Whether you want to become an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe,
verify a family tradition that you descended from the Cherokee, or just want
to learn more about your roots, researching your Cherokee family tree beings
just like any other genealogy research - with yourself. The menu at left contains
additional resources that will aid you in your quest.
How to search for your Cherokee ancestors
Unless you have a large collection of facts on your Cherokee ancestor, including
names, dates, and tribe, it is usually NOT helpful to begin your search in Cherokee
records or rolls. First, learn everything that you can about your parents, grandparents,
and more distant ancestors, including ancestral names; dates of birth, marriages,
and death; and the places where your ancestors were born, married, and died.
During the initial phase of your research, the goal, especially for tribal
membership purposes, is to establish and document the relationships of Cherokee
ancestors. Study the localities in which your Indian ancestors were born and
lived. Gather together everything you have -- papers, photos, documents and
family heirlooms. Rummage through your attic or basement, the filing cabinet,
the back of the closet.... Then check with your relatives to see if they have
any family documents they are willing to share. Clues to your family history
might be found on the backs of old photographs, in the family bible, or even
on a postcard. If your relative is uneasy with lending an original, offer to
have copies made.
While you're collecting family records, set aside some time to interview your
relatives. Start with Mom and Dad and then move on from there. Try to collect
stories, not just names and dates, and be sure to ask open-ended questions.Write
down everything you have learned from your family and begin to enter the information
in a pedigree or family tree chart. There are automated programs online that
make this step easy. Some have free trial memberships that are long enough to
accomplish all you will need to do. These charts provide an at-a-glance overview
of your family, making it easy to track your research progress. The online versions
will also offer additional information and suggestions to aid you in your search.
Select a single surname, individual, or family with which to begin. Focusing
your family history search helps keep your research on track, and reduces the
chance of missing important details due to sensory overload. As much as you
might want to, you can't do it all at once.
Check online archived newspapers and for:
Obituaries and death listings - While the amount of information
on deaths found in newspapers is inconsistent, newspaper obituaries may include
such details as place and date of birth; names of siblings, parents, and other
surviving relatives; occupation; military service; and even the church where
the funeral was held. Keep in mind that obituaries can appear weeks after the
actual date of death.
Birth announcements and christenings - Not commmonly reported
in nineteenth-century newspapers, birth announcements placed in local newspapers
gradually became popular in the early 1900s.
Wedding vows and anniversary announcements - News of nuptial
agreements usually appeared in columns of local news or, sometimes, in a separate
listing of marriage announcements. Reports range from brief mentions of marriage
licenses applications to full accounts of the wedding ceremony. Major wedding
anniversaries - twenty-five, fifty, or more years of marriage - often warranted
a newspaper mention.
Society news and local gossip - Most newspapers had a column
for residents to submit local news that might be of interest to others. This
would often include such tidbits on area residents as birthday announcements,
illnesses, job promotions, wedding announcements, visitors to the community,
and other news of a more personal nature.
Public announcements and advertisements - Livestock, farm
equipment, and even personal property were often sold at public sales which
might be found listed in small classified advertisements. Advertisements and
announcements concerning insolvent debtors, forced land sales, professional
services, runaway slaves, and missing relatives are also particularly relevant
for the genealogist.
Legal notices - Some judicial actions, such as proving of
wills, land sales for payment of taxes, divorce proceedings, proving of heirs,
and the settlement of estates, cannot be concluded without public notice. Local
newspapers are often a good source for such legal announcements.
Transfers of real estate - Local columns often kept area residents
informed on who was going and coming in the neighborhood. More recent newspapers
usually list real estate transactions in the classified or legal notices section.
Unclaimed mail lists - Periodically published by smaller newspapers,
these are lists of letters, often sent by anxious relatives, which went unclaimed
at the post office. Useful for potentially identifying ancestors who pulled
up stakes and moved to a new location.
Church announcements - Many churches submitted lists of new
members, baptisms, confirmations, and other church news to local newspapers
for publication.
Military news - Items about hometown boys and girls heading
off to war, along with news when they wrote home, commonly found their way into
print.
School news and activities - School news, often found in the
local news column, might include lists of students who made the honor roll,
awards won by area students, school board minutes, school events, and detailed
coverage of annual graduation ceremonies.
Use our site and others to do some reading on tribal history. This will not
only help you understand the traditions and culture of the Cherokee, but also
evaluate your family stories and legends against historical facts.
Do not trust Wikipedia articles - This
information has proven time and again to be inaccurate.
Finally, search the Dawes, Baker, and other rolls for ancestors listed on the
family tree you have created.
Resources:
Newspaper Archives Online
Library of
Congress digitized newspapers
Genealogy Bank
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