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Where are My Ancestors
#2 There is a twelve volume series on the final resting places of Indians from the Five Civilized Tribes, entitled "Our People and Where They Rest", This work contains not only the locations of the graves but also maps of the graveyards. The authors are James Tyner, Maxine Tyner, and, Alice Tyner Timmons. "Exploring Your Cherokee Ancestry : A basic Genealogical Research Guide,: published the Cherokee National Historical Society, is available in the Georgia Room of the main Marietta Library. "How to Research American Indian Bloodlines," a manual of Native American genealogical research by Cecila Svinth Carpenter (Native American Historian), has proven to be very helpful to many in researching for their Indian roots. Court records can be used as proof of Indian Blood according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Some of these records have been compiled into separate volume sets solely for the purpose of researching Native American genealogy. The United States Court Claims records on applications of the Eastern Cherokee (1906-1910) are complied in an eight volume set titled "Cherokee Blood". This set contains 23,800 claims for land compensation. These records contain a wealth of information, and were used by the federal government to establish land claims and compensation of the Eastern Band of Cherokee's loss of their homeland. Histree 1992 is a good place to look for Cherokee ancestors. It contains the Old settlers Roll of 1895 and the Index to payment Roll, 1886. This manuscript, compiled by Lary S. Watson, contains very useful information, such as family card numbers and payment numbers, as well as the names of those who never picked up their compensation checks. The manuscript also contains information about aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, ages, sex, and even some addresses. In the Southern United States it might be necessary to search "colored "records in different areas. Many Indians were listed as colored between the years of 1840 and 1900. This was because some states refused to believe that there were any Indians left after the removal. This was true even in states where some Indians had Federal Land Grants establishing personal reservations. The federal census can be used as another way of tracing Indian ancestry. It is possible that ones ancestors may be classified wrong. One of My ancestors was classified twice as colored, twice as white and finally twice as Indian. He never moved but according to the census he was different every time. This kind of mistake happened frequently in the Southern states because the census takers were not always the same people every time the census was taken. Also the census was taken every ten years with the exception of one or two times. Such as the 1855
federal Alabama census.
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