I am looking to find further information on an Ella Wilson, possibly Pawnee but on the Cherokee reservations we believe in Oklahoma, she had a daughter, my 2xgreat grandmother whom she also named Ella, (her Christian last name was Hensley, she married a Chunn in 1897).
Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Ella (Hensley) Chunn was born in MO in 1869, and married in that state in 1897. This couple then moved into Indian Territory during the time of allotment, when there were more Whites in that location than Indians. They were not found on tribal rolls, and were enumerated on the White census schedules. The 1900 Census enumeration lists her parents’ places of birth as Ohio and Missouri. This does not indicate a Cherokee connection, although here lineage is still vague or unknown at this point. She was definitely not affiliated with the Cherokee Nation in her lifetime though. That can be clearly demonstrated.
What makes you believe she possibly could have been Pawnee?
Family lore says we are indian, which I know is heresay, but then a distant cousin through marriage, from the patriarchal side of the family stated the Ella was indian and listed as Pawnee on a census, I have yet to locate the census however. The Ella born in 1869 is this Ella’s daughter.Then the other cause to believe we are of native American descent is in doing our DNA though autosomal my genetic make up shows native American. My sole purpose is to know from where we come as a family so finding who is my ancestor is important.
Lore and DNA is certainly something to explore. But, the point is there is some context and details to paint a picture of where Ella (born 1869) lived and what society she was a part of. There are also elements that can demonstrate she was likely not a Cherokee or Pawnee tribal member, and this is even despite not clearly establishing parentage yet.
For example, census record shows she was born in MO in 1869. Her father’s place of birth is given as OH, and her mother’s as MO. This was not Pawnee, or Cherokee, territory. The last tribes in that state ceded their remaining lands in 1832. All tribes were removed at that point. Yes, all of them. Most moved to Indian Territory. While there may have been a small number of individuals of Indian ancestry that stayed behind or moved into the state subsequently, they would have been a tiny group, and a scattered and isolated one at that. There were no actual tribal communities in that state, in other words. She was born 39 years after the last tribe ceded lands and was removed from Missouri. So, what are the chances that her mother was Indian? That she just happened to be one of these last Indians in the state, and stayed behind? Not technically impossible, but still a highly improbably scenario. And it could not have been Pawnee in this theoretical situation anyway. If her father was born in OH, he most certainly wasn’t Pawnee or Cherokee based on the time period and place of birth. There were no tribes in that state anytime around his potential birth date. And the two tribes in question where nowhere near that area, and Cherokees did not move there at that time period.
We also know that this Ella was in the state in 1890 when she got married, and lived there for a few more years afterward. This is based on birth of children, and her application for a widow’s pension in 1897.
So, from 1869 through 1890s she was living in Missouri. She is then found in Cherokee Nation in 1900, listed on the non-Indian schedules and was not affiliated with the tribe. She was basically part of the White population that was coming into Indian Territory at the height of American settlement and the allotment of the tribal lands. She could read and write, by the way, so we know she was educated.
For further context, the Pawnee were living in Nebraska and Kansas into the 1870s. In 1875, they ceded their traditional territories and moved to Indian Territory. They suffered a dramatic population loss into the late 1800s and early 1900, so that there were less than 1,600 in 1879. The population dropped to well under 1000 by the turn of the 20th century. Today, the population has rebounded, but it is still a distinct community, with just 3,200 enrolled members. There were tribal census/rolls taken in the late 1800s and through the early 20th century. There is no Ella Chunn, or Chunn families, listed at Pawnee agency, on the main census and allotment rolls that I could see. She certainly couldn’t be found on earlier Pawnee census records because she was in Missouri. And her parents being born, let’s say in the 1840s range (give or take a few years or decades either way), in OH and MO does not speak to a Cherokee or Pawnee affiliation, even if there may have been some level of Native ancestry, that is yet to be determined or verified.
As far as a DNA admixture tests go, these have to be taken with a grain of salt. There are some instances where results can be inflated or even totally false. These tests are calibrated using a certain algorithm and have a margin of error or inherent limitation. So, just make sure you adhere to the principles of good genealogy and don’t rush the process. Also, there appears to be some erroneous links to Freedmen individuals on some of the public trees associated with this family. Be careful copying and pasting unproven connections.