By Lee Longhorn

Hensci, Estonko? Lee Longhorn cvhocefket os. Mvto.

I don’t normally start off by saying that phrase, a formal greeting in the Muscogee (Creek)/Seminole language, but for the purpose of this blog, it’s a good starting point. I learned that phrase as an undergraduate student at the University of Oklahoma. That’s where I’m from, Oklahoma. If you don’t know much about Oklahoma, I should enlighten you about my great state.

• Did you know the parking meter was invented in Oklahoma?
• Brad Pitt was born in Shawnee, Okla.
• The capitol was moved from one city to its current city in the middle of the night.
• Oklahoma is home to almost 39 tribes.
• This Oklahoman has eight tribal affiliations, seven of them are from the state.

It’s hard to believe that someone could have so many tribal affiliations within them. Ironically, I’m not of Cherokee or Navajo ancestry, the two largest tribes in the United States.

I am (if we in person, I’d draw a deep breath before I start): Muscogee (Creek), Seminole, Sac & Fox, Seneca-Cayuga, Wyandotte, Onondaga, Absentee Shawnee and Delaware. It’s a lot but you must understand, I didn’t pick them nor did I make any of them up. Growing up American Indian can be tough sometimes. Imagine growing up with many tribal affiliations and trying to balance all this while creating my own identity.

If you think you have it tough then maybe I can help or offer you some insight on how growing up Indian is different then it was twenty years ago.

I like saying that I’m Indian. I just hate saying what kind.

Lee Longhorn is a 2011 graduate of the University of Oklahoma. He is currently an intern reporter with the Muscogee Nation News.