Native American Research Difficult, Rewarding
In September, I joined nearly 1,600 genealogists at the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in Seattle. As a national conference, a wide range of topics was presented, making it difficult to choose which session to attend of the five or six that were offered each hour.
One especially enjoyable presentation was “Federal Nation American Sources: Starting Your Search for Native American Ancestors,” by Susan H. Karren, assistant director at the National Archives, Pacific N.W. Region, 6125 Sand Point Way, N.E, Seattle, WA 98115.
Karren said searching for Native American ancestors may be one of the more difficult - but most rewarding - research problems facing a family historian. All too often, the information needed to begin your search may well be the very information you are seeking.
In addition, as with all federal searches, today’s records are dependent on government policies that were in place when the records were created, as well as the tribal history. Records that may exist for one tribe may not for another, and records that exist for one specific time period may not exist for another.
In order to ensure the most successful search possible, it’s necessary to broaden your search to include general government policies towards Native Americans and what this means in terms of records created.
Once you have identified the tribe or tribes to which your ancestor belonged, it will be necessary to do general tribal research.
Karren said two basic reference books “live” on her desk: “Indian Tribes of North America” by John Swanton, and “Guide to Records in the National Archives Relating to American Indians,” published by the National Archives. She also said any guide book for Native American research should be considered as each one can cover a separate piece to fit into the whole puzzle of this kind of research.
Karren said the “Treaty Period” was 1774 to 1870. Up until 1774, representatives of the Crown dealt with tribal representatives to purchase land, and the only records they created were tribal treaties. From 1774 to 1789, departments of the young government were established to deal with the tribes, to keep the peace and to regulate trade. Indian agents were named.
Beginning in 1780, education for Native Americans was considered important. Dartmouth College received $5,000 for Native American education, but no individual records exist from this period. Some education records, however, may exist in private, state or local repositories.
From 1789 to 1834, Indian affairs were placed under the Secretary of War. Treaties were negotiated over settlement, trade and purchase of land. From 1802 on, the major thrust of the Indian Policy was to push Native Americans westward, culminating in the wholesale removal of tribes to west of the Mississippi. During this time there were still no individual records created, and those that were created were primarily between the government and the tribe.
The “Removal Period” was from 1830 to 1870, when tribes east of the Mississippi were relocated west of the Mississippi, primarily to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. Best known of the relocated tribes were the so-called Five Civilized Tribes - Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw and Seminole - but other tribes were also removed.
Some census rolls and muster lists were created during this time period, but they are not alphabetized nor indexed. Some of these early records are available on microfilm.
The period of the 1850s to 1887 was known as the “Reservation Period.”
Indians were put on to specific land areas, almost always totally different from their ancestral homelands. They were issued rations in an attempt to “keep them quiet,” but it didn’t always work.
Indian schools were developed both on and off the reservations. By 1887, some 227 schools existed, 163 operated by the government and 64 by private organizations, usually missionaries.
Records created during this period include annuity rolls which kept track of who got what rations - usually listing only the heads of families. And, these records are neither alphabetized nor indexed.
School records generally list the student’s name, age, where he or she was born, parents, tribal affiliation and degree of blood.
The National Archives has school records for both reservation and federal non-reservation schools, some of which have been microfilmed. Records of private schools are with churches or local and state historical societies.
If you would like a copy of Susan Karren’s taped presentation, order it for $7.50, plus $2 postage, from Repeat Performance, 2911 Crabapple Lane, Hobart, IN 46342. Request tape No. F-67, FGS-95, followed by the title and name.
A bit of trivia Karren shared was to explain that a “full-blooded Native American” ancestor could have been half of one tribe, a quarter of another and a quarter of yet another, due to tribal mixing.
The Dec. 2 meeting of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society will begin at 1 p.m. in the auditorium of the downtown Spokane Public Library. Marveline Roach Carney will present a program on “Southern Loyalist Claims,” pertaining to Southerners loyal to the Union during the Civil War.
All interested genealogists are invited to this special meeting and program.
Today’s tips
Clark H. Flint, 1615 Seward St., Evanston, IL 60202-2023, is looking for information on the Knights of the Golden Circle, a secret society labeled as an “outlawed, pro-Southern, paramilitary organization” which aided Union Army deserters.
And, the Sons of Confederate Veterans was founded in 1896 to preserve and defend the history and principles of the Old South. It serves today as a means for a gentleman to honor his Southern ancestry with memorial, historical and educational activities.
If you are a male descendant of a Confederate ancestor, “claim your heritage now with pride” (so reads their ad). Contact Lt. CIC Peter W. Orlebeke, 3411 St.Cloud Circle, Dallas, TX 75229.
Today’s laugh
My favorite Pilgrim joke shows a woman knitting a tiny baby garment, and her surprised-looking husband says, “You mean I’m going to be a forefather?”
The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Donna Potter Phillips The Spokesman-Review