How to Research Native American Ancestry
A number of people are intrigued about their Native American ancestors with a lot of them wishing to find their lineage and see if they indeed have this heritage. It is a bit tricky to find out Native American ancestry, even more so than researching European ancestry, due to the unavailability of proper documentation. However, there are still several ways to research Native American ancestry. It requires persistence and hardwork though.
Instructions
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1
Find out your tribe
Trim your ancestry to a geographical location, and sort out the tribes which could link to your ancestors. Know that there are at least 600 federally recognized tribes, the information about whom can be accessed from federal records.
A very reliable resource for Native American records is the National Archives Record Administration (NARA) which consists Indian agent reports of the Bureau of Indian Affair (BIA).
Begin with going to the Regional Archives of NARA. You can seek more information from the BIA field offices. NARA has a military records section for Native Americans who are in the army; this can help you trace some lineage. -
2
Dawes rolls
Check for your ancestors in tribal census rolls needed by Congress after 1884. Dawes rolls, which includes the members of the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Seminole and Creek from 1898 to 1914, are quite famous in this regard.
Tribal membership can be found if you can show you hail from a member named on the Dawes rolls. This can be done by visiting ancestory.com or through NARA.
In addition to this, check records at libraries as well. The world’s biggest genealogical library is the 'Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (Mormon)' in Salt Lake City. County libraries are also very useful in getting information. -
3
Do some more research
Research state records. This is because states with a huge population of native Americans such as Oklahoma City have a lot of information in historical societies and state libraries. See whether your ancestors might have attended any of the Indian Boarding Schools which started in the 19th century or even the government operated reservation schools after that. You can check school records through tribal offices or NARA. They are quite helpful as they have photographs attached with records.
