All Things Cherokee: Article - A Cherokee Genealogy Road Trip -- Remember to Fasten Your Seat Belt

A Cherokee Genealogy Road Trip -- Remember to Fasten Your Seat Belt
by Suzy Devenney

So, your grandmother was a Cherokee princess? I will never forget reading my first article on Native American genealogy. Little did I know that reading that first innocent sentence would open a Pandora's box of resources, and for no extra charge, an unlimited supply of the Department of Transportation's traffic signs, in particular, "Stop!" If you are looking for your Cherokee ancestors, do not despair. There is life after Native American Genealogy. All you need is time and patience. We will even help you get started. So, let's take a short road trip to Cherokee Genealogy.

After many years of purely unscientific personal research, I have been able to divide Cherokee genealogy researchers into two groups: Cherokees, and, are you ready, non-Cherokees. Brilliant, you say. This is how it works: if you are Cherokee, you will know it. Don't ask me how, you will just know. I can spend fifteen minutes with someone and be able to tell if they will be successful in their search for their Cherokee ancestors. Cherokee's have something, well, something I can't quite put my finger on. It is not something I can see, smell, taste, touch, hear, or rationalize, but it is there. So if you have got "it", great. If not, I wish you much luck, as it will be a difficult road to traverse. Congratulations! You have made it to the first potty stop.

You have got to have a map. Cherokee research is not designed for wimps. You have to know where to start. Begin your research with one of the great books designed for Native American genealogy researchers. Trust me, you will be lost without one. As your research gets more intense, it will be necessary for you to acquire roll books, which will lead you to more roll books which will lead you to more roll books. Did I say this was going to be easy? Oh, you don't think your ancestors were west of the Mississippi in 1835? Get the roll book anyway. Chances are, you will find yourself knee deep in ancestors whose names changed often due to misinterpretation, or were grossly misspelled by whoever happened to be taking the roll at the time, and, whose uncle's cousin's sister was enrolled by ______ (open mouth, insert foot). Use our links below for the best roll books available. Yea, we get to stop for lunch.

If at all possible, enroll in a class on Native American Genealogy Research. Attend and make lots of friends. It is necessary for you to have friends that share your passion. You will have many, many questions and will need an objective listening ear at some point along your journey. You will need these people, treat them well. Oops, we missed the photo op at the state line...

Are we there yet? Yes! My favorite place, Pecos, New Mexico! Sorry, I got excited there for a minute. No, we're not there yet. Subscribe to an on-line genealogy service. These services have tons of great information as well as surname specific message boards. You never know when your great aunt Mary's nephew's third cousin once-removed may have posted a query about the very relative you are seeking. My favorite is Ancestry.com (Ancestry.com Free Trial). No kidding, I joined and that very day I found information that has been vital to my research.

How much longer? It's a long, long road with many a winding turn. Be prepared to spend many intimate hours with your bi-focals poring over list after list, comparing John Walking Stick to John Running Stick to see if they are actually one and the same John. Personally, I hope my road never ends. I'm just having too darned much fun chasing down leads. So there you have it. Armed with our road map, you are sure to be prepared for the potholes ahead. Remember, Native American Genealogy can be compared to the streets of Houston: Smooth? Fat chance!

Whew, what a trip. I think I'll jump on the ole innertube and float on down the Pecos. If you see me, just wave. Sorry I can't stop to chat - I am too busy trying to keep all these *@#% Roll Books dry.

Related Reading

Cherokee Roots, Volume 2: Western Cherokee Rolls
by Bob Blankenship

In order to join the Cherokee Nation you must prove you are a descendent of a Dawes Roll signer. It is this fact that makes Bob Blankenship's book a great tool. Cherokee Roots, Volume 2 indexes all of the Rolls west of the Mississippi: 1851 Old Settler Roll, 1852 Drennen Roll, Dawes Roll, and Guion Miller Roll. The book is an index of the names on the Rolls organized alphabetically by last name. The information included is the name and Roll number of everyone who signed each Roll, a great place to start your research.

Cherokee Roots, Volume 1: Eastern Cherokee Rolls
by Bob Blankenship

In order to join the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians you must prove you are a descendent of a Baker Roll signer. This makes Bob Blankenship's book a great tool. Cherokee Roots, Volume 1 indexes all of the Rolls east of the Mississippi: Reservation Rolls 1817, Emigration Rolls 1817-35, Henderson Roll 1835, Mullay Roll 1848, Siler Roll 1851, Chapman Roll 1852, Swetland Roll 1869, Hester Roll 1883, Churchill Roll 1908, Guion Miller Roll 1909, and Baker Roll 1924. The book is an index of the names on the Rolls organized alphabetically by last name. The information included is the name and Roll number of everyone who signed each Roll, a great place to start your research.