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Many researchers have great difficulty tracking their Indian forebear.  If the alleged Indian forebear were alive during the relocation of the Native Americans, or if he or she was born following the relocation, then the name should appear on the rolls compiled by the Federal government.  A couple other options may exist.  The Indian forebear may have chosen not to move west with its tribe.  He may have accepted a federal grant of land near his home and became an American citizen.  Another option may be that the ancestor may have disappeared into a remote area that white settlers and authorities rarely penetrated.  The other possibility is that the alleged Indian forebear lived earlier than believed by family folklore.

Many researchers have great difficulty tracking their Indian forebear.  If the alleged Indian forebear were alive during the relocation of the Native Americans, or if he or she was born following the relocation, then the name should appear on the rolls compiled by the Federal government.  A couple other options may exist.  The Indian forebear may have chosen not to move west with its tribe.  He may have accepted a federal grant of land near his home and became an American citizen.  Another option may be that the ancestor may have disappeared into a remote area that white settlers and authorities rarely penetrated.  The other possibility is that the alleged Indian forebear lived earlier than believed by family folklore.

It was quite common for intermarriages of a full-blood Indian and a Caucasian.  This was most common when the frontier had few white families and there were reasonably peaceful relations between the Indians and Caucasians.  Other times the Indian village may welcome the white person, usually when he was a government agent, trader, minister, schoolteacher, or a craftsman employed to teach blacksmithing or weaving.  Often times, it would take 2-3 successive generations of Indian-white marriages before someone of Indian background could live a regular life among the whites.  Intermarriages between the blacks and full-blood Indians were common as well and were acceptable, especially in northwestern Ohio where there was an established Presbyterian Mission geared toward the Christian conversion of the Native Americans.  Many records do exist on the Indians affiliated with this Presbyterian Mission.  Other records may include narratives written by the missionaries, trappers, fur traders, and government agents.  They are not easily indexed and can be very time consuming to read through.   

It was quite common for intermarriages of a full-blood Indian and a Caucasian.  This was most common when the frontier had few white families and there were reasonably peaceful relations between the Indians and Caucasians.  Other times the Indian village may welcome the white person, usually when he was a government agent, trader, minister, schoolteacher, or a craftsman employed to teach blacksmithing or weaving.  Often times, it would take 2-3 successive generations of Indian-white marriages before someone of Indian background could live a regular life among the whites.  Intermarriages between blacks and full-blood Indians were common as well and were acceptable, especially in northwestern Ohio where there was an established Presbyterian Mission geared toward the Christian conversion of the Native Americans.  Many records do exist on the Indians affiliated with this Presbyterian Mission.  Other records may include narratives written by the missionaries, trappers, fur traders, and government agents.  They are not easily indexed and can be very time consuming to read through.   

Indian school records may include tribal affiliation, degree of Native American blood, names of parents, home address, dates of arrival and departure, attendance records, health cards, and letters to parents and social workers.  Enrollment records contain the name of the Indian tribe and date of validity, name (including given name, birth name, and married names), sex, date of death (when applicable), probate number (when applicable), degree of Native American blood, names of both parents, and blood degree of parents.  At times, when a person or family was denied enrollment, a court case is on file.  Allotment records of land parcels among adult Native Americans who were of at least one-half Native American blood may provide some clues.  When allotments were provided on reservation tracts, Federal government records may be tapped.  Land claims made by Indians against the government for monies owed them for land taken away and not adequately paid for during treaty eras may provide clues.  The Bureau of Indian Affairs is another source that may provide a wealth of information to researchers.  A more detailed list of other sources may be found in The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, pages 531-571 as well as other resources included in the Native American Bibliography.  The IGI (International Genealogical Index) for 1988 includes one microfiche on Native Americans and the 1992 edition includes three microfiche.  Additional information may be found through the website www.familysearch.org.

Indian school records may include tribal affiliation, degree of Native American blood, names of parents, home address, dates of arrival and departure, attendance records, health cards, and letters to parents and social workers.  Enrollment records contain the name of the Indian tribe and date of validity, name (including given name, birth name, and married names), sex, date of death (when applicable), probate number (when applicable), degree of Native American blood, names of both parents, and blood degree of parents.  At times, when a person or family was denied enrollment, a court case is on file.  Allotment records of land parcels among adult Native Americans who were of at least one-half Native American blood may provide some clues.  When allotments were provided on reservation tracts, Federal government records may be tapped.  Land claims made by Indians against the government for monies owed them for land taken away and not adequately paid for during treaty eras may provide clues.  The Bureau of Indian Affairs is another source that may provide a wealth of information to researchers.  A more detailed list of other sources may be found in The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, pages 531-571 as well as other resources included in the Native American Bibliography.  The IGI (International Genealogical Index) for 1988 includes one microfiche on Native Americans and the 1992 edition includes three microfiche.  Additional information may be found through the website www.familysearch.org.