Need help proving Native American Ancestry?

Question

I know that my grandmother on my father's side was half Cherokee. The problem I have is that my family never kept family records and wouldn't talk about family history so, what can I do to prove that I am one eighth Cherokee? I would really like to able to find more family members but, without anything to go on, how do I find and prove what I need?

Answer 1

If you are just looking for confirmation that you have Cherokee ancestors, that may be easy, or then it could be hard. You have to do the genealogy part of the equation. Starting with yourself and working back as far as you can. Ask family members about grandma and grandpa, if you can find out the names of your great grandparents that would be great. With that information you can then go to places like ancestry.com or familysearch.org
Ancestry does give 2 week free trials from time to time, but normally a subscription costs $. Familysearch.org is free and they have access to lots of Native American records. Or you can go to an LDS Family History Center, you can find out if there is one close to you at familysearch.org they have some great people there that will help you get started and point you in the right direction, you still have to do the research though, and they won't even try to convert you to their religion...LOL

There are online groups too that specialize in helping people find their Native American ancestry. My wife has been doing genealogy for over 25 years and has just such a group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Native_American_Genealogy

As far as the DNA testing goes, while it will tell you that you most likely have Native American ancestry it CAN NOT narrow that down to a specific tribe!! I did a lot of research on DNA testing and have the information at my website.
http://www.coolrogue.net/genealogy/dnatestingpt1.html

The main thing about looking for Native American ancestry is that you may never be able to prove anything. A lot of our ancestors "hid" in plain sight. If they could pass for white they often did so, or "black dutch" or mexican, or anything except "indian".

Don't get discouraged many of us searched for years for that one piece of evidence that would tie us into the culture that we knew we were part of.

If your looking to gain membership in one of the Federally Recognized Cherokee Nations that opens a whole new can of worms. To do that you have to prove a direct lineage with someone on one of the rolls. For the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma it would be the Dawes Roll, for the Eastern Band of Cherokee it is the Baker Roll. Of course there are other requirements also and you can learn about those at the official websites for the 2 nations.
http://www.cherokee.org and
http://www.cherokee-nc.com

Good luck...

Answer 2

Proving Native American Ancestry

Answer 3

Strictly speaking, you cannot be Cherokee without proving kinship with someone who was on the Dawes Rolls

Genealogically speaking, you will have to assemble an unbroken lineage to known or proven(by census records, etc.) Native Americans.

So, you will have to gather all of the family history you possibly can from living members and trace their lineage back into historical records as far as you can and hope you find a relative identified as "Indian", "Mulatto" or Black". All 3 were used to identify Native Americans, depending on time and place.

Your first objective should be to get back before 1930, where you can take up searching census records for your ancestors.

Answer 4

Get a copy of your grandmother's birth certificate and death certificate. How you do that varies from state to state but instructions are online. That document will have her parents names and where they were born - with that information you can also get their birth and death certificates. This works pretty good as long as you're looking for people alive in the 20th century. Once you're before the 20th century - look to census records.

Now, remember, there are lots of people in your family tree and some might be interesting to learn about. When you get to great-grandparents there are 8 people (and their children) but one more generation back and there are 16 people (and their children)... it can get really addicting.

Answer 5

http://www.cyndislist.com/native.htm
You can start here with many resources for Native ancestry, as well as some down to earth articles on sorting family tradition from provable documentation.
Every single one of us is here in genealogy for the purpose of accurately tracing whatever our ancestry may be. It is absolutely uncalled for, for anyone else to criticize or question your reasons for doing so. I apologize, on behalf of the persons who are regulars here.

Answer 6

Here's what the Cherokee Nation told me. I have to have documents proving our relationship. NO DNA test will be accepted. Ancestor must be on the Dawes Roll. If you can't document and they aren't on the Dawes you will not be accepted. This came from the Chief.

Good Luck

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Who cares your only 1/8 and YOU know it! That's what's important. I am 1/4 Cherokee Indian and 1/5 Hispanic/Latino and the rest White! But Guess what! On my birth certificate I'm still put down as White! We never knew this though cause we never researched it. I don't care though cause I know I'm mixed and I'm proud. If someone wants to call me White so be it. Are you ashamed of being white?

Also just so you know if your only 1/8 something why even worry about claiming it?! Unless you look it. Do you have black hair or dark dark dark brown? Do you have dark dark brown eyes? Are you very dark skin?

Answer 9

Sabria Wolfe, while it is not acceptable as far as being enrolled, you can get a DNA done; that will be proof positive of any Native Aamerican Ancestry! Mine shows I am part Innuit, part Eskimo, and part ?!?
I used www.familytreedna.com, but there are some better suited for Native Americans.
Also, try:

http://www.tribalpages.com/
Start with yourself, then attach living family members.

Google family members names i.e. "Mary Smith" + "family tree"

Free sites:

http://www.searchforancestors.com/...

http://www.censusrecords.net/?o_xid=2739...

http://www.usgenweb.com/

http://www.census.gov/

http://www.rootsweb.com/

http://www.ukgenweb.com/

http://www.archives.gov/

http://www.familysearch.org/

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/...

http://www.cyndislist.com/

Answer 10

If you have a name, check the Dawes rolls.