Featured NA Archives – Access Genealogy

1867 Roll of Wyandot Tribe

1867 Wyandot roll, U.S. microfilm M234 RG75 Roll 951, image 0252.

This free enumeration of the Wyandot people, taken 13 July 1867, has been transcribed from U.S. National Archives microfilm publication M234, Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (RG 75), Roll 951, images 0214–0252. The roll records each individual’s name, age, sex, condition, and location, with additional remarks provided by the enumerator regarding enrollment status. Original spellings have been preserved, though the format has been slightly rearranged for clarity in transcription. Images of the original rolls are included.

Cherokee Muster Rolls, 1835 – 1838

1830 Map of Cherokee Territory in Georgia

The Cherokee Muster Rolls of 1835-1838 document the forced relocation of the Cherokee people during the Trail of Tears. These rolls list families who were moved west, including those who left voluntarily, were rounded up by military forces, or migrated under Cherokee leadership. They offer crucial genealogical information for descendants of Cherokee individuals from the southeastern U.S., particularly those connected to the Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band. These records, like the 1835 Henderson Roll and various muster rolls, are important for researchers tracking Cherokee ancestry during this difficult chapter in American history.

Chilocco Indian School Records 1884-1980

Founded in 1883-84, the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School was one of the first, large off-reservation boarding schools established by the Federal government for the education of American Indian students. It offered academic and vocational training to children of tribes across the United States. This dataset comprises an historical collection of manuscripts and records pertaining to the school and its pupils.

Calendar History of the Kiowa Indians

The Calendar History of the Kiowa Indians, authored by James Mooney, is an ethnographic work spanning over 300 pages. It features an in-depth analysis of Kiowa calendars, a detailed tribe sketch, military and trading posts, and a glossary of the Kiowa language. Unique to the Kiowa, the calendars include both summer and winter events for 60 years, alongside a rare monthly calendar documenting a personal story. Though meticulous, minor discrepancies in historical details and binding issues are noted. It stands as a crucial resource for understanding Kiowa culture.

1860 Census West of Arkansas – Creek Nation

1860 Free Inhabitants Creek Nation Page 1

The 1860 census for the Creek Nation, located west of Arkansas, reveals a diverse array of free inhabitants, including Native Americans from Creek and Seminole tribes. This listing indicates that many individuals either renounced their tribal affiliations or were never granted citizenship. Several entries mark those who married Native individuals but were still denied citizenship, suggesting a complex social structure within the community. The presence of individuals identified by racial categories reflects the intricate interplay of identities during this period.

Sir William Johnson and the Six Nations

Sir William Johnson’s life in the Mohawk Valley (1738-1774) was marked by significant interactions with the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. His contributions are memorialized through local churches, historical relics, and the enduring presence of his baronial halls. Despite facing criticism linked to the Revolutionary War, his influence on both the Iroquois and colonial politics was profound. William Griffis’s work offers a balanced perspective on Johnson’s legacy, utilizing extensive manuscripts and acknowledging the complex dynamics of his time.

Catholic Sioux Herald Newspaper 1896-1912

Legend of the S'ina-sapa-wocekiye-taeyanpaha

The Yankton Sioux ceded most of their South Dakota lands through the Treaty of Washington in 1858, retaining only a reservation by the Missouri River. From 1896 to 1912, Rev. Jerome Hunt and the St. Pauls Catholic Indian Mission published the Sina sapa wocekiye taeyanpaha, or Catholic Sioux Herald, catering to the Yankton Sioux on the Fort Trotten reservation. This bilingual newspaper provided valuable resources and information for the community, with various issues preserved for historical record.

The Native American History of Florida’s Lake Okeechobee Basin

The Lake Okeechobee Basin was home to advanced indigenous cultures that constructed significant earthworks and complex canal systems long before similar developments appeared elsewhere. Despite their achievements, there is no evidence of large-scale agriculture among these groups. Their towns and ceremonial sites remain largely unrecognized, even by local archaeologists, indicating a lack of scholarly attention. Future discussions will highlight the experiences of archaeologists who explored these sites and the reasons for their marginalization in the field.

Appalachian Colonists from the Mediterranean Basin

In the Southeastern United States, rural “old families” display diverse ancestries that blur the lines between European, African, and indigenous roots. Many identify as Cajun, Melungeon, or similar, often claiming ties to Native American tribes without substantial evidence. Notably, some families possess Jewish surnames but have long identified as Christians, losing touch with their heritage. In contrast, a distinct mestizo population in the Appalachian mountains has maintained its identity for centuries, often referring to themselves as Melungeons, recognizing their unique differences from neighboring groups.

Rood Creek Mounds

Rood Creek Mounds, a prominent Native American town site in southwestern Georgia, spans approximately 150 acres and includes eight mounds. The site, situated east of the Chattahoochee River, represents one of the largest Native American settlements in the eastern U.S. Excavated minimally in 1955 by Joseph Caldwell, the mounds reveal a complex history tied to diverse cultural influences, including elements linking it to the Mississippian culture and possible Mesoamerican connections. The site remains largely unexcavated and is preserved within the Rood Landing Recreation Area.

Ethnology of the Powhatan Tribes of Virginia

Group of Pamunkey of a generation ago in dance costume.

In the Ethnology of the Powhatan Tribes Frank Speck completed the third of a series of monographs dealing with the modern cultural life of communities of descendants tracing their origin from the tribes inhabiting the Chesapeake tidewater area. The future student of American folk-communities of Indian descent will find here new tribes with new trait-complexes to analyze and interpret. These contributions represent some culture aspects of the humble groups who were at the time of writing of this paper, at a climax and turning point in their history. Replete with over 100 photographs and maps, and at least that many surnames, this paper proves its value to both the historic researcher and the genealogist.

Indian Biographies

Biographies are a good source of information on our ancestors. They can be used as a tool to provide facts: names, dates and locations for the events in our ancestors lives. They can also provide “meat” for genealogical research, and by that we mean the story behind the person – events which shaped and molded the character of a person. We have put a great number of biographical information online, both Native American and general biographies, and have gone through all of them and provided links to the one’s specific to Native American.

Parsons and Abbott Roll

The Parsons and Abbott Roll, created in 1833, is a crucial document for genealogical research on the Creek Tribe. Following the 1832 treaty where the Creek Tribe ceded their land east of the Mississippi River to the United States, Benjamin S. Parsons and Thomas J. Abbott conducted a detailed census of Creek Indian heads of families. This census, organized by town and including the number of males, females, and slaves in each family, serves as the most comprehensive pre-removal record. It is a vital resource for identifying Creek ancestors and is foundational for numerous subsequent documents related to Creek claims through the 1960s. The roll also includes entries for some free blacks who gained freedom and citizenship within the Creek Tribe, making it an essential reference for diverse genealogical inquiries.

Signers of Native American Treaties

This unique database comprises a list of all signers of each specific treaty, whether the signer be white or Native American. To search for a white ancestor, place their name in the Surname and/or given (first) name below. To search for a Native American ancestor try the Indian and Other searches, each one separately.

Native Americans in World War 2

Six grandsons of the Reverend Ben Brave, Sioux Indian

Native Americans played the same rolls as many other Americans who entered into World War 2. They enlisted, fought in battles, suffered wounds, many were killed, some were captured, some received medals. Many of the women and men who didn’t go off to war, still participated at home, joining service groups and volunteering their time. This manuscript provides stories of these brave men and women Native Americans who fought for freedom during World War 2, casualty lists of injured, POW’s and KIA’s, as well as taking a brief look at the most important Navajo Code Talkers roll in WW2.

History of the Cherokee Indians

Originally published in 1921, History of the Cherokee Indians, a reference originally created “for the purpose of perpetuating some of the facts relative to the Cherokee tribe, that might otherwise be lost,” in the words of author Emmet Starr. The result is a straightforward history of the Cherokee tribe with especial attention upon the 1800’s, an assortment of primary source writings, and thoroughly extensive genealogies of old Cherokee families. Genealogists and anyone tracing Cherokee ancestry are sure to find History of the Cherokee Indians especially illuminating; other readers curious about a more general history of the tribe will also find a wealth of insightful information about the Cherokee’s conflicts with other tribes, adoption of its constitution, emigrations, treaties, and much more. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this solid historical and genealogical accounting.

Kern Clifton Rolls

In 1896-1897 the Kern-Clifton Roll was created to fill in the omissions of the Wallace Roll. Genealogists not finding their Cherokee ancestor in the Kern-Clifton Roll, should search the Wallace Roll to insure that this ancestor was not one of those originally identified by the John Wallace census. This census of the Freedmen and their descendants of the Cherokee Nation taken by the Commission appointed in the case of Moses Whitmire, Trustee of the Freedmen of the Cherokee Nation vs. The Cherokee Nation and the United States in the Court of Claims at Washington, D. C., the said Commission being composed of William Clifton, William Thompson and Robert H. Kern, the same being made from the testimony taken before said Commission in the Cherokee Nation between May 4th and August 10th, 1896.

1896 Census of New York Indians

Census of the New York Indians taken in 1896. The following census extractions provide the details from the 1896 census for the Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, St. Regis and Tonawanda Band of Seneca Indians.

As the progression of white settlers moved west into the territories of the New York Indians, the tribes were decimated by disease and war, and “forced” into treaties that eventually restricted their settlements onto five Reservations set aside in the state of New York, Oklahoma, or for those siding with the British, in Ontario Canada. While at one time independent, these tribes (Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, St. Regis and Tonawanda) over time came together and were known as the Seneca Indians.

The Trail to Yupaha

On June 21, 2011, the author celebrated the Summer Solstice with a hike in the Georgia Mountains, near the Nantahala River, alongside three dogs. He revisited the Track Rock petroglyphs, noticing their deterioration since his last visit. His exploration revealed ancient fieldstone walls and historical alterations to the landscape, prompting inquiries into the area’s archaeological significance. This led to a deeper investigation into the cultural history of Georgia’s Indigenous Peoples, particularly regarding the enigmatic Track Rock Terrace Complex and its connection to Cherokee and Creek legends.

Native Americans of the Shenandoah Valley

Richard Thornton’s articles explore the history of early Native Americans in the Shenandoah Valley, emphasizing their cultural and historical significance before European contact. The region, a center for trade and conflict, reveals archaeological evidence linking its inhabitants to distant areas. Despite a rich Indigenous heritage, much of this history remains overlooked, overshadowed by the European narrative. As the articles delve into the area’s early residents, they highlight the challenges historians face in uncovering the past and the persistent myths surrounding Native American life in the Valley.