Do you have Native American roots? Unsure of what resources exist online for researching your native ancestry?
As with any genealogical research, start with yourself and
then carefully trace back to your native ancestor. Online resources can help
you find evidence of their lives through census records, roll lists, and other
records. The following are just a few of the possible online resources to use.
· Ancestry – American
Indian Records Collection includes federal and state censuses, lists,
indexes, and land records. Some databases are offered for free but for the
majority you will need a paid subscription.
· The FamilySearch Research Wiki includes a page
titled “Native
American Online Genealogy Records” that provides links to online
records for Native American research, including a list by tribes.
· GenealogyBank historical newspaper collection has
historical Native American newspapers including the Cherokee
Advocate (Tahlequah, Oklahoma). Issues span 1845-1897. More about
this newspaper title can be found in the article “Learning
About Native American Newspapers: The ‘Cherokee Advocate’” on the GenealogyBank
Blog. While the blog article is free to read, searching the newspaper database
does require a paid subscription.
· Library of Congress Native Americans: Resources in
Local History and Genealogy provides “print and electronic materials for
exploring this research.”
· The NARA webpage titled “American Indian and
Alaska Native Records in the National Archives” helps researchers identify
resources created by the Federal government. These resources span 1774 to the
mid-1990s.
· The US Department of the Interior webpage “Trace
Indian Ancestry” is brief but it
includes a page about starting your genealogical research and information about
Bureau of Indiana Affairs (BIA)
records. You can also look at the BIA webpage “Tracing
American Indian and Alaska Native Ancestry” for more information about research and enrollment
in a federally recognized tribe.
- NGS Culture Conversation with Filmmaker Alicia Hawkins, and her award-winning film, American Red and Black. November 2023 (free)
NGS Magazine articles for researching Native American ancestors (a free benefit for NGS members):
- Deeben, John. “Trail of Tears, Part I: Census Rolls Relating to Indian Removals,” NGS Magazine, Jul/Aug/Sep 2013, vol. 39‐3, page 38.
- Deeben, John. “Trail of Tears, Part II: Emigration Lists & Reservation Applications,” NGS Magazine, Oct/Nov/Dec 2013, vol. 39‐4, page 37.
- Muhn, Judy Nimer. “Researching Children in Indian Boarding Schools,” NGS Magazine, Jan/Feb/Mar 2022, vol. 48‐1, page 22. *This is available for free in the NGS Learning Center‘s collection of Complementary NGS Magazine Articles
- Stuart‐Warren, Paula. “Researching Your American Indian Ancestry,” NGS Magazine, vol. Jan/Feb/Mar 2005, vol 31‐1, page 43.
