How to Find Cherokee Family Records
Even if you are not a first or second generation Cherokee, if you were born in the South or Midwest, chances are you have some Cherokee ancestry. The first part of tracking your heritage begins with finding your family records. There are several places and means for finding these records. Once you have these in hand, the rest of the research is easy.
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Instructions
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Begin your search with the Eastern Band of Cherokees if your Cherokee family was not part of the Trail of Tears. If they were part of the Trail of Tears, begin in Oklahoma or the Plains states.
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Visit your local genealogical center or local Cherokee reservation library to view census rolls of Cherokee heritage. The last roll on the Eastern Band of Cherokees was performed in 1924. The names of these rolls are the 1898 Dawes Roll, the 1909 Guion Miller Roll and the 1924 Baker Roll. Once the nation was moved to Oklahoma, rolls were also conducted there.
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Search online guides of Cherokee family heritage. These sites are helpful if you have names and locations of family members. Some sites charge a fee while others are free of charge.
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Contact the Cherokee Heritage Center, located in Talequah, Oklahoma, at (918) 456-6007 or their toll-free number, (888) 999-6007. The center maintains rolls for the Oklahoma band of Cherokees, as well as the Eastern Band. They also provide research tools at no charge, including a free book you can use in your search for your Cherokee family.
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Use the name and location of your relative to search graveyards for information about your family. Native American reservations can help with locating the graveyards, although many Cherokee ancestors may be buried in non-reservation graveyards. You can garner other important family information from their gravestone, such as parents' and children's names. Often, families are buried together.
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I am trying to finding out if there is cherokee indians in my family.
