Dominickers
Encyclopedia
The Dominickers were a small biracial or triracial ethnic group that was once centered in the Florida Panhandle
county of Holmes
, in a corner of the southern part of the county west of the Choctawhatchee River
, near the town of Ponce de Leon
. The group was classified as one of the "reputed Indian-White-Negro racial isolates of the Eastern United States" by the United States Census Bureau
in 1950.
Few facts are known about their origins, and little has been published about this group; however, there are some sources from which information can be gleaned.
in 1939. The article "Ponce de Leon" identifies the Dominickers as being descendants of the widow of a pre-Civil War
plantation owner and one of her black slaves, by whom she had five children. (A separate oral tradition has it that the slave was actually the mulatto
half-brother of the woman's deceased husband, but this has not been verified.)
The unsigned article states that numerous descendants still lived in the area at the time of writing, and their children attended a segregated
school (as required by Florida's Jim Crow laws
). Dominickers were not accepted as social equals by the white community, but they did not associate with the black community, either. Thus, the Dominickers formed a small middle layer of Holmes County society separate from both whites and blacks (somewhat analogous to the status of Louisiana Creoles
), a rare thing in the black/white social dichotomy of the rural South
before the Civil Rights Movement
of the postwar period.
According to the article, their appearance varied from very fair (white) to "Negroid" (black), even among the siblings of a single family. It also says the pejorative
nickname "Dominickers" originated when a local man in a divorce case described his estranged wife as "black and white, like an old Dominicker chicken
." Another account says the description applied to the man with whom she was living.
Florida guidebook, but not included in it, are now archived at the University of Florida
library in Gainesville
, and were probably the sources for the published article. Even more so than the published article, these are generally derogatory of the Dominickers, reflecting the attitudes of local whites at the time, and on that account are perhaps not to be taken too literally.
These typescripts go into further detail than the published article on the appearance and behavior of the Dominickers, calling them as "sensitive, treacherous, and vindictive" and "pathetically ignorant." The men are described as "big and burly looking," known for their skill at breaking horses and making moonshine
whiskey. The women, however, are much less kindly described as "low in stature, fat, and shapeless," wearing loose clothing and going barefoot
all the time.
One article notes that Dominickers were "treated with the same courtesy that a Negro receives--never served at a public fountain nor introduced to a white person." A few Dominicker children were allowed to attend the white high school in Westville
, but they were "never allowed to actually graduate."
In contrast to these descriptions, photographs of known Dominickers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries show that their appearance ranged from fair-complected to swarthy, but not "Negroid," as claimed; the women, especially, seem to have had an olive-skinned, wavy-haired "Mediterranean" look. Indeed, one scholarly writer, a native of the area, states, "Most of these people are Spanish or Cuban in appearance."
ancestors, suggesting there were originally several distinct mixed-race families in the area in various combinations of white, black, and Indian blood, descendants of whom intermarried, all of them eventually being considered Dominickers. One typescript states firmly that "they are about three-fourths white and one-eighth Negro
and one-eighth Indian
."
For example, one story that can be pieced together from the typescripts as well as from some more reliable published sources, says that Jim Crow (no connection with the segregation laws called by that name), an "Indian prince," son of Chief Sam Story
of the local Euchee Indians
, married Harriet, a beautiful, "more than two-thirds white" house servant belonging to a local white family; they produced a daughter, Eliza. When the Euchees migrated to southern Florida in 1832, shortly after Sam Story's death, Harriet (who may have been her owner's daughter) and the baby stayed behind with the white family. When Eliza grew up, she married a "yellow boy
" (mulatto) named Jim Harris, son of a slave belonging to another white family. Their daughter, Lovey, eventually married another "yellow boy" and had a large family of good-looking children, who "married into another half-breed family." It is also said that other Euchees besides Jim Crow left many descendants (presumably mixed-race) in the area.
and the adjacent counties of Walton
and Washington
dating back to 1850 list many Dominicker families and individuals, variously identified as white, mulatto
, and black (even among members of the same family), the designation for a given individual often changing from one census to the next. Despite their segregated
status, the census records show that in the decades following the Civil War
many Dominickers married into white families, thus making it difficult for researchers today to determine precise boundaries for inclusion in the Dominicker group.
The 1950 federal census instructed enumerators to make note of local populations of mixed white, black, and Indian ancestry in the eastern United States. In Holmes County
, Florida
, and nowhere else, 60 Dominickers were so counted; they were designated as white on the census. However, it can be established from earlier census records that known Dominicker families had produced several hundred descendants over the past century, though most of them were not living in the so-called Dominicker settlement of Holmes County by the time of the 1950 census.
In 1956, a United States Public Health Service
worker, who had tabulated the 1950 census findings, made a brief visit to the area and interviewed some white residents, but was unable to make contact with any Dominickers, said to number about 40 at that time. His field notes indicate that at least one Dominicker claimed to be of Spanish and Indian descent. He also noted that "the term Dominicker is not acceptable to the group and is not used in their presence."
school in Ponce de Leon was closed, and students were integrated into the other local public schools. Some descendants of the Dominicker group still live in the area, but since World War II, many have scattered to other parts of the country. Although some racial stigma may still be felt, those remaining in Holmes County
and nearby localities have quietly assimilated into the white community, and there is no organized affiliation of Dominicker descendants.
Since there are no longer any Florida laws requiring segregation
or defining who is or is not "white," it is an academic question at this point as to who could be considered a Dominicker, especially after several generations of intermarriage between whites and Dominickers in the area, which has tended to cancel any differences in appearance.
people, a controversial term which is subject to wide debate; however, there is no known link between the Dominickers and any other mixed-race group, such as the also little-known Cajans of Mobile
and Washington
counties in Alabama (this was a misnomer as these supposed "Cajans" are actually a culturally defined group of Indians who have maintained the Choctaw language, live on a state designated Indian reservation and had attended All-Indian boarding schools (such as Bacone and Haskell) established by the Christian denominations and the Bureau of Indian Affairs for many generations. The official tribal website is www.mowa-choctaw.com (not to be confused with the famous Cajuns of Lousisiana) and the Dead Lake People of Gulf
and Calhoun
counties in Florida.
Interestingly, some sources claim that about 1857, over 100 mixed-race families migrated by wagon train from Holmes County to Rapides
and Vernon
parishes in Louisiana, where they became part of the people known as Redbones
. The Redbones
are well known in southwestern Louisiana, though their origins are still debated. A few links by marriage between members of that group and relatives of the Holmes County Dominickers are known, but there is no evidence at this time to suggest a common origin for the two groups.
Many families in the Holmes County
area claim Native American descent, especially from the Creek
Indians, a nation with whom the Euchees
were once affiliated. The local Choctawhatchee Creeks are organized and said to be seeking state recognition.
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
county of Holmes
Holmes County, Florida
Holmes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 18,564. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 19,264 . Its county seat is Bonifay, Florida.-History:...
, in a corner of the southern part of the county west of the Choctawhatchee River
Choctawhatchee River
The Choctawhatchee River is a river in the southern United States, flowing through southeast Alabama and the Panhandle of Florida before emptying into Choctawhatchee Bay in Okaloosa and Walton counties...
, near the town of Ponce de Leon
Ponce de Leon, Florida
Ponce de Leon is a town in Holmes County, Florida, United States. The population was 457 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 462 .According to Ponce de Leon town Census 2010 results, the population of the area was approximately 598 people...
. The group was classified as one of the "reputed Indian-White-Negro racial isolates of the Eastern United States" by the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
in 1950.
Few facts are known about their origins, and little has been published about this group; however, there are some sources from which information can be gleaned.
First mention and origins
The first known mention in print of the Dominickers' existence is an article in Florida: A Guide to the Southernmost State, published by the Federal Writers' ProjectFederal Writers' Project
The Federal Writers' Project was a United States federal government project to fund written work and support writers during the Great Depression. It was part of the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program...
in 1939. The article "Ponce de Leon" identifies the Dominickers as being descendants of the widow of a pre-Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
plantation owner and one of her black slaves, by whom she had five children. (A separate oral tradition has it that the slave was actually the mulatto
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
half-brother of the woman's deceased husband, but this has not been verified.)
The unsigned article states that numerous descendants still lived in the area at the time of writing, and their children attended a segregated
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
school (as required by Florida's Jim Crow laws
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
). Dominickers were not accepted as social equals by the white community, but they did not associate with the black community, either. Thus, the Dominickers formed a small middle layer of Holmes County society separate from both whites and blacks (somewhat analogous to the status of Louisiana Creoles
Louisiana Creole people
Louisiana Creole people refers to those who are descended from the colonial settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French and Spanish descent. The term was first used during colonial times by the settlers to refer to those who were born in the colony, as opposed to those born in the Old World...
), a rare thing in the black/white social dichotomy of the rural South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
before the Civil Rights Movement
African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)
The African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring voting rights to them. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1955 and 1968, particularly in the South...
of the postwar period.
According to the article, their appearance varied from very fair (white) to "Negroid" (black), even among the siblings of a single family. It also says the pejorative
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
nickname "Dominickers" originated when a local man in a divorce case described his estranged wife as "black and white, like an old Dominicker chicken
Dominiques
The Dominique, also known as Dominicker or Pilgrim Fowl, is a breed of chicken originating in the United States during the Colonial. It is considered America's oldest breed of chicken, probably descending from chickens brought to New England from southern England during colonial times...
." Another account says the description applied to the man with whom she was living.
Further sources
Two unpublished typescripts prepared for the FWPFederal Writers' Project
The Federal Writers' Project was a United States federal government project to fund written work and support writers during the Great Depression. It was part of the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program...
Florida guidebook, but not included in it, are now archived at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
library in Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, and were probably the sources for the published article. Even more so than the published article, these are generally derogatory of the Dominickers, reflecting the attitudes of local whites at the time, and on that account are perhaps not to be taken too literally.
These typescripts go into further detail than the published article on the appearance and behavior of the Dominickers, calling them as "sensitive, treacherous, and vindictive" and "pathetically ignorant." The men are described as "big and burly looking," known for their skill at breaking horses and making moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
whiskey. The women, however, are much less kindly described as "low in stature, fat, and shapeless," wearing loose clothing and going barefoot
Barefoot
Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear. Being barefoot is regarded as a human's natural state, though for functional, fashion and social reasons footwear is worn, at least on some occasions...
all the time.
One article notes that Dominickers were "treated with the same courtesy that a Negro receives--never served at a public fountain nor introduced to a white person." A few Dominicker children were allowed to attend the white high school in Westville
Westville, Florida
Westville is a town in Holmes County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 221. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the town had a population of 225.According to Westville town Census 2010 results, the population of the area was...
, but they were "never allowed to actually graduate."
In contrast to these descriptions, photographs of known Dominickers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries show that their appearance ranged from fair-complected to swarthy, but not "Negroid," as claimed; the women, especially, seem to have had an olive-skinned, wavy-haired "Mediterranean" look. Indeed, one scholarly writer, a native of the area, states, "Most of these people are Spanish or Cuban in appearance."
Native American ancestry
The typescripts give five different accounts of the Dominickers' origins, which are said to include Euchee IndianYuchi
For the Chinese surname 尉迟, see Yuchi.The Yuchi, also spelled Euchee and Uchee, are a Native American Indian tribe who traditionally lived in the eastern Tennessee River valley in Tennessee in the 16th century. During the 17th century, they moved south to Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina...
ancestors, suggesting there were originally several distinct mixed-race families in the area in various combinations of white, black, and Indian blood, descendants of whom intermarried, all of them eventually being considered Dominickers. One typescript states firmly that "they are about three-fourths white and one-eighth Negro
Negro
The word Negro is used in the English-speaking world to refer to a person of black ancestry or appearance, whether of African descent or not...
and one-eighth Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
."
For example, one story that can be pieced together from the typescripts as well as from some more reliable published sources, says that Jim Crow (no connection with the segregation laws called by that name), an "Indian prince," son of Chief Sam Story
Sam Story
Sam Story, also named Timpoochee Kinnard, was Chief of the Walton County, Florida, band of Euchee Indians in the early 19th century, who occupied the lands on and to the west of the Choctawhatchee River. His parents were Timothy Kinnard, a white man of Scottish descent, and an unknown Yuchi woman...
of the local Euchee Indians
Yuchi
For the Chinese surname 尉迟, see Yuchi.The Yuchi, also spelled Euchee and Uchee, are a Native American Indian tribe who traditionally lived in the eastern Tennessee River valley in Tennessee in the 16th century. During the 17th century, they moved south to Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina...
, married Harriet, a beautiful, "more than two-thirds white" house servant belonging to a local white family; they produced a daughter, Eliza. When the Euchees migrated to southern Florida in 1832, shortly after Sam Story's death, Harriet (who may have been her owner's daughter) and the baby stayed behind with the white family. When Eliza grew up, she married a "yellow boy
High yellow
High yellow, occasionally simply yellow , is a term for very light-skinned persons of Black descent. It is a reference to the golden yellow skin tone of some mixed-race people...
" (mulatto) named Jim Harris, son of a slave belonging to another white family. Their daughter, Lovey, eventually married another "yellow boy" and had a large family of good-looking children, who "married into another half-breed family." It is also said that other Euchees besides Jim Crow left many descendants (presumably mixed-race) in the area.
Census records
Federal censuses of HolmesHolmes County, Florida
Holmes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 18,564. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 19,264 . Its county seat is Bonifay, Florida.-History:...
and the adjacent counties of Walton
Walton County, Florida
Walton County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 40,601. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 50,324. Its county seat is DeFuniak Springs, Florida. The county is home to the highest natural point in Florida: Britton Hill, at .- History...
and Washington
Washington County, Florida
Washington County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 20,973. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 22,299. Its county seat is Chipley, Florida...
dating back to 1850 list many Dominicker families and individuals, variously identified as white, mulatto
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
, and black (even among members of the same family), the designation for a given individual often changing from one census to the next. Despite their segregated
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
status, the census records show that in the decades following the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
many Dominickers married into white families, thus making it difficult for researchers today to determine precise boundaries for inclusion in the Dominicker group.
The 1950 federal census instructed enumerators to make note of local populations of mixed white, black, and Indian ancestry in the eastern United States. In Holmes County
Holmes County, Florida
Holmes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 18,564. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 19,264 . Its county seat is Bonifay, Florida.-History:...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and nowhere else, 60 Dominickers were so counted; they were designated as white on the census. However, it can be established from earlier census records that known Dominicker families had produced several hundred descendants over the past century, though most of them were not living in the so-called Dominicker settlement of Holmes County by the time of the 1950 census.
In 1956, a United States Public Health Service
United States Public Health Service
The Public Health Service Act of 1944 structured the United States Public Health Service as the primary division of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare , which later became the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The PHS comprises all Agency Divisions of Health and...
worker, who had tabulated the 1950 census findings, made a brief visit to the area and interviewed some white residents, but was unable to make contact with any Dominickers, said to number about 40 at that time. His field notes indicate that at least one Dominicker claimed to be of Spanish and Indian descent. He also noted that "the term Dominicker is not acceptable to the group and is not used in their presence."
Dispersal and Assimilation
At some point in the 1960s, the segregatedRacial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
school in Ponce de Leon was closed, and students were integrated into the other local public schools. Some descendants of the Dominicker group still live in the area, but since World War II, many have scattered to other parts of the country. Although some racial stigma may still be felt, those remaining in Holmes County
Holmes County, Florida
Holmes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 18,564. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 19,264 . Its county seat is Bonifay, Florida.-History:...
and nearby localities have quietly assimilated into the white community, and there is no organized affiliation of Dominicker descendants.
Since there are no longer any Florida laws requiring segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
or defining who is or is not "white," it is an academic question at this point as to who could be considered a Dominicker, especially after several generations of intermarriage between whites and Dominickers in the area, which has tended to cancel any differences in appearance.
Similar groups in the region
The Dominickers are sometimes given a brief mention in sources discussing MelungeonMelungeon
Melungeon is a term traditionally applied to one of a number of "tri-racial isolate" groups of the Southeastern United States, mainly in the Cumberland Gap area of central Appalachia, which includes portions of East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and East Kentucky. Tri-racial describes populations...
people, a controversial term which is subject to wide debate; however, there is no known link between the Dominickers and any other mixed-race group, such as the also little-known Cajans of Mobile
Mobile County, Alabama
Mobile County[p] is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of a tribe of Indians, the Maubila tribe . As of 2011, its population was 415,704. Its county seat is Mobile, Alabama...
and Washington
Washington County, Alabama
Washington County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. The county was named in honor of George Washington, first President of the United States of America. As of 2010, the population was 17,581. Its county seat is Chatom. Washington County is a dry county.-History:The area was long inhabited...
counties in Alabama (this was a misnomer as these supposed "Cajans" are actually a culturally defined group of Indians who have maintained the Choctaw language, live on a state designated Indian reservation and had attended All-Indian boarding schools (such as Bacone and Haskell) established by the Christian denominations and the Bureau of Indian Affairs for many generations. The official tribal website is www.mowa-choctaw.com (not to be confused with the famous Cajuns of Lousisiana) and the Dead Lake People of Gulf
Gulf County, Florida
Gulf County is a county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 13,332. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 13,975 . Its county seat is Port St. Joe.- History :...
and Calhoun
Calhoun County, Florida
Calhoun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 13,017. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county was 13,410 . Its county seat is Blountstown, Florida.- History :...
counties in Florida.
Interestingly, some sources claim that about 1857, over 100 mixed-race families migrated by wagon train from Holmes County to Rapides
Rapides Parish, Louisiana
-Military Installations:*Camp Beauregard *Esler Airfield *England Air Force Base *Camp Claiborne *Camp Livingston -Demographics:...
and Vernon
Vernon Parish, Louisiana
Vernon Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Leesville and as of 2000, the population was 52,531....
parishes in Louisiana, where they became part of the people known as Redbones
Redbone (ethnicity)
Redbone is a term historically used in much of the southern United States, particularly in Louisiana, to refer to a Métis or Mestee ethnic group of mixed racial heritage.-Definition:...
. The Redbones
Redbone (ethnicity)
Redbone is a term historically used in much of the southern United States, particularly in Louisiana, to refer to a Métis or Mestee ethnic group of mixed racial heritage.-Definition:...
are well known in southwestern Louisiana, though their origins are still debated. A few links by marriage between members of that group and relatives of the Holmes County Dominickers are known, but there is no evidence at this time to suggest a common origin for the two groups.
Many families in the Holmes County
Holmes County, Florida
Holmes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 18,564. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 19,264 . Its county seat is Bonifay, Florida.-History:...
area claim Native American descent, especially from the Creek
Creek people
The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...
Indians, a nation with whom the Euchees
Yuchi
For the Chinese surname 尉迟, see Yuchi.The Yuchi, also spelled Euchee and Uchee, are a Native American Indian tribe who traditionally lived in the eastern Tennessee River valley in Tennessee in the 16th century. During the 17th century, they moved south to Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina...
were once affiliated. The local Choctawhatchee Creeks are organized and said to be seeking state recognition.
External links
- Piney Woods History, a website that presents transcripts of original documents mentioning the Dominickers, as well as a number of local family trees, photographs, and other pertinent materials