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FINDING YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN ANCESTORS

 

This list of links was compiled and annotated for people interested in tracing their Native American Ancestry. Some of the sites are specifically focussed on American Indians; others are broader, but have links to specific resources for Native American genealogical research. Some give background information on how to get started with family history research. On the larger sites, be sure to scroll the full length of pages to view all possible links.

National Genealogical Society

Follow the links Getting Started / Suggestions for Beginners to find general information on how to do genealogy research. Includes bibliography.
The Society also offers online courses, a beginner's kit and other resources described in the site.
Two books on Native American Genealogy are offered through its online bookstore:

1. Guide to Records of the National Archives Relating to American Indians
By Edward E. Hill

2. How to Research American Indian Blood Lines: A Manual on Indian
Genealogical Research
By Cecelia S. Carpenter.

Genealogy Home Page

General information about genealogy. Offers links and some description of different types of resources--libraries, online sources, maps, and so forth. Allows users to view individual pages through links or to access the pages merged into a single file.

Native American Ancestry Hunting Newsletter

Information about newsletter subscriptions. Registration of names in Ancestor Roster. Plans for Native American Ancestry Hunting Reading Room.

NativeWeb: Tracing Your Roots

"A cyber-community for Earth's indigenous peoples."
List of links: Tracing Your Roots / genealogy sites
Searchable by nations/peoples or geographic regions.

Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet

Extensive collection of links. Site updated monthly Scroll down to Cyndi's List Category Index. The Native American link collects links to various kinds of resources, many for Tribal or National groups.
Be sure to scroll to view all links!

National Archives and Records Administration

Follow links to genealogy page: What is NARA? / Next: The Records / Genealogical Resources.

The genealogy page in this site contains resources such as finding aids and guides. These can be used to prepare for a visit to one of the NARA regional records services facilities, since most NARA records are not accessible online. There is a link to a catalog of American Indian Records on microfilm, and another to a searchable database of a limited group of records.
The page also includes information about genealogy workshops offered to the public by NARA.

The NARA online bookstore has one title focused on its records pertaining to Native Americans:
Guide to Records in the National Archive Relating to American Indians
Compiled by Edward E. Hill

RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative

A collection of databases with a search engine. Searchable by surname and geographic area. Also allows searching of some genealogy newsgroups.

Lisa Mitten's Home Page

Includes a page on Native American Sites with links to sites by and about individual Indian nations.

Massachusetts State Archives Microfilm Card Index of Native Americans

Offers initial access to the content of records housed in the State Archives. User can determine which records to request from brief excerpts.

Native American Genealogy

Collection of links to various kinds of resources, from general information to sites about specific Native American groups.

Native American Indian Genealogy Webring

At this site, Native Americans who have their own web pages and want to be part of a ring of genealogical information can register. In the words of the site: "To qualify you have to have something about genealogy on your web pages and have Native Amer ican Indian ancestors or have information that could be useful to those researching their Native American Indian Heritage."

Navajo Genealogy and Family History of Harrison Lapahie

Interesting multi-media site that shows one way to present a family tree.

Beginning Library Research on Native American Studies

This page from Standford University, while not focussed on genealogy, contains a bibliography section of potential interest to genealogists: Native American Biography Resources.

Shadcat's Free Genealogy Listings

Select Native American for a collection of links to specific resources.

Helm's Genealogy Toolbox

Extensive collection of links.
Follow the links: People / Ethic/Religious Groups / American Indians. (Note: NOT the Ethnic link under Groups and Societies).
Contains links to background information for beginners, as well as to resources for specific Indian tribes and nations.

Everton's Genealogical Helper: Web Site

Select Getting Started with Research on menu in upper left corner. Follow links: Special Resources / Native Americans. Offers two main links: Cherokee Research File and Freedman Members of the Five Civilized Tribes. B oth have bibliographies that include references to tribal rolls and resources for family research.

Select U.S. Genealogical Resources on home page menu. Offers three categories of links: general, individual states, civil war. Link for Chickasaw Nation includes letters, treaties and court cases. Other links for Lakota Sioux.

Site also offers name searching.

List of Federally Recognized Tribes, October 9, 1997 (Bureau of Indian Affairs)

Department of Interior list of "Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible to Receive Services from the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs."

Strat43z/s Tri-Racial Genealogy Page

The Native American page within this site leads to a collection of many interesting links.

 

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Page prepared by Carolyn Jacobs
Student, Graduate School of Library and Information Science
University of Texas at Austin
July 8, 1998

 


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