Native American Genealogy

If you are researching your Native American genealogy, congratulations! You are about to undertake a fascinating journey through history. When it comes to determining your American genealogy, however, you may end up hitting a few snags along the way. Here are some tips to help you learn more about your ancestry.

First, it’s important that you begin with what you know. Look through family bibles, photo albums, newspaper clippings, and cemeteries. Record surnames, births, deaths, and marriages. Be as thorough as possible.

Once you’ve gathered this information, you can continue to research further back into history. At this point, your leads will lead you to Native American Censuses.  Unfortunately, this is where many beginning genealogists become confused, as they encounter conflicting information or records that they don’t understand.

Sadly, investigating custody disputes, illegal adoptions, forced name changes, forced evictions, and other atrocities are all a part of researching Native American genealogy.

There are also other factors that may complicate things. For example, taking more than one wife was a common practice among many Native Americans, and so determining the exact mother of an ancestor may be difficult.

The familial structures of many tribes were also quite different from many modern Americans—what we may see as a mother or father may be referred to as a different family member entirely.

However, you needn’t lose hope. While it may seem so at times, researching your American genealogy isn’t impossible. There are ways to get help. There are many forms of research to choose from. Additionally, while there is no one who can the entirety of your research for you, there are organizations that can help untangle some of these problems.

Once you’ve recorded the history of your immediate family, it’s time to look up additional information through Native American census rolls, federal census records, and ledger books. Keep in mind that not all of the information found in these records may be accurate, but they may give you a lead you never would have found otherwise.

You can also continue your US genealogy research by looking up tribal federal directories, maps, marriage registers, obituaries, and more.

If you manage to find enough information, you may be eligible to contact your relative’s tribe for additional assistance. However, it is crucial that you have his or her full name, cited records, and an accurate record of how he or she is related to you well beforehand.

Most of all, don’t lose hope. While Native American genealogy can be a tricky endeavor, the end results are well worth it. You may find yourself contacting relatives you never knew you had.