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American Indian Genealogical Digs Sometimes Unearth Wealth of Family History
by Michael Brinkman

In all of the time I’ve been familiar with genealogy, I’ve never had a more difficult time finding records than I have when doing American Indian genealogy. I’ve done my own family’s genealogy, unfortunately not being able to prove direct lineal descent to anyone on the Dawes Rolls. I have done several friends’ genealogies and typically have much more luck with theirs than with my own.

In a recent genealogy search for a good friend, I was blessed with more genealogical luck than I’ve ever experienced. The friend, whose family had been residents of Kansas nearly since statehood, had always claimed ties to Choctaw blood. A beaded bandolier bag had even been handed down in her family for many generations, and she recently went about getting it appraised for insurance purposes. I asked her if she’d allow me to do her genealogy on the Indian side of her family so she could prove better provenance for the bandolier she was having appraised.

I started with the little amount of information she could give me, which only included names of her grandfather and mother. It was enough to get started. I began with federal censuses and worked from there, letting a vividly colored tapestry of family history unfold before my eyes.

I was able to locate her grandfather on the 1930 census. I used the information from it to gather information about his place of birth and possible relatives living with him. I then continued back in ten-year increments, finding the family on each census and gathering more and more information to help me understand how and why the family had acquired the beautifully beaded bandolier bag and where it might have come from.

The first brick wall hit me when I searched the 1900 Federal Census. I couldn’t find them. Were they living in a different location? Were they simply not listed? Had they been in Oklahoma trying to get enrolled while the Final Rolls were being taken? All plausible questions I’d have to come back to at a later time. I skipped it and went to state censuses, which were compiled for the state of Kansas beginning in 1875.

Luck struck me again when I was able to locate the entire family, including the great grandfather of my friend (whose name she had never known), on the 1895 Kansas State Census. Not only did I have luck finding them, but also their race was listed as “Indian”. I couldn’t believe it. I had seen many censuses for the State of Kansas and on Federal Censuses in my days as a genealogist and I had never seen an entire family listed as Indian while living off the reservation. Upon making the find, I immediately called my friend to let her know. She was asleep. I should have known as I usually do my genealogy digging late at night. This particular night though was young and full of genealogical opportunity for me.

I continued digging deeper. I found her family again on the 1880 Federal Census and the 1870. Then, yet another stroke of genealogical luck. Upon researching the 1860 Federal Census, I found the great grandfather living in the Choctaw Nation. His race was listed as Mulatto. I knew this was incorrect. Often, Choctaws, Chickasaws, and especially Seminoles were listed as Mulatto on censuses because they had dark complexions, and because census takers weren’t instructed how to compile information for Indians until closer to 1900. You have to keep in mind, 1860 is not only during the Civil War, but it’s also when many Indian wars began and American Indians simply were afraid to be known as Indians. Many states had laws that rewarded citizens who could turn in Indian scalps to the government. It was mass chaos in Indian country. This is also long before Indians were accepted as citizens of the United States.

The family at the time of the 1860 Federal Census resided in LeFlore County, Arkansas, in the Choctaw Nation (which is now present-day Oklahoma). I continued back further.

The last information I found ended up being on the 1850 Census. I found the great grandfather living with his mother and stepfather in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana.

After making all these finds, I took some time to compile all the information they revealed. I began with the migration story. Every family has one. The further back in time you go in American genealogy, the further east families get. This family obviously started in Louisiana, but probably more likely started in Mississippi, the home of the Old Choctaw Nation. Using the information on the 1910 Census, I knew the great grandfather’s mother was originally from Mississippi and his father was from New Jersey. The great grandfather himself was born in 1838 in Louisiana. I could make some deductions about the history of the family by tying in historical events with migrations the family made and when they made them. The great grandfather was probably born in Louisiana just after the Choctaw’s migration along the Trail of Tears. Many Choctaws settled in Louisiana after the Trail, and today the State of Louisiana recognizes some of those bands. It was my guess that the great grandfather’s family was originally part of these bands.

Sometime between 1840 and 1850, the great grandfather’s own father dies and his mother remarries a Mulatto man (who could also very well be another Choctaw). The great grandfather, when old enough, goes to work in the Choctaw Nation with a white farmer and several other Choctaws who are also listed as Mulattos. Within ten years, he moves to Kansas and settles in the south central part of the state. His brothers and sisters, however, stay in the Choctaw Nation and enroll on the Final Rolls around 1900. Using their enrollment information, I am able to deduce how much Choctaw blood the great grandfather has. Even though his brother and sister were able to enroll, the great grandfather and his descendants will forever be barred from enrolling in the Choctaw Tribe of Oklahoma because they do not have any direct ancestors who are enrolled on the Final Rolls. It’s sad news for my friend, but the trove of information I’ve found for her and her family is more than they could have ever imagined knowing about her family.

The provenance of the bandolier bag begins to unfold. The bag itself is most likely more than 120 years old. It’s certainly not of Choctaw origin, but more likely a North Central tribal Nation, possible Ojibwe, Winnebago, or a tribe of Siouan descent. I’m still doing this line of genealogy for my friend, and hopefully the story will unfold more completely. Knowing that the family stories are true and validating them with records can be a treasure of immeasurable value. So, in closing, I hope any of you that are searching for your American Indian roots keep a positive attitude and know that there are many facets to the beautiful gem that is your family history. Keep an open mind and most importantly don’t give up. Sometimes the family stories do turn out to be true, and oftentimes the clues you can glean from them will lead you to your biggest genealogical finds.