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Cherokee by Blood, Part 1

© Carolyne Gould

More Americans claim Cherokee heritage than any other tribe. In many cases that claim is correct. But, history shows that in some cases, when Native American ancestry was acknowledged, or could not be foresworn away, a person said they were Cherokee because the tribe was consdidered "civilized" and being part of that tribe was acceptable on certain levels. Even though such deceptions can make research difficult, if you are chasing family stories that you are Cherokee by blood, you are really quite lucky. In addition to being one of the largest tribes, the Cherokee Nation is also one of the best documented.

Cherokee by Blood is more than a possible description of your ancestry. In addition to the basic meaning, these three words also describe a series of books translating the Guion Miller applications and their accompanying materials. Most major bookstores either carry the "Cherokee by Blood" series or can obtain one or more of the books in the series for you. In addition, the author has posted a great deal of informative material on the Tennesee GenWeb site. A quick click on this link will take you straight to the site.

If you are researching your North Carolina Cherokee roots, I recommend the North Carolina GenWeb site. Among the numerous pages on the site, you'll find information on the following rolls which may help you in your search:

Cherokee 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
• Baker Roll 1924

Cherokee Rolls: West of the Mississippi

• Old Settler Roll 1851
• Drennen Roll 1852
• The Dawes Roll 1898-1914

If you haven't visited the official web site of theCherokee Nation in Oklahoma, you'll find basic information there on the steps to tribal membership as well as current events affecting this nation.

The next article on Native American Genealogy research will continue this look into Cherokee heritage resources.