Genealogy Tips
Cherokee Research
Where To Start
Application Forms
DOCUMENTS
In tracing your
Cherokee lineage there is one word that is very important to always remember “LEGAL”. It is necessary to prove that you are
legally related to your ancestor. To obtain membership to any Native American
Tribe you have to prove legal relationships with
legal documents.
The Cherokee Tribal Membership
CDIB:
Certificates of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB), are
issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which is a Department of the US Federal
Government.
Certificates of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB)
are traced only through the natural (biological) parents. In cases of adoption,
Indian ancestry must be proven through biological parents to an enrolled
ancestor.
The CDIB (or "white card", as it
is often called) lists a person's "Indian blood quantum." Quantum of
Indian Blood is "computed" from the nearest paternal and/or maternal
ancestor(s)' of Indian blood listed on the Dawes Rolls.
In other words; if you had one parent on
the Dawes Rolls whose "blood quantum" was listed as 4/4ths (100%), you
would be deemed to have 1/2 of your Indian parent's blood quantum --i.e., 50%.
To obtain a CDIB, you must formally apply
for one and provide acceptable legal documents which connect you to an ancestor
who is listed with a roll number and a blood degree from the Final Rolls of
Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes, Cherokee Nation.
Application forms for CDIB and Tribal
Membership are available on-line (in pdf format) from the Cherokee Nation Registrar's office.
Tribal Memberships:
To be eligible for Tribal Membership with the
Cherokee Nation, you must first be able to present a Certificate of Degree of
Indian Blood (CDIB), issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
To obtain Cherokee Tribal Membership, you must formally
apply through the Cherokee Nation -- Office of the Registrar.
Application forms for CDIB and Tribal Membership are
available on-line (in pdf format) from the Cherokee Nation Registrar's office.
The acceptable legal documents which may
prove your ancestry, must be drawn exclusively from Primary Sources to be able
to obtain CDIB or Tribal Membership.
As you trace your
family, you will want to research and collect certain kinds of documents, which
prove that you are legally related to a particular individual, and that
one-generation is legally related to another. You may also want to include other
information, which reflects the character and personal details of your
ancestors’ lives.
Genealogical
Documents Fall Into Two Basic Categories:
1. Primary Source
Documents: Generally defined as “government records made at the time of the
event, by the parties involved. These are the only
sources accepted for CDIB or Tribal Membership.
2. Secondary Source Documents: These include just about every kind of printed
material that doesn’t come from government records, but from information that
was published or recorded at the time that your ancestors were living. These
secondary sources are strongly encouraged, as this is the kind of information,
which reflects the character, and personal details of your ancestors’ lives.
It renders your genealogy less mechanical in nature, and more like a story of
your family history.
PRIMARY
SOURCE DOCUMENTS
1. Birth
Records:
From 1908 to
1916 only sketchy records are available in Oklahoma.
From 1916 through
to the present records Vital Records are searched by name, by county, by date of
birth. NOTE: Before 1947, all birth records are filed under
the father's name. After 1947, all birth records are filed under the child's
name.
Division of
Vital Records
Oklahoma State Dept. of Health
100 NE 10th Ave.
P. O. Box 53551
Oklahoma City, OK 73152-3551
Birth Affidavits
for Minor Cherokee born (1902 –1906) were included in the Dawes Applications,
and are available from:
Oklahoma
Historical Society
2100 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4997
Guion Miller
Applications also include birth dates and proof of family relationships. These
are available from:
John Vaughn
Library/Ballanger Room
NSU (Northeastern State University
Tahlequah,
OK 74464
2. Death
Records:
From 1908 to
1916 only sketchy records are available in Oklahoma.
Some death
records were also recorded in the Dawes and Guion Miller Applications.
3. Marriage
Records:
Marriage Records
are usually available from the county clerk in the county where the marriage
occurred.
Some marriages
of Cherokee Citizens were also recorded in the Dawes and Guion Miller
Applications.
4. Census
Records
Oklahoma Federal
Census Records are available for the years 1900-1930.
5. Probate
Records:
Wills, estates,
guardianship and other legal papers should be available from the county court
clerks office.
6. Land
Records and Plats:
Purchase and
sale of property usually record residency and marital relationships.
Available from
county clerks office.
Cherokee
allotment Plats of 1906 were recorded and available at the Cherokee County
Clerks Office Tahlequah, OK.
Allotment
information is also available in book form
at the Rudsill Branch of the Tulsa Public Library System, Tulsa OK.
7. Military
Records:
These records
include muster-in and muster-out dates, pay vouchers, pension papers, military
bounty and land warrants.
These records
are available from:
National Archives & Records Service
8th and Pennsylvania, NW
Washington, DC 20408
8. Church
Records:
These records
often contain birth, death, marriage and funeral information.
Another good
source is the book: A Guide to Cherokee Documents in the North-eastern United
States by Sr. Paul Kutsch this book is available on microfilm from the Oklahoma
Historical Society.
9. Court
Records:
These Civil and
Criminal records are kept on the county level from the date the county was
formed to present.
May also be
found in the circuit or superior court where the event occurred.
SECONDARY
SOURCE DOCUMENTS
1. Bible
Records:
Include Photo copy
of the page showing publisher, date of publication, pages showing names, dates
and event. Also identify and not current location and owners of the family
bible.
2. Obituaries:
Include name of
newspaper and location. Most public libraries maintain archives of local
newspapers.
Date and Identify
3. Newspaper
Clippings
Include name of
newspaper and location. Anniversaries, biographical sketches, awards, marriage
and other noteworthy events are frequently published in local papers.
Date and Identify
4. Family
Histories/ Genealogies:
Published family
genealogies are especially valuable. Include photocopy of the title page,
publisher, date of publication and not direct ancestral descent. Identify and
not the current location and owners of the book
Date and Identify
5. County
Histories/Portraits and Biographical Histories:
Many Oklahoma
counties have at least one history with biographical information.
Published works
– date and identified)
6. Personal
Papers:
Un-published
records include personal letters, diaries, journals, reunion records, and
manuscripts.
Many un-published
Cherokee documents are indexed in Kristen L. Southwell’s Cherokee Nation
Papers, Inventory and index, that is available from:
University of
Oklahoma Western History Collections
630 Parrington Oval - Room 452
Norman, OK 73019
7. Tombstone
Inscriptions:
Include
names and location of cemetery. Make
copy of headstone inscription either by photograph or transcribing.
As
you obtain these documents you will need a place to transcribe the information
found for each person and make it easier to work with. You will find on
the Cherokee Nation Genealogy page links to several places where you will find
printable family group sheet and several other forms that will help you sort
this information into a workable form.
