Raised as Opal Nokomis Smith, my Grandmother came into the household of Milo and Ida Mae Smith, a childless white couple, as Selva Cox. Opal/Selva was born in Makanda, IL in 1910 and her true parentage remains a mystery to this day. She was always told that her father was Cherokee and her mother was "Indian with a little French". Who was she really? This is an ongoing search that I have been working on for many years. It was always very important to my Grandmother that I, her only granddaughter, learn all I could about my Cherokee heritage. In my case that is truly a double edged sword! I'm still looking for a starting point...
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