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Author: jcary
Surnames:
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.cary/901.1.1/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
How do I find information on my Native American ancestors?
Problem
How can I find my Native American ancestry?
How can I determine which Native American tribe my ancestors belonged to?
What resources are available for Native American research?
Resolution
Determine, to the best of your ability, the tribe your ancestor came from by consulting
family members about their traditions and records .
Determine the location of the tribe by using 970.1/Sm69b. 1969, Indian Tribes of North
American, by John R. Swanton. (At IFFHC; Ricks # E77.594)
Use a name locator, such as the following:
If your ancestor came from one of the "five civilized tribes" (Cherokee,
Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, or Seminole), check the Dawes Commission and the Guion Miller
Indexes on microfilm.
If your ancestor was not one of the five civilized tribes, then check the BIA Indian
censuses, 1885-1940, see our Indian Register Notebooks on shelf F-1.
Whether Indian or associated with the Indians, check the federal censuses, especially 1900
and 1910. The 1900 census has a special section for just the Indian Territory in Oklahoma.
It also has a special section for Indians in any county where there was a large
concentration of Indians, such as a reservation or prison in that area. You will find this
special section at the end of the regular census listings in that county or enumeration
district.
Special Indian censuses and rolls were taken when removal or other important events were
about to take place, such as the 1835 census for the Cherokees and the 1832 census for the
Creeks.
Indian Annuity and Ration Rolls. Many Treaties were made with the Indians by the U.S.
Government whereby the U.S. agreed to pay the Indians a certain amount of money, food,
clothing, and other provisions on a monthly or annual basis in payment for their land.
This created the annuity rolls and ration rolls. Some of these rolls or censuses came much
earlier than the BIA Indian Censuses and are useful for tracing back to the early 1800s.
See our Indian Register Notebooks on Shelf F-1 for listings by tribe.
If you have been able to find what county your ancestor was in or came from, then refer to
the following:
If Indian Territory in Oklahoma, go to the Family History Library Catalog, Subject Search,
enter 'tribe' and look at all the listings of records for that county. (Note: The
County listing may have been different then than now.)
If not in Indian Territory, then go to Family Histor Library Catalog, Place Search, enter
state, click on state and scroll down to Native Races and see if anything is listed for
your county.
Many of the Indian records can now be found online for searching. Some possible resources
are:
http://userdb.rootsweb.com/nativeamerican/
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/guion.php
Some other resources to consider are:
Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940. The BIA was responsible for taking a census each year of
every tribe under their jurisdiction from 1885-1940.
NARA- -Genealogists/Family Historians--Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940
www.archives.gov
Roll Jurisdiction Dates This document is a listing of the tribes, jurisdiction and years
the census was taken.
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