area of U.S. history - the
migration for centuries of Turkish people to America. The book also
explores where the Ottoman Empire and Turkey fit in the history and
culture of the Melungeon people and their descendants. The authors
and their book, "From Anatolia to Appalachia: A Turkish-American
Dialogue," were featured during last month's Fifth Union Melungeon
Gathering held here. There's evidence of a connection between
Melungeons, Turkey and the Ottoman Empire, Scolnick says. "The
Melungeons are apparently mixtures of Caucasian, Native Americans,
and Blacks, who as well have genetic links to the entire
Mediterranean area, plus, in some instances, Anatolia (the heartland
of Turkey), the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Northern India," Scolnick
wrote in the book.
"The Turkish-Melungeon relationship exists and will be of interest to
many people, if for no other reason than that it records human
interactions across centuries and continents," Scolnick continued.
Kennedy wrote: "Whatever the final scholarly verdict may be on the
origins of these so-called 'mystery people,' a seemingly irreversible
association has developed between the various Turkic populations of
the world and the Melungeons of Appalachia. This book is an
exploration, as opposed to an explanation, of these developing
relationships."
Scolnick is a political science professor at University of Virginia's
College at Wise and a noted foreign policy scholar with a longtime
interest in the Mediterranean area.
A Wise native who now lives in Kingsport, Kennedy founded the
Melungeon Research Committee and wrote the groundbreaking book "The
Melungeons: The Resurrection of a Proud People" 10 years ago.
Scolnick and Kennedy first began collaborating on the book during a
1999 trip to Turkey. In addition to essays written by Scolnick and
Kennedy, the book is a collection of interviews with a variety of
Turkish citizens, including representatives of the Assembly of
Turkish American Associations and the Turkish ambassador to the
United States.
The work was printed last year by Mercer University Press and is part
of Mercer's Melungeon book series.
DNA research has linked Melungeons to Turkey, Portugal, Italy,
northern Africa, Malta, northern India, Cyprus and the Canary
Islands, plus has shown connections to Native Americans, northern
Europeans and African-Americans, Scolnick said during a lecture on
June 17, the first day of the three-day Fifth Union event.
Kennedy said, "We mixed with people. That's the nature of human
beings and of migration."
According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, the Ottoman Empire was
founded in the late 13th century by Turkish tribes in Anatolia and
existed until 1918. At its height, the empire included portions of
northern Africa, the Middle East, central Europe and western Asia.
The Ottoman Empire was huge and included such present-day areas as
Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Albania, the Balkans and Austria,
Kennedy said.
Scolnick said the Ottoman Empire covered a wide area and was ruled by
a government that never attempted to assimilate its people. It was an
"enormous melting pot."
During his research of the Melungeon people, Kennedy says he saw
references to Turkey and Armenia. Some Melungeon families have
connections to Turkey and the Ottoman Empire, he said.
Turks, Armenians and Arabs were brought to Jamestown as slaves,
Kennedy noted.
Some people brought to the New World by Spanish, Portuguese and
French settlers had Ottoman backgrounds, Scolnick said. Some of those
individuals escaped or were stranded once they got here, he said, and
it's possible they met and were incorporated into Native American
tribes, married and had children.
DNA research indicates Melungeons have roots in Turkey, the Middle
East, India, Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, as well as having
Native American and African-American ancestry.
America was started by people from many countries and regions,
Scolnick said. It's utter nonsense to believe the notion that this
country was created only by settlers from England, he says.