Michael Horse
LOS ANGELES – MAY 19: Horse at the “Twin Peaks” Premiere Screening at The Theater at Ace Hotel on May 19, 2017 in Los Angeles, CA, kathclick/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Michael James Nicholson
Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States
Date of Birth: December 21, 1949
Ethnicity:
*maternal grandfather – English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, as well as German and Dutch, remote Scottish and Belgian [Flemish, Walloon]
*maternal grandmother – Mexican, including possibly Yaqui, Apache, and Zuni Native American
Michael Horse is an American actor and jeweler. His roles include the series Twin Peaks, The X-Files, Walker, Texas Ranger; North of 60, and Roswell, and the film The Legend of the Lone Ranger. He often portrays Native American characters.
His mother, Nancy Belle Posten, was born in Arizona, most likely to a white American father and a Mexican mother. A photo of Michael’s mother can be seen here.
Michael has been described as being of “Yaqui, Mescalero Apache, Zuni, European and Hispanic descent.” He is not officially enrolled or recognized by a Native American tribe. He has stated in interviews that he was born in Arizona, though this does not appear to be accurate.
Michael is listed on the 1950 U.S. Census under his birth name Michael J. Nicholson, and his race is listed as “White.” Michael’s mother’s husband, Samuel James Nicholson, is listed as Michael’s father. Nicholson is typically an English or Scottish surname. In 1953, Nancy married George Heinrich, whom Michael calls his adoptive father; his name was changed to Michael James Heinrich. George Heinrich was born in Michigan, to parents from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Samuel Nicholson was the son of James Nicholson and Anna Ellis.
Michael’s maternal grandfather was Wilbur James Posten, Jr. (the son of Wilbur James Posten and Flora Bell Bonafield). Michael’s grandfather Wilbur was born in West Virginia, to a father from Virginia and a mother from West Virginia. He was of mostly English and Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, as well as German, Dutch, and remote Scottish and Belgian [Flemish and Walloon], ancestry. Michael’s great-grandfather Wilbur was the son of Nicholas Posten and Rosanna Graham. Flora was the daughter of Thronton James Bonafield and Sarah Jane Ervin.
According to family histories, Michael’s biological maternal grandmother was Juanita Garcia. Juanita emigrated to the U.S. from Agua Prieto, Cárdenas, Tabasco, Mexico. Michael’s grandfather Wilbur’s wife, Violet Christine Howell, from Idaho, was his mother’s adoptive mother. It is possible that Michael has Yaqui, Apache, and Zuni descent through his Mexican grandmother.
Sources: Information about Michael Horse – https://gatheringtribes.com
https://www.southwestart.com
Birth record of Michael Horse – https://www.familysearch.org
Michael Horse on the 1950 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogies of Michael’s mother – https://www.findagrave.com
https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Michael’s mother and George Heinrich – https://www.familysearch.org
In some sources, Horse says he also has Swedish ancestry. This is could be a reference to Violet Howell who had some Swedish ancestry. I considered the possibility of her being Horse’s biological grandmother. But I think it would be odd for his family to put on the internet that his grandfather had …an”affair” with a 15-year-old if it weren’t true.