Unveiling the Truth

My name is Cyndie Goins Hoelscher. I’m the fifth generation great grand-niece of William Goyens Jr of Nacogdoches, TX and I’m here to speak the truth. Sometimes, I feel as this is a courtroom, much like the ones my ancestors often frequented. Unfortunately for them, and I say unfortunately because they had to fight for every right – the right to own land, the right to vote, the even right to ‘whoop and holler’ as they pleased; But I also believe Fortunately, for me, they left behind a trail of court depositions: affidavits of genealogy that bear the test of time and even modern science in the form of forensic anthropology that prove the validity of what I will share with you today. I am simply here to tell the truth.

I like to refer to David Walker in his Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World,” written in 1830, a time when Goyens was making his mark in the world. In the preamble of his entreaty, Walker pleaded, “open your hearts to understand and believe the truth.”[1]

[1] Walker. David. APPEAL IN FOUR ARTICLES; TOGETHER WITH A PREAMBLE, TO THE COLOURED CITIZENS OF THE WORLD, BUT IN PARTICULAR, AND VERY EXPRESSLY, TO THOSE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WRITTEN IN BOSTON, STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS, SEPTEMBER 28, 1829. THIRD AND LAST EDITION, WITH ADDITIONAL NOTES, CORRECTIONS, &C. Boston:REVISED AND PUBLISHED BY DAVID WALKER. 1830.

Thus began my presentation at the East Texas Historical Association Spring Meeting in Paris, Texas, February 22, 2009. Our panel comprised of Stacy Webb who presented on Redbone Peoples and the History of Legal Oppression; Alvie Walts who presented the Thompson Choctaws and myself who presented on William Goyens, Jr: His Lumbee-Portuguese ancestry. Our segment was well attended and all three of us were asked to publish in the ETHA Journal and to submit digital forms of our research for depositories at Sam Houston University Special Collections. We were enthusiastically embraced by conference attendees, mostly acadaemia, who never heard the word Redbone and wanted to learn more about the heritage and culture of the People Known as Redbones.

Open your heart so you may know and understand the truth. We are accomplishing great and good things. We are moving forward in with the Redbone Heritage Foundation's mission to preserve facts and documents, as well as create literature which will endure tests of time and be there for future generations.

It is only through open-mindedness and open-heartedness that we can accomplish these things. We have been invited to speak again. It is a true honor when we can stand among the historians of the State of Texas and make our mark. We honor our ancestors as we endeavor to record their lives, photos and history. Our positive efforts manifest in positive actions.

I'm here to state the truth and the truth is the Redbone History must be preserved. I concluded my presentation in front of eager ears who were astounded to learn that William Goyens Jr is not of African American descent and not all free persons of color in the census records descend from African roots:

On February 22, 1997, Twelve years ago TODAY, I co-presented with Dr. Diane Prince from the University of Houston-Victoria in Session XXII of the African Experience in East Texas. At this occasion a distinguished gentleman stood up and asked me “Why do you want to take away our hero?”

My ancestral uncle is my hero also, but you must open your hearts and understand. He is not the champion of only one ethnic heritage. Now his life story inspires a more diverse population who deserve OUR heroes – WE the Redbones, the Croatans, the Brass Ankles, the Melungeons and all multi-ethnic people in the United States of America – We deserve OUR place in history also – the First American peoples, the Spanish and Portuguese descent peoples, as well as mulattoes, Blacks and any people who have been persecuted because of the color of their skin. And I sincerely hope these old facts presented on this new day will revitalize an interest in Nacogdoches and East Texas as this ethnic and cultural diversity is worth celebrating.

Open your hearts to the truth.