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Jerry Monroe & the Binay "Tribe"

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educatedindian:
A former Binay speaks.
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http://64.62.196.98/board/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9276
Posted by Oatmealbit 8/4/04
As Jan and Betty Ann know, I was once really familiar with www.blackindians.com. When I was a freshman in college, and new to the internet, I stumbled across the Black Indian Intertribal Native American Associaion (or BIINAA). At that time, the organization was extremely legitimate. There were individuals who were Black and Indian (I hate the term "Black Indian") who just participated in conversations on a message board and I believe some of them met up with each other at gatherings. It was at one time, another group like Indianz.com.
Through that message board, I was able to meet many people who are like myself. Some of these individuals have posted on this forum, at one time or another. There were people who were of the Comanche Nation, of the Navajo Nation, of the Oglala Lakota Nation, of the Chickasaw Nation, and other First Nations. The commonality between us was that we all were of our respected communities and of the Black community.
This organization began around the same time that Radmilla Cody served as Miss Navajo Nation. That was the peak of the organization. If I remember correctly, some of the original members were involved with the conflict between the Seminole Nation and those who were Seminole Freedmen. I mean we had some pretty mundane conversations such as what products were best for untameable curly hair...
Eventually, people who were rediscovering their roots began joining the organization. Jerry Monroe, as he called himself at that time, told everyone in the group that he was of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma and that he was a respected member of the New York City American Indian urban community. I think he became blinded with the opportunity to capitalize on these new people's ignorance. Eventually, you had to become a member of the organization in order to participate in the e-forum. Then you had to pay in order to be part of the organization because he was going to create a newsletter and buy a domain for the group. It was at that time, I left and so did many of the others who had been part of the group back in the beginning.
Eventually it evolved, and it did exist as a tribe. It was utterly ridiculous because the "second in command" was supposed to have been a Cherokee, yet the pictures of him were in a plastic feather headdress. There was quite a bit of mingling of traditions. They called themselves the Binay Tribe and then began to have naming ceremonies.
When I first met Jan and Betty Ann, I told them who I was and I told them this history. I believe both ladies wrote to Jerry Monroe, who had become Chief Jerry Eaglefeather, and told him how inappropriate his "tribe" was. I received an email from a Chiricahua Apache woman who told me more about Jerry Monroe and how he had appropriated some of her ancestors and made them his own.
As I've said before, I have had the chance to converse with Betty Ann several times. We've exchanged emails and she has given me a few contacts in the past. She and I certainly had our disagreements but I think generally that she is a good person.

frank:
Jerry Monroe is a fraud and a cultist. He and I have been adversaries for 3 years or so. He's a true fraud. He is a fundamentalist Christian who claims to be Mohawk, Cherokee, Apache and black. He may have some Indian blood from but he is hardly what he claims to be. The BIINAA as it was known when he started the group in the 90's was a hobbyist club, until Jerry started building his emarket empire. He sells everything from Indian names and tribal memberships to smudge herbal medicines and DNA tests (which probably don't sell very well)
He started the so called black Indians after the publication of the book Black Indians-A Hidden Heritage by William L. Katz, in 1988, who called the Binay a shameless commercialization. Katz also discovered that Monroe had plagarized his essay on his website. I sent Katz who is a well known progressive historian to Monroe's site and he sent me a copy of his rather angry email to Monroe.
I had an off an on relationship with Monroe although I knew he was a fraud, my intention was to get Indians to help convince his followers to join tribes if they in fact had Indian blood.
I am half black and half Cherokee/Creek/Anglo Saxon and have always been a civil/human rights activist. I had hoped to influence his members, but because they emphasize black nationalism and supremacy or Christianity, its very difficult to reach them.
Various groups have spun off the Binay. The black Indian activists alliance is the radical nationalist spin off. They are also Binay but have their own "creation story" (Black Olmecs and fleets of African Muslim missionaries in the 12 century) to which all members must acknowledge. The Binay also have a mythology. According to Monroe, there is an indigenous African tribe who lived along the Schuykill River. Sorry Jerry, I'm from Philadelphia and there are no black indigenous people here, just the Lenni Lenape, and they aren't black!
"Chief" Three Hawks, Monroe's business partner also sells "degrees" in Native medicine on line through the Binay site.
They have a site on yahoogroups, blackindianopenforum@yahoogroups.com. No one but the most faithful are welcome. The content is mostly sales and spam, with alot of prayer appeals and singles adds. Oh yes, black Indian singles, was one of Monroe's scams that didn't work very well, the good ole black church ladies were offended by the site and he took it down. He is also allied with a number of real Indians, who use his site for marketing.
Monroe is also a singer drummer and gospel preacher who has a very limited education and has contempt for anyone who is well educated. Last year the Nuwabians and the black Muslims were taking over, making a very uncomfortable alliance with Monroe.
He has been exposed by a number of folks who have had run ins with him. Now he calls anyone who challenges him ME. Because I'm his sworn enemy, because I represent everything he hates. He's a real tragic man, because he is so limited and so phony. Now that he has tax exempt status (501.c) he making quite a lot of money. He has monthly payment plans and a fees schedule for ceremonies. He also owns Red Table Trading Co., Eagle Circle Singers, and Monroe Enterprises and probably alot more.
His father does have Indian blood, but Monroe appears to be black. His argument is the black genes are dominant thats why black Indians don't look Indian. Well sorry Jerry I do!
Black frauds are the hardest to deal with because gullible black folks abound. He's got religion, he's a gospel singer and he tells the folks they're not really black. They're Binay. To people who have always heard that they had Cherokee princess great grandmothers and Blackfoot greatgrandfathers Monroe's their savior. Like all frauds the first thing they do is to accuse their critics of being racists. Monroe knew he couldn't do that with me because I'm half black and a former SCLC staff worker from the civil rights movement.
I've met him once and he does have charisma, but is terribly inarticulate. He knows that I and others know he's a fraud. He just tries not to encounter me in the real world.
Lets bring down the Binay before they spread. They supposedly have some Binay land. They could get some small unorganized group of real Indians to get them recognition which is what makes Monroe a serious threat. Spread the word about him and his tribe for the tribeless 15,000,000 black Indians* Monroe's estimate of the number of blacks with Indian blood.

educatedindian:
If you have Katz's letter and permission from, go ahead and post it here. We could also post it on our websites along with any warning you can write up for us.

Also, do you have a link or some other copy of his "paymment plan for ceremonies"? That'd be pretty damaging evidence of his low character.

frank:
Unfortunately, some of Jerry hacker friend destroyed my old aol. com address where it was stored. You can contact him directly at WLKATZ@aol.com. he'd be glad to hear from anyone who is trying to expose frauds like Jerry. Jerry destroyed the archives from his old list when he moved to blackindianopenforum last spring. After I an otheres forced him to close down blackindian@yahoogroups.com
Frank

JakeAl:
Frank...

Thanks for this information. Is there any documentation regardin monroe and nuwabs?

I have to say that I admire you for looking into this situation.

I'm familiar with this group just from looking at their site.

Frank Says:
"I had hoped to influence his members, but because they emphasize black nationalism and supremacy or Christianity, its very difficult to reach them."

this is why I keep feeling that they do not really care for real Indians... Black is first, Indian is second (if at all)

anyway, I appreciate you lookin into this issue. I'd be interested in hearing any updates.

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