X-Vmsmail-To: SMTP%"ROOTS-L@VM1.NODAK.EDU"
Newsgroups: soc.roots
Date:         Tue, 29 Sep 1992 09:37:39 -0500
Reply-To:     "(MELODIE SANDERS)" <MES@VAX2.UTULSA.EDU>
From:         "(MELODIE SANDERS)" <MES@VAX2.UTULSA.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Native American ancestor search
Comments: To: ROOTS-L@VM1.NODAK.EDU

>Subj:	Native American ancestor search
>From:  "(Cyndi Cuppernell)" <ccuppern@S.PSYCH.UIUC.EDU>
>
>For as long as I can remember, my grandmother has told me that one
>of my ancestors was a Native American.
> ...
>As a result, I am
>inclined to believe that this woman was not a Native American.  I
>don't think so many of her family would be listed in municipal and
>church records, which were the source of these names and dates.

There were and are many "Native Americans" who made little attempt to
maintain their culture in face of the prejudices and discrimination of
the Anglo population.  Until after the "wild Indian problem" was forcibly
solved by the U.S. Government in the late 1800's and after the Osage
tribe became rich from petroleum found on their lands, being "Indian" was
not something one advertised if possible. Many of the people who lived
in and accepted the Anglo culture can be found ONLY in Anglo records.
(Keep in mind that these statements *are* generalities and as such,
aren't always true for each individual you may be searching for. Also
there are many Anglos in Indian records as well.)

Not everyone claiming Indian ancestry will be Indian by blood. Most
Indian groups adopted children (and adults) from outside the tribe.
Frequently these adopted citizens were "war" captives, kidnapped,
or slaves. (Yes, some Indian groups had slaves and the slave could
be red, black, or white.) If the "captive" was assimulated into the
tribe, he/she could have full rights, ranks, and privileges of
citizenship.  Also intermarriage frequently was accompanied by
citizenship. In the Choctaw, if an Anglo married a Choctaw, then
married a second time to a Anglo, he/she would retain their Choctaw
citizenship by marriage.

When searching for people who could have Indian ancestry, something to
keep in mind is, each Indian group has it's own unique problems in
the record keeping. The Cherokee were one of the few groups in which
there are a number of records available. But then the Cherokee and
a few other groups were more likely to have been assimulated in the
Anglo culture.  Most of the records available on various tribes were
compiled by a "hostile" U.S. Government.  How much weight you can
give these records is frequently questionable. After all government
records were more likely to be used *against* the group than *for*
the group.

Another frequent problem is the person could have a Anglo name and
still be known under their "Indian" name.  In checking the records,
the names vary from record to record due to changes in the person's
Anglo and Indian names, changes in nicknames or use names, phonetic
spellings, poor spellings, incorrect spellings, etc. Also, Anglos
sometimes used what they "thought" or "called" the person instead
of their "real" name.  (Sounds like an impossible task? Sometimes
it is, but also once in a while, the later rolls of the tribe, can
cite entries for the same person in earlier rolls.  This helps
tremendously!)

>Does anyone have any experience with searching out geneology
>records for Native Americans?  Are there many records?  It has
>always been a source of pride in our family that we at least have
>a trace of Native American ancestry, and my family is anxious to
>trace this down if possible.  It may be that it was actually a
>different great grandmother was the Native American, but if that's
>the case, I am not sure where I would find records.--

Anyone wanting to do research on any North American Indian group
should either invest in a copy, or have available the following
guide to genealogical records (and other records) on Indians:

Kirkham, E. Kay.
    Our native Americans and their records of genealogical value / by E. Kay
  Kirkham. Logan, Utah (P.O. Box 368, Logan 84321) : Everton Publishers,
  c1980-c1984.  (LC 81-128028)
    2 v. ; 29 cm.
    Cover title: Our native Americans, their records of genealogical value.
    Contents: v. 1. Federal Government records, Oklahoma Historical Society
  records, Genealogical Society of Utah listings -- v. 2. [without special
  title]

Using this book with the National Archives catalog on American Indians,
will give you citations for most of the major sources of Indian records.

Hill, Edward E.
    Guide to records in the National Archives of the United States relating to
  American Indians. / compiled by Edward E. Hill. Washington, D.C., National
  Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, For sale by
  the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., [1982].
    xiii, 467 p. ill., [16] leaves of plates. 23 cm.
    Includes index.
    1. United States. National Archives -- Catalogs. 2. Indians of North
  America -- Government relations -- Sources -- Bibliography -- Catalogs. 3.
  Indians of North America -- History -- Sources -- Bibliography -- Catalogs.
 Call#: GS 4.6/2:Am 3 (Documents)

Happy hunting!

Melodie Sanders		Internet: MES@VAX2.UTULSA.EDU
Serials Cataloger/Reference Librarian
University of Tulsa (Oklahoma)
Newsgroups: soc.roots