MOUNTAIN HERITAGE

     I would like to make you aware of my love and respect for the Mountain Heritage of the Eastern Kentucky People. There are many families in this region whose origin dates back as far as the early 1700"s. They were there and carving out a living off of the land even before there were any settlements in the area. They were hunters, trappers, woodcutters and farmers.  Not only did these people have to struggle to survive against the elements of their environment, but they were constantly harassed by the Native Americans in their area as they competed for their very existence and food, clothing and shelter. Then they were encroached upon by people moving in to form settlements. They brought with them disease and social rules that conflicted with the laws of nature. Along with the influx of civilized society came the Red Coats aka the British Army and Patriots whose plan was to defeat the Rule of England and establish the freedom to invent their own form of government based on the principle of individual freedom. This principle may have been somewhat confusing to the original mountain people due to the fact that they have already enjoyed pure freedom,  regulated only by the laws of nature.
     Throughout the years, mountain people have been constantly been attacked by outsiders looking to control their land and their very lives.  Outside social influence has attempted to impose their rules and restrictions on the Mountain Heritage People and those heirs of the land have resisted and fought back with any means at their disposal. The coal companies tried to impose economic slavery on them and they organized themselves and fought back. The U.S. Government tried to interrupt their income by invoking the rule of prohibition. The U.S. Government tried to confiscate their land by the rule of eminent domain to establish the Daniel Boone National Forest. This land grab prohibited these mountain heirs from living their lives in the manor to which they had been accustomed for hundreds of years. Outsiders have labeled them rude, ignorant and sometimes even stupid. Their heritage has been attacked by every corner of society and yet they survive. They adapt and overcome every obstacle that is placed on their path. This alone seems very smart to me. They are strong, independent and self taught peoples. They have their own time-tested ways of doing things and their own rules of conduct that is based on common sense and their individual belief in God. They are a proud people, in their own way, and if you listen to them and watch what they do carefully, you will learn volumes about living and life. 
     When you belittle these people, you are insulting the very principle of freedom, on which our government was founded, that being the idea of "Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness".  When you befriend these people and earn their trust you will enjoy the blessing of true friendship.  Should you anger these people, you would find it easier to be in a small cave with a very large female black bear with two cubs to protect. 

     I have been fortunate to have made some very good friends in the Rowan County, Kentucky area who have shown me more kindness than I deserve. I would be untruthful if I neglected to mention that their are some people who do not like me. They think I talk dumb and act foolish. In their eyes I am an outsider and for that reason I cannot be trusted.  I respect their right to have their opinion about me because they have earned it. Whether liked or not I will always love the hills, mountains and hollows  of Eastern Kentucky and will always respect the history of the families who have resided in those hills for generations. I will always show respect for the hill people and the Mountain Heritage they represent.