Conversations with Heather Andolina

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Andolina.

Hi Heather, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Growing up in my family, we were always told we had Cherokee ancestry. Little did we realize that we had so much more. Back in 2015, I, along with several family members, began taking DNA tests, and the tests revealed obvious European ancestry, but they also revealed Native American, African, Jewish, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian as well. This led us on a journey into discovering the truth about our ancestry, which led us to the Melungeon people of Appalachia. Scholars referred to them as a tri-racial, isolate people. They settled in very isolated regions like the Appalachian Mountains and Great Dismal Swamp. We also became members of the Melungeon Heritage Association, a nonprofit organization that documents and preserves the history and culture of mixed ancestry people of the Southern and Eastern United States, specifically in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina. This led to me becoming the current President of the organization. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Researching your ancestors who were from a mixed heritage certainly has its difficulties. We still have some brick walls that we have not broken through, but we keep moving forward, and with each new find, we get closer to the truth of our ancestors. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Historian by trade. I have a Bachelor’s degree in History from Thomas More University in Crestview Hills, KY, and a Master’s degree in History from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. I have worked in museums and at historical sites. 

I am producing and filming a documentary currently with my brothers about our Melungeon heritage, as well as engaged in my current position as President of the Melungeon Heritage Association, where I not only perform the duties of the presidency in running, and planning our annual conferences, newsletters, and etc… but I am also a podcaster. I am the host of the Melungeon Voices podcast, which is all things relating to Appalachia, and the Melungeon people. 

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I would certainly say a took a risk when I became the President of the Melungeon Heritage Association. I had very little experience in running a nonprofit organization, but when asked I stepped forward and took on the role. I am very grateful for this opportunity and glad I took the risk. 

Pricing:

• 15.00 for membership to the MHA

Contact Info:

• Website: www.melungeon.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melungeon_heritage_assoc?igsh=ZzRucjI0aTk4d216&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068719087056&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
Heather Andolina