Researching American Indian Blood Lines

August 02, 2011

The Midwest Genealogy Center has many resources for researching your American Indian ancestors. For instance, Cecelia Svinth Carpenter describes in her book, How to Research American Indian Blood Lines, where Native American information can be found, including libraries, courts, the National Archives, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

Another good source to consult is A Guide to American Indian Documents in the Congressional Serial Set 1817–1899 by Steven Johnson.  

A listing of our microfilm holdings, Native American Indian Records on Microform, includes records of Indian agencies, census rolls, birth and death rolls, and the Dawes Roll Applications. We also have two guides for Cherokee research, Cherokee Indian Research Road Map and Cherokee Indian Research: Step by Step. Another helpful guide not to miss is Native American Research for the Five Civilized Tribes.

Helpful hint: You must know the name of your Native American ancestor living on tribal land and where that land was located. It is impossible to research your American Indian ancestor without that information. However, at the Midwest Genealogy Center, the resources and staff will put you on your Indian trail!

Bill T. & Janice S.
Midwest Genealogy Center