Tracing American Indian and Alaska Native Ancestry

There are multiple reasons to enroll in a federally recognized tribe. Tribal membership may convey the right to vote in tribal electionsto serve in tribal leadershipto participate in the sharing of tribal assetsto use tribal treaty rights (such as huntingfishingand gathering rights) within the tribe’s jurisdictionto participate in cultural or religious mattersto receive tribal services and benefitsand to exercise other privileges or rights unique to tribal members. These tribal privileges and rights differ from tribe to tribeas do their unique membership criteria.

Tribal Enrollment

Tribal enrollment is determined and set by individual Tribesnot the Bureau of Indian Affairs; thereforeuniform membership requirements across all Tribes do not exist as criterion varies from Tribe to Tribe. If interested in determining if you are eligible for membership in a federally recognized Tribeyou must typically be able to demonstrate the following to a Tribal Government:

1. Identify which tribe (or tribes) your ancestor was a member of or affiliated with. You will work with that Tribal government to apply for Tribal Enrollment. The Tribal Leaders' Directory can assist with providing Tribal Government Contact information.
2. Establish a lineal ancestor (biological parentgrandparentgreat-grandparent and/or more distant ancestor) who is an American Indian or Alaska Native person from a federally recognized Tribe in the U.S.
3. Provide documentation of your relationship to that person using vital statistics records and other records a tribe may require or accept for purposes of enrollment.

NEW OR REPLACEMENT CDIB FORMS

In order to obtain a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB)you must provide documentation to establish a lineal relationship to an ancestor listed with a degree of Indian blood as listed on official Tribal rolls.

We receive so many requests for information on how to trace Cherokee Indian ancestrytherefore we have included this special section for it. About 200 years ago the Cherokee Indians were one tribeor "Indian Nation," that lived in the southeast part of what is now the United States. During the 1830's and 1840'sthe period covered by the Indian Removal Actmany Cherokees were forcibly moved west to what was then termed “Indian Territory” and that is now the state of Oklahoma. A number of Cherokees remained in the southeast and some gathered in North Carolinawhere they purchased land and continue to live to this day. Todayindividuals of Cherokee ancestry fall into at least one of the following categories:

1. Living persons who were listed on the final rolls (Dawes Commission Rolls) of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahomanow known as the Cherokee Nationthat were approved and their descendants. These final rolls were closed in 1907.
2. Individuals enrolled as members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina and their descendants who are eligible for enrollment with the Band.
3. Persons on the list of members identified by a resolution dated April 191949and certified by the Superintendent of the BIA’s Five Civilized Tribes Agencyand their descendants who are eligible for enrollment with the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians of Oklahoma.
4. All other persons of Cherokee Indian ancestry.

After about a half century of self-governmenta law enacted in 1906 directed that final rolls be made and that each enrollee be given an allotment of land or paid cash in lieu of an allotment. The Cherokee Nation in Oklahomaa federally recognized tribeformally organized in 1975 with the adoption of a new constitution that superseded one from 1839. The new constitution established a Cherokee Register for the inclusion of any Cherokee person for membership purposes in the Cherokee Nation. Members must be citizens as proven by reference to the Dawes Commission Rollswhich outlined the membership of the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma – the Cherokee Nationthe Chickasaw Nationthe Choctaw Nationthe Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the Seminole Nation. These are the only federally recognized tribes who use the Dawes Rolls as their base membership rolls.

• Any questions with regard to Cherokee Nation ancestry and/or enrollment should be referred to:

  Cherokee Nation
  PO Box 948
  TahlequahOK 74465
  Phone: (918) 456-0671
  Fax: (918) 458-5580
  www.cherokee.org

• For the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolinainquiries about the tribe’s enrollment criteria or information shown in the records may be addressed to the tribe at:

  Eastern Band of Cherokee IndiansQualla BoundaryP.O. Box 455
  CherokeeNC 28719
  Phone: (828) 497-7000
  Fax: (828) 497-7007
  https://ebci.com/

• By the Act of August 101946 (60 Stat. 976)Congress recognized the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma (UKB) for the purposes of organizing under the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act. Information about ancestry from this tribe and its enrollment requirements may be obtained by contacting:

  United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma
  P.O. Box 746
  TahlequahOK 74465
  Phone: (918) 431-1818
  Fax: (918) 431-1873
  http://www.keetoowahcherokee.org

• Persons without affiliation to any of these tribes but still of Cherokee ancestry are best served looking through the Dawes Commission Rolls for their ancestor's listing.

Start your genealogical research with yourself and your personal family history. Start with current and historical records that you have on hand such as lettersjournaldiariesetc.that belong to you and/or your immediate biological family. If you or a lineal ancestor is not currently a member of a federally recognized tribeband or group in the U.S.your research can begin with public or other non-Indian records such as those kept by state and local governmentschurchesschoolslibrariesnewspapersand historical societies.

There are several places that you may be able to find information regarding you AI/AN Ancestry.

1. At Home - The first place where you can begin to do your genealogical research is at home. Valuable information can be found in newspaper clippingsmilitary service recordsbirth and death recordsmarriage licensesdivorce recordsfamily biblespersonal journalsdiarieslettersscrapbooksbacks of pictures and other documents. Your relatives and family members may also be a great resource for youcheck to see if they can share information with youor answer any questions you have.
2. Local and State Level - It is often helpful to check townschoolchurchand county courthouse records for information. Historical and genealogical information also can be found in other civil records at local courthouses such as deedswillsland or other property conveyance documents. Additionallylocal newspaper may have important information regarding an ancestor. To obtain a vital statistic recordyou must contact the departmentbureau or office that handles vital statistics records for the state where the event took place. Each state has its own rules for who may request a vital statistics record and its own process for requesting one (including any fees it may charge). State vital statistics records offices may be found using the internet.
3. Public Libraries and Other Repositories - Visiting the local library is a very good starting point for gathering facts about AI/ANs and their tribes. A wealth of information exists concerning the history of tribestribal cultureshistorical tribal territoriesand tribal migration patterns. Most libraries also have books on how to do genealogical research to gain an understanding of basic research techniques.
4. Federal Level (NARA) - The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the repository for all federal records. The records it holds and the information it provides are very useful to anyone interested in genealogical research. One example is census recordswhich are a very good source of information for persons trying to locate and identify their ancestors in the United States. In the 19th centurythe BIAwhich was established in 1824carried out census counts of American Indians living on reservations. NARA has Federal census records from 1790 to 1940including BIA American Indian census records. NARA also has military service recordspassenger arrival recordsand other records of value to persons involved in genealogical research including the Dawes Roll if you are researching ancestry from any of the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma.
5. Records Concerning AI/AN - If you have identified your ancestor’s tribal affiliationnow you can proceed to begin researching records about the tribe. The American Indian records collection at NARA includes special censusesschool recordsand allotment records. For more information concerning the special censuses of various tribesNARA offers: Microfilm Publication M1791American Indian Censuses“The Special Census of Indians1880”.
6. BIA Offices - BIA regional offices (and agencies may be additional sources of information on an ancestor if:

• your ancestor’s estate was probated through the bureau because he or she had land in trust with the bureau and/or received income derived from federal Indian trust lands and/or assets,
• his or her name appears on a tribe’s base membership rolla copy of which rests with the regional office or agency that services the tribeor
• his or her name appears on a judgment distribution roll developed as part of the settlement of a tribal claim against the United States.

The BIAhoweverdoes not maintain current or historic records of all individuals who possess some degree of AI/AN blood. The BIA holds current rather than historic tribal membership enrollment listswhich do not hold the supporting documentation of the members listed. When you contact a BIA regional office or agencybe prepared to give the name of the tribethe name(s) and birth date(s) of your lineal ancestor(s)and your relationship to such ancestor(s). The Tribal Leaders Directory includes contact information for all BIA regional offices and agencies.

Generallyadoptions of AI/AN children have been handled in state courts under state laws. When you are seeking to open sealed adoption papersthe BIA cannot help you. You will need to obtain legal advice from an attorney that deals with this area of law. If you have questions about the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA)P.L. 95-608which allows federally recognized tribes to intervene in certain AI/AN child adoption situationsyou can contact a BIA regional social worker in any of the Bureau’s 12 regional offices or contact the National Indian Child Welfare Association for more information.

Blood tests and DNA tests will not help an individual document his or her descent from a specific Federally recognized tribe or tribal community. The only value blood tests and DNA tests hold for persons trying to trace ancestry to a particular tribe is that testingif the tribe accepts itcan establish if an individual is biologically related to a tribal member. Check directly with the tribe you are seeking to enroll to find out if it will accept a blood test or DNA test as part of its enrollment application process.

If you are contemplating hiring someone to research your family historyprofessional genealogists can charge fees on an hourly or flat-rate basis. For more information on what to consider when hiring a professionalcontact your local genealogical association or societyor visit the NARA website. If you do not wish to conduct your own researchresearchers are available for a fee. Please search the Board for Certification of Genealogists or the Association of Professional Genealogists websites for their listings of genealogical researchers.