Useful Genealogy Links
AccessGenealogy – Native American Indian Genealogy
This website is one of many offered on the Access Genealogy pages. One of the best features is the Index and Database of Indian Rolls. Here you are able to search for your ancestors by name or roll number on the Old Settlers Roll, Dawes Final Roll, Guion Miller Roll, and many others. It also explains what each roll was for and its importance to Indian history. Many of the rolls listed are specific to the Cherokees. In addition, there are census records, cemetery listings, Indian history, tribes by locations, treaties, books and articles, and genealogy tips. This is a great place to start your search.
The American Indian Policy Center has a very helpful page explaining the different types of rolls that tribal governments and the Bureau of Indian Affairs use and the different terms that you see regarding these rolls. I recommend this page for anyone attempting to decipher the many different rolls of the Cherokee.
Archival Research Catalog (ARC)
ARC is the online catalog of the National Archives. ARC contains many descriptions of records of interest to genealogists and family historians, including: applications for enrollment in Native American tribes, court records, land records, and much more. The best part is that many of these records have been digitized and are available for downloading. For example, you may find your ancestor's Cherokee census card online. Click on the yellow search button on the upper left side of the page and begin searching.
The National Archives also provides a multitude of other resources. For anyone with an interest in history and genealogy, this is a must-see website. You can spend hours exploring. Be sure to read the how-to's and search tips. This can save you a lot of time.
Footnote is a relatively new website. One series of documents provided are the Dawes Enrollment Packets. These packets contain an incredible amount of information, such as original applications for tribal enrollments, as well as supporting documents such as birth and death affidavits, marriage licenses, transcripts of testimony taken by the Commission, correspondence relating to the status of the application, and decisions and orders of the Dawes Commission. If there is not yet an image there, then please check back. Footnote consistently updates their images. There is a registration fee for viewing/printing/downloading the case files at Footnote, but that cost is equal to, or less than the fee for ordering, plus it’s quicker.
Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
This site is part of the Digital Library of Georgia and contains approximately 2,000 documents and images relating to the Native American population of the Southeastern United States. Of particular note are the Treaty of 1828 Land Valuation documents. These valuations were conducted before the Trail of Tears and information is available on more than 200 individuals. If you are searching for ancestors who lived in Eastern Cherokee Nation, this is a great place to look. The University of Georgia has transcribed the documents for more effective searching. Once you find a document of interest, you are able to download a scanned copy of the original.
University of Oklahoma - Western History Collections
The Western History Collections is a special collection within the University of Oklahoma Libraries system. Its purpose is to enhance the University Libraries general collection on the history of the American West and to provide access of materials relating to the development of the Trans-Mississippi West and Native American cultures. Of particular note are the Indian-Pioneer Papers, consisting of thousands of interviews conducted during the 1930's regarding the the settlement of Oklahoma and Indian territories, as well as the condition and conduct of life there. The index to this collection may be accessed via personal name, place name, or subject.