Coalfield.com

Coalfield.com: "This year's theme - 'Melungeons: Fact or Fiction?' - explores the facts, fallacies and new theories surrounding Melungeon heritage.



A couple of the presentations will deal with misconceptions that have developed over the years about Melungeons, Winkler says.



Anyone can post information on the Internet, Winkler noted. Web pages and electronic mailing lists are often full of good, solid information. But there can be plenty of misinformation, too. 'It's difficult to tell what's good versus bad information.'



Occasionally, for example, someone asks Winkler what types of diseases he or she might have and should look for to determine Melungeon ancestry. 'The Melungeons I know of are pretty healthy people,' Winkler noted.



While occurrence of disease can be significant, he says some of these factors have been blown out of proportion. 'We hope to clear up some of the mistaken ideas that have been passed around about Melungeons.'



There's no fee to attend the event on July 29-30, although you'll obviously need to secure a hotel room if you plan to stay overnight."