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Genealogy

Native American Genealogy Research

Prepare Generation Chart | Determine Tribe | Study Tribal Records | Five Civilized Tribes

PREPARE GENERATION CHART

Searching for your Native American ancestor is like other genealogical research — work from the known backward, one step or generation at a time.

Prepare — Learn fundamentals of genealogical research by reading how-to books, taking on-line tutorials, attending lectures and enrolling in classes. You will discover what records are available, where they can be found, and how to use them in your research. Consider joining a genealogical society such as the Ozarks Genealogical Society.

Gather — Interview relatives, asking them for:

Study family records looking for clues to these same questions. Be sure to look at all types of records:  Birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, family Bibles, wills, tax records, military records, photograph albums.

Organize — Beginning with you, complete a generation chart , documenting each parent-child relationship—preferably with a certified birth certificate. This documentation will be necessary if you wish to obtain tribal registration. Prepare a family group sheet for each couple.

These steps are essential for you to place your Native American ancestor in a certain place at a certain time.

DETERMINE TRIBE

Use the United States Federal Census (beginning with the 1930 census) noting race indicated. All census years are available through Ancestry Library Edition (at Springfield-Greene County Library facilities) and Heritage Quest Online* (at libraries and also by remote access to holders of Springfield-Greene County Library card). Heritage Quest offers option of searching by race for some years.

If the tribe of your ancestor can be determined from family records or the census, study the history and culture of the tribe. Information about the migration history and naming customs/patterns is particularly important.

If the tribe is not known, study atlases and histories to determine which tribes inhabited the place in which your ancestor lived. Were these tribes in the area at the same time as your ancestor?

STUDY TRIBAL RECORDS

Start with most recent records!

Various rolls, enrollments and census were taken to determine who was entitled to receive payments authorized by treaties between individual tribes and the United States. These rolls or census will vary for each tribe in terms of when they were taken as well as the type of information gathered.

Each tribe determines the criteria for membership in that specific tribe. Many people chose to live in ways and places that made them ineligible for membership. Therefore, it may be difficult to locate your ancestors in these official records. However, these individuals may be found in other types of records including military, church, school, intruder, newspapers, cemetery and court records. They may also be mentioned in histories of communities published in books or periodicals.

Listed below are selected reference tools for finding and using tribal and other records to locate Native American ancestors. Check library catalogs and online bibliographies for the many other books, microfilm, periodicals and websites available for research.

Bureau of Indian Affairs
1849 C Street NW
Washington DC 20240
(202) 208-3100
BIA Tribal Leaders Directory (pdf)

Mid-Continent Public Library
Genealogy and Local History Department
317 West 24 Highway
Independence MO 64050

National Archives and Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20408

Many records including the Final (Dawes) Rolls and Index to the Guion Miller Applications can be viewed here.

National Archives Southwest Region
502 West Felix Street, Building 1
PO Box 6216
Ft. Worth TX 76115-0216

Oklahoma Historical Society
2100 N Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City OK 73105

FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES

The "Five Civilized Tribes" are the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole tribes who were removed from their homelands in the southeastern United States in the 1830’s and 1840’s to what is now eastern Oklahoma. These five tribes or nations formed Indian Territory which joined with Oklahoma Territory to form the state of Oklahoma in 1907.

In 1893, the Dawes Commission was established to negotiate with the Five Civilized Tribes to abolish tribal governments and to provide for the allotment of land to tribal members. More than 250,000 individuals submitted an application to the Dawes Commission. However, the names of only 101,000 were placed on the The Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory (also known as the Dawes Rolls) as being eligible for tribal citizenship and given a "roll number." Citizenship required proof of tribal affiliation and residence. Tribal membership in these tribes requires proof of descent from a person on the Dawes Roll.

Copies of the Final Rolls can be viewed in book form, on microfilm or online. See the Checklist for Cherokee Research for further information.

Cherokee Nation
P. O. Box 948
Tahlequah, OK 74465
918-453-5000; (OK Toll Free) 1-800-256-0671

Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma
PO BOX 1548
Ada, OK 74820
(580) 463-2603

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
PO Drawer 1210 (16th & Locust)
Durant, OK 74702-1210
(580) 924-8280; (800) 552-6170 

Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma
PO Box 580 (Town Square)
Okmulgee, OK 74447
(918) 732-7604

Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
PO BOX 1498
Wewoka, OK 74884
(405) 257-6287


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