--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was a boy, I would ask about my…" description: "\"When I was a boy, I would ask about my family history, about my bloodlines. We really didn't know that much. We had a little Indian in us from the Okla..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/brad-pitt-1608_bloodline_when-i-was-a-boy-i-would-ask-about-my-fa_1823542.jpg" --- # When I was a boy, I would ask about my family history… ![“When I was a boy, I would ask about my family history, about my bloodlines. We really didn't know that much. We had a little Indian in us from the Oklahoma Trail of Tears.” quote by Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/brad-pitt-1608_bloodline_when-i-was-a-boy-i-would-ask-about-my-fa_1823542.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/brad-pitt-1608_bloodline_when-i-was-a-boy-i-would-ask-about-my-fa_1823542.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/brad-pitt-1608_bloodline_when-i-was-a-boy-i-would-ask-about-my-fa_1823542.jpg) > “When I was a boy, I would ask about my family history, about my bloodlines. We really didn't know that much. We had a little Indian in us from the Oklahoma Trail of Tears.” [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Exploring ancestry reveals hidden cultural threads, like a small Native American lineage from the Trail of Tears. **In simple terms:** Learning family history uncovers hidden heritage. Key Takeaway Research your genealogy to understand personal identity. Themes heritage identity history Mood nostalgic thoughtful Type personal reflective When to use this quote - family reunions - DNA testing - storytelling gatherings - educational projects Key Concepts cultural awareness intergenerational trauma Questions to Reflect On - What does discovering this lineage mean for you? - How can you honor that heritage responsibly? A Different Perspective Ancestry research can be emotionally painful or inconclusive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bloodline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bloodline/) [Bloodlines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bloodlines/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-history/) [Indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indian/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) [Trail Of Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trail-of-tears/) [Trails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trails/) ## Related quotes > [For the moment, I’m just Daire—a girl straddling two bloodlines. One I was given—one I must earn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-noel/for-the-moment-i-m-just-daire-a-girl-straddling-two-bloodlines-one-i/) [Alyson Noel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-noel/) > [All kings and queens are not born of royal bloodlines. Some become royal because of what they do once they realize who they are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharrell-williams/all-kings-and-queens-are-not-born-of-royal-bloodlines-some-become/) [Pharrell Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharrell-williams/) > [Humans didn't really fight over skin tone or ideology; those were just handy cues for kin-selection purposes. Ultimately it always came down to bloodlines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-watts/humans-didn-t-really-fight-over-skin-tone-or-ideology-those-were-just/) [Peter Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-watts/) > [Power travels in the bloodlines, handed out before birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/power-travels-in-the-bloodlines-handed-out-before-birth/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Ask my family about my obsession for discounts and they will tell you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupali-ganguly/ask-my-family-about-my-obsession-for-discounts-and-they-will-tell-you/) [Rupali Ganguly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupali-ganguly/) > [Obviously I ask my family and loved ones for advice here and there, but I kind of have a rule with the people I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-devitto/obviously-i-ask-my-family-and-loved-ones-for-advice-here-and-there/) [Torrey DeVitto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-devitto/) > [I'm competitive. You can ask my family. Even if it's not basketball, it's anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luka-doncic/i-m-competitive-you-can-ask-my-family-even-if-it-s-not-basketball-it/) [Luka Doncic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luka-doncic/) > [“If we just keep walking in one direction," Colin said, "we'll find civilization." Meanwhile, Hassan was singing a song entitled: "We're on a Trail/…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/if-we-just-keep-walking-in-one-direction-colin-said-we-ll-find/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe the National Park Service has demonstrated strong partnerships geared towards respecting the private property of citizens in its administering of the current…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wamp/i-believe-the-national-park-service-has-demonstrated-strong/) [Zach Wamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wamp/) > [“the Supreme Court ruling and forced their Indians into Indian Territory (Oklahoma), along what has come to be called the infamous “Trail of Tears.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-bittner/the-supreme-court-ruling-and-forced-their-indians-into-indian/) [Rosanne Bittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-bittner/) > [“The cornbread necklace is a traditional piece of Cherokee jewelry. It is made of teardrop-shaped beads that are believed to be a gift from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rennay-craats/the-cornbread-necklace-is-a-traditional-piece-of-cherokee-jewelry-it/) Rennay Craats > [“Anyway, you couldn’t use standard methods to date the doom; might as well say that Vietnam was where the Trail of Tears was headed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-herr/anyway-you-couldn-t-use-standard-methods-to-date-the-doom-might-as/) [Michael Herr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-herr/) > [In the pioneer West Whitopias, immigration tended to be the dominant social and racial issue. In Forsyth County, Georgia, immigration is still an issue,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-benjamin/in-the-pioneer-west-whitopias-immigration-tended-to-be-the-dominant/) [Richard Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-benjamin/) > [“the Trail of Tears: a cheerful gesture of casual genocide.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-trail-of-tears-a-cheerful-gesture-of-casual-genocide/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“On October 1, 1838, the first detachment set out in what was to be known as the Trail of Tears. As they moved westward,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/on-october-1-1838-the-first-detachment-set-out-in-what-was-to-be/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) ## More by Brad Pitt > [Though 'Moneyball' had the talents of screenwriters Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin going for it, they weren't baseball insiders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/though-moneyball-had-the-talents-of-screenwriters-steven-zaillian-and/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [Getting a burp out of your little thing when she needs it is probably the greatest satisfaction I've come across at this point in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/getting-a-burp-out-of-your-little-thing-when-she-needs-it-is-probably/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [Stop being perfect, because obsessing over being perfect stops you from growing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/stop-being-perfect-because-obsessing-over-being-perfect-stops-you/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [I always thought that if I wanted to do a family, I wanted to do it big. I wanted there to be chaos in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/i-always-thought-that-if-i-wanted-to-do-a-family-i-wanted-to-do-it/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [ The scouts \[in "Moneyball"\] could lend an authenticity that's even beyond what we had on the page. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/the-scouts-in-moneyball-could-lend-an-authenticity-that-s-even-beyond/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [Crime is just unvarnished capitalism, after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/crime-is-just-unvarnished-capitalism-after-all/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [I have very few friends. I have a handful of close friends, and I have my family, and I haven't known life to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/i-have-very-few-friends-i-have-a-handful-of-close-friends-and-i-have/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [ I don't have a chance \[on being elected Mayor of New Orleans\]. I'm running on the gay marriage, no religion, legalization and taxation of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/i-don-t-have-a-chance-on-being-elected-mayor-of-new-orleans-i-m/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [Any love involves loss, and that's the risk you take. And the greater the love, the greater the loss. I certainly feel that now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/any-love-involves-loss-and-that-s-the-risk-you-take-and-the-greater/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [I liked turning 40. Maybe I had a crisis earlier or something. Maybe I had it in my 30s. One thing that sucks though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/i-liked-turning-40-maybe-i-had-a-crisis-earlier-or-something-maybe-i/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [So I swear to God, I took one year where I just said, This year, I'm just going to cop to it and say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/so-i-swear-to-god-i-took-one-year-where-i-just-said-this-year-i-m/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [You shouldn't speak until you know what you're talking about. That's why I get uncomfortable with interviews. Reporters ask me what I feel China…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/you-shouldn-t-speak-until-you-know-what-you-re-talking-about-that-s/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [I believe everyone should have the same rights. They say gay marriage ruins families and hurts kids. Well, I've had the privilege of seeing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/i-believe-everyone-should-have-the-same-rights-they-say-gay-marriage/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [Man, when I'm riding with the helmet on, I'm invisible. And people just deal with me as the guy on the bike... it gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/man-when-i-m-riding-with-the-helmet-on-i-m-invisible-and-people-just/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [ There are certain aspects of celebrity that I understand, although that's not the main point of the story \[in Assassination of Jesse James\] ,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/there-are-certain-aspects-of-celebrity-that-i-understand-although/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) [Explore all 223 Brad Pitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) ## More Bloodline quotes > [The families in positions of great financial power obsessively interbreed with each other. But I'm not talking about one Earth race, Jewish or non-Jewish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/the-families-in-positions-of-great-financial-power-obsessively/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [I will be known forever as the Puppy who chased a cutpurse and caught fish garbage instead. My descendants will pretend I'm not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/i-will-be-known-forever-as-the-puppy-who-chased-a-cutpurse-and-caught/) [Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/) > [Judaism is not a religion. At best, it is a racial credo, designed to maintain racial cohesion, in this case the Khazar bloodlines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-makow/judaism-is-not-a-religion-at-best-it-is-a-racial-credo-designed-to/) [Henry Makow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-makow/) > [Vampires as creatures have evolved over time as different vampire bloodlines have hit different populations of humans. Every once in a while the blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-snyder/vampires-as-creatures-have-evolved-over-time-as-different-vampire/) [Scott Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-snyder/) > [Jews took it very seriously to marry other Jews and repopulate the Jewish bloodline, and my father's generation gets very serious in my household…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-lerman/jews-took-it-very-seriously-to-marry-other-jews-and-repopulate-the/) [Logan Lerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-lerman/) > [Our ancestors are looking for us even if we're not looking for them. And by our ancestors I mean our bloodlines and the ancestors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-moss/our-ancestors-are-looking-for-us-even-if-we-re-not-looking-for-them/) [Robert Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-moss/) > [I saw Dad's eyes widen just a fraction when he heard my voice catch. He glanced at me but quickly turned away. He didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-moore/i-saw-dad-s-eyes-widen-just-a-fraction-when-he-heard-my-voice-catch/) [Perry Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-moore/) > [It's promising and seductive, that huge Italian family, sitting around the dinner table, surrounded by olive trees. But it's not my family and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-hamilton/it-s-promising-and-seductive-that-huge-italian-family-sitting-around/) [Gabrielle Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-hamilton/) > [“If I keep loving you, maybe you'll crack and love me too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/if-i-keep-loving-you-maybe-you-ll-crack-and-love-me-too/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [The bloodline of Jesus is thicker, deeper, stronger than the bloodline of race, ethnicity and family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-bloodline-of-jesus-is-thicker-deeper-stronger-than-the-bloodline/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [It's got a lot more room for nuance and an assumption that people have started from the beginning. 'Bloodline' ends up being like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mendelsohn/it-s-got-a-lot-more-room-for-nuance-and-an-assumption-that-people/) [Ben Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mendelsohn/) > [I saw Lord Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts) assign the angel hosts to go to bloodlines and command familiar and familial spirits to back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-pierce/i-saw-lord-sabaoth-the-lord-of-hosts-assign-the-angel-hosts-to-go-to/) [Chuck Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-pierce/) > [My mother helped me identify myself the way the world would identify me. Bloodlines didn't matter as much as how I would be perceived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/halle-berry/my-mother-helped-me-identify-myself-the-way-the-world-would-identify/) [Halle Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/halle-berry/) > [I grew up in a Hollywood family with money, so money is not the reason I make music. I'm as Hollywood as it gets.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-thicke/i-grew-up-in-a-hollywood-family-with-money-so-money-is-not-the-reason/) [Robin Thicke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-thicke/) > [There is not enough magic in a bloodline to forge an instant, irrevocable bond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/there-is-not-enough-magic-in-a-bloodline-to-forge-an-instant/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) [Browse all 39 Bloodline quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bloodline/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was a boy, I would ask about my family history, about my bloodlines. We really didn't know that much. We had a little Indian in us from the Oklahoma Trail of Tears.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brad Pitt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/when-i-was-a-boy-i-would-ask-about-my-family-history-about-my/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bloodline" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/when-i-was-a-boy-i-would-ask-about-my-family-history-about-my/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/brad-pitt-1608_bloodline_when-i-was-a-boy-i-would-ask-about-my-fa_1823542.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/brad-pitt-1608_bloodline_when-i-was-a-boy-i-would-ask-about-my-fa_1823542.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/brad-pitt-1608_bloodline_when-i-was-a-boy-i-would-ask-about-my-fa_1823542.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I was a boy, I would ask about my family history, about my bloodlines. We really didn't know that much…” — Brad Pitt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Brad Pitt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I was a boy, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/when-i-was-a-boy-i-would-ask-about-my-family-history-about-my/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/when-i-was-a-boy-i-would-ask-about-my-family-history-about-my/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```