DrupalWomenQ-#7427

I’m having a difficult time trying to find out about my Cherokee indian roots as I do know my American indian great grandmother was “adopted” into my family informally, her name changed to Olive, and became christian. Does anyone know of anyone or any group that can help my research.

0 Answers

  1. Ultimate-Genealogy wrote on :

    my website http://www.jillsgenealogy.com has many Cherokee links to resources, Cherokee and Dawes census and groups. Use the search feature on the website to speed up your search.

    Reply
  2. acornmom wrote on :

    I too would agree with the following person who have responed … I did some research on Native genealogy using the census, Cindi’s List, ancestry, Military, and Family tree resources I like the links offered by the many Gurus listed below and agree with their suggestions Good Luck

    Reply
  3. Jerry wrote on :

    Your query is a bit vague. If you are looking for info on Cherokee heritage, there are many sites on Internet that give history and description of Native American tribes. But, if you are looking for details on Olive’s ancestors, perhaps you should try to connect with other researchers in that realm through active message boards, free to users on Rootsweb.com or Geneaolgy.com. There are free genealogy sites like familysearch.org or the new search engine geared specifically for genealogy searching called Mocavo.com. With all the suggestions given, start with the info you know for sure and work backwards, starting with yourself. If your grandparents are still alive, check with them for names of aunts, uncles or cousins who might be from Olive’s family for clues to her heritage and ancestry.

    Reply
  4. MaryLGray wrote on :

    You have been given lots of great information and suggestions in this thread. First document, in detail, all the information you already have regarding the “Families, Associates and Neighbors” of your Great Grandmother. Next, as others have suggested, check out what is available online and with the associations and archives in your region and educate yourself on this fascinating research area. Here is another link to discover: http://www.progenealogists.com/nativeamerican.htm. Once you can identify the specific gaps in your search, you can more clearly identify where you need professional researchers to do some specific research and help you close your gaps. If you are not able to find the information you seek in the Dawes rolls or records, do not worry. Just lay out your plan and examine all your options, including DNA studies.

    Reply
  5. FromAAA wrote on :

    I have not researched Cherokee lines but did a quick search on Cyndi’s List and found some interesting links.

    Reply
  6. diamond1868 wrote on :

    I am sorry, I do not research in American Indian records. My speciality is in European, and Italian records as well as USA immigration. Here is the link to the Native American researchers I use. http://www.americanancestors.info/

    Reply
  7. Galapoochi wrote on :

    Although you are looking for Cherokee roots, it appears from your query that you do not know much about your great grandmother before she became known as Olive. If you have an approximate time for the “adoption,” you should be able to find her in the U.S. Census records at Ancestry, Genealogy.com, etc., together with the rest of the family. You want to look for the first time her name appears as “Olive” on the census records – that way you will know that she was adopted sometime during the ten year period from the previous census. Census records will also give you the exact address for the family which will help you to determine whether or not there was a Cherokee tribe living in that area at that time. Since Olive became a Christian, there may be some sort of church record concerning her baptism. You need to know where the family was living in order to try to find such church records – if you know the denomination, it will be a little easier, but if not, you can usually find out about churches through a Google search. There is a very faint chance that such a baptismal record may contain additional information that will help you to identify where she was born, which, in turn, may lead you to the correct tribe. If you are really lucky, such a record may contain her original name as well.
    I would advise you to ask everyone from the older generations in your family whether or not they know anything about your great grandmother’s life – any names, nicknames, dates, places that may have come up in conversations, etc. Perhaps someone knows a little more about how Olive came to be part of the family – did she work for the family, go to school with their children, live nearby?
    Once you know a little more about Olive, you can then attempt to research her Native American roots. Keep in mind that if she did not live with a tribe, it is unlikely that they would have any records concerning her. And, although many people claim to have Cherokee roots, it is equally possible that Olive was a member of another tribe altogether. There are many research sites for Cherokees and other Native Americans, many of which have already been listed for you by other FOF gurus. These sites are filled with helpful people with much more expertise in Native American genealogy than I have, and they should be able to guide you to other helpful sites and researchers. Best of luck to you!

    Reply
  8. clcrss wrote on :

    Proof of one’s Native American ancestry can mean financial, land, or educational entitlement. If a person shows a connection to a specific tribe and qualifies for membership, they could be eligible for a share of tribal income from logging or gaming revenues. Another benefit of tribal membership could be land allotments or educational grants.

    However, many people have some degree Native American blood and tribal membership, in some cases, depends upon the percent of Indian blood one has.

    Even if you cannot [legally] prove your Indian heritage, you can still learn about it, claim it, and document it as much as possible; which in your case would mean finding out as much about your great-grandmother as possible. Where and when was she born? Do you know if she had brothers or sisters? Did she maintain a relationship with her birth family, and if so, who? Knowing where and when your great-grandmother was born is essential to discovering her true tribal ancestry!

    Before claiming tribal membership or Native American benefits, a person must trace their family history and know the name of the tribe their Indian ancestor was affiliated with. Once you know the name of the tribe, you must contact that tribal group for its membership rules. Each tribe is different. To determine which tribe you may have a connection to, use a combination of personal and public records: Birth, marriage, and death certificates prove ancestry as do tribal registrations. Some early tribal census records are on file at one or more national archives locations.

    After determining a tribal affiliation, a CDIB must be obtained. The CDIB or ‘Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood’ is the official document used by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) as well as individual tribes to determine membership. The CDIB also serves as the legal proof of eligibility for federal social services. The BIA does not help anyone prove their Native American heritage. It is merely the federal agency which oversees policies relating to Native Americans.

    Unless you can prove at least one parent is legally entitled to membership in a federally recognized Indian tribe, it is not likely you will be eligible for any special Native American programs. Thousands of people have some amount of Indian blood and the criterion for membership varies with each tribe.

    There is a good chance of finding answers to your Native American heritage but you first have to gather as many facts as possible about your great-grandmother. If you can be more specific about her birth date or birth place, I can give you specific resources on where to find more detailed information but, in the meantime, check out the following websites:

    • http://www.cherokeeroots.com/
    • http://cherokeeregistry.com/
    • http://www.allthingscherokee.com/articles_gene_090101.html
    •http://genealogy.about.com/od/cherokee_genealogy/Cherokee_Genealogy.htm

    Reply
  9. scottishgenealogist wrote on :

    Hello – I’m sorry but I can’t help you as I am based in Scotland and specialise in Scottish family history. I hope that you find someone who can help. Good luck!

    Reply
  10. trishc wrote on :

    First thing you need to do is get as much info as you can on your GGrandmother, i.e. marriage, death, and if possible a birth record. Full Names, Dates and Places are important in this case. Since she was not legally adopted, there should be several documents that may still have her biological parents names. Once you have her original name and hopefully her parents names you can then compare them to Cherokee indian name lists in the Dawes Rolls, and other tribe lists. Information about Cherokee ancestry is provided by the U.S. Dept. of Interior, see
    http://cherokeeregistry.firstlightonline.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=29

    Good luck and have fun researching!

    Reply
  11. MaryDouglass wrote on :

    I am not a specialist in Native American genealogy. However, I “googled” the words Cherokee genealogy research and found several useful links. If this were my problem, I’d start with the Cherokee Nation itself. The following link is for their genealogical research page. http://www.cherokee.org/Services/TribalCitizenship/31659/Information.aspx.
    If your ancestor was recorded on the Dawes or Guion-Miller rolls, you may find something about her or her family.

    Reply
Are you an FOF Guru? Please to log in and post your response