Grandma? She probably wasn't Indian princess

CHEROKEE, N.C. -- So you think your great-grandmother was a Cherokee Indian princess? Think again. Daughters of Cherokee chiefs had no such designation. But that doesn't stop many persistent people from spending futile hours trying to prove their lineage to American Indian royalty.

Just like many researchers who employ the "jump back" method and pluck any plausible immigrant off a passenger ship and claim him as their own, some folks troll through tribal rolls seeking a matching name.

Documenting American Indian heritage is probably the most difficult feat in genealogy, for many reasons. The federal government never maintained a list of all people of Indian descent that showed the name of the tribe or the degree of Indian bloodlines. Before the late 1800s, many American Indians did not use Anglo names. Some used their Indian names in one place and their Anglo names in another. The two names usually bore no similarity. English terms such as "brother" do not mean the same thing in American Indian culture. Anyone belonging to the same clan is considered immediate family.

During the late 1800s, many people of American Indian heritage not living on a reservation who could pass for white did so. Discrimination was rampant. Many full-blooded Indians did not live on a reservation and did not register their children with a tribe. Not all Indians chose to marry in civil ceremonies.

If none of your ancestors maintained affiliation with a tribe, it is almost impossible to connect the genealogical dots.

Conversely, you might find what you need in the 1900 federal census, which included a population schedule for American Indians living on reservations, in family groups outside reservations and those who elected to self-identify.

Questions about tribal affiliation and blood quantum were also asked.

More people claim to be Cherokee than any other recognized tribe, and they may be right. The Trail of Tears split the Cherokee Nation in 1838. Survivors who made it to Oklahoma officially became known as members of the Cherokee Tribe of Oklahoma. Those who remained behind in defiance of the federal government's removal policy eventually became known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Members of both bands intermarried more often with whites than they did with members of other tribes.

Today, people of Cherokee ancestry fall into one of three groups: (1) everyone listed on the final rolls of the Cherokee Tribe of Oklahoma that were approved and closed in 1907 and their heirs; (2) anyone enrolled or eligible to be enrolled with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina; and (3) others with Cherokee ancestry. No official record exists listing who made the trek to Oklahoma and who remained behind.

In his book, Exploring Your Cherokee Ancestry, Thomas Mooney cautions researchers:

"Genealogists tend to forget that tribal rolls were not created for their benefit. These records are normally intended only to document some payment or other transaction between the government and the tribe. Each roll has its limitations and only so much information may be gleaned from any one source. Most rolls only cover a limited geographic area or deal with only a certain portion of the tribe. Considerable frustration may be avoided by learning how much information may be reasonably expected from each source."

Note: Some information from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Cherokee Tribal Office was used in this column.

Next week: Techniques for tracing Indian heritage.

-- Donna Murray Allen welcomes your questions about genealogy and will respond to those of general interest in future columns. Sorry, she can't take phone calls, but you can write to her c/o Floridian, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or e-mail her at rootscolumn@yahoo.com. You can read her column online at www.sptimes.com. Type Donna Murray Allen in the search box.

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