Using Census Records for Research

[hamiller13]

I have a subscription to Ancestry.com and have been doing research for years. I don't like to use other people's tree info as a lot of them don't have any citations to back up their information. I normally rely on census records. Because of discrimination against Natives I have heard that many didn't describe themselves as such on census forms. If that is the case, how do you do research Native bloodlines?

[Jiibay77]

I ran into that myself. Depending on where you are located, there should be some form of Native American roll that was taken in the past. The B.I.A had field offices in many places, so they did take a census record of the Natives inhabiting the areas.

I am from Michigan, and I did find some records that showed my Ancestors as white, but other records that clearly had Native American or Red as their race. It takes some searching. But they are out there.

[hamiller13]

I ran into that myself. Depending on where you are located, there should be some form of Native American roll that was taken in the past. The B.I.A had field offices in many places, so they did take a census record of the Natives inhabiting the areas.

I am from Michigan, and I did find some records that showed my Ancestors as white, but other records that clearly had Native American or Red as their race. It takes some searching. But they are out there.

Thank you, I will look into that.

[Jiibay77]

ou are most welcome. Glad I could be of help. I spent the better part of 5 years sorting through all kinds of data. It can be frustrating, but in the long run very rewarding.


I am now proceeding to my Canadian Ancestors, and that is proving to be an even bigger challenge.

[Denvel]

The US Census reports I have been researching only list White, Black, or Mullato. Plus the use of initials and multiple spellings has made the census a nightmare for me. To add to that my ancestors didn't make it onto all the reports.

I don't think the census takers cared very much.

[hamiller13]

The US Census reports I have been researching only list White, Black, or Mullato. Plus the use of initials and multiple spellings has made the census a nightmare for me. To add to that my ancestors didn't make it onto all the reports.

I don't think the census takers cared very much.

I have found basically the same kind of info. Frustrating!

[AmigoKumeyaay]

Beware of Chasing Wrong Info

I have found basically the same kind of info. Frustrating!

[hamiller13]

LOL... Yeah! Kinda like that!

[Denvel]

HA, That's how I feel.

[Cherokee ghost]

I know that feeling looking at cencus

we were white in some black in others mulatto on some got lucky 1870 we were enumerated as Indian. got a lot of stuff interesting in some we een found a story written in about the town they lived near.

The nationality of the Bradly family was not fully defined. It was well understood that they did not belong to the Anglo-Saxon race. The ancestors of the family claimed to be full-blooded Indians. The first one of the family, of whom I have any recollection, was old Aunt Winney, who had in her features some very striking marks of the Indian race. She lived to be very old and finally committed suicide by hanging herself in the chimney corner, by fastening a hank of thread around the pole, to which the pot-rack hung. This pole was several feet up the chimney, but there were some projecting rocks, upon which she could place her feet

this happened around after 1930 and before 1840

[anishinabealltheway]

I have a subscription to Ancestry.com and have been doing research for years. I don't like to use other people's tree info as a lot of them don't have any citations to back up their information. I normally rely on census records. Because of discrimination against Natives I have heard that many didn't describe themselves as such on census forms. If that is the case, how do you do research Native bloodlines?

In the old censuses nearly all of my family are listed as white despite the fact that they're all full blooded Ojibwa. My family are listed in the Durant rolls with their blood quantum.
Also, my great grandpa x 3 was a civil war scout great x 4 Grampa was a well documented Chief who gave the pigmently challenged a killer bargain for an enormous chunk of Michigan, but I digress. Look at old Indian boarding school rolls, military records and land allotments.

[Cherokee ghost]

I have a subscription to Ancestry.com and have been doing research for years. I don't like to use other people's tree info as a lot of them don't have any citations to back up their information. I normally rely on census records. Because of discrimination against Natives I have heard that many didn't describe themselves as such on census forms. If that is the case, how do you do research Native bloodlines?

from 1840 I think they didnt know how to numerate native Americans,I can trace mine to about 1800, it started with being colored free people, then around 1850 they are mulatto, but after 1860 alot that looked white were white,they if they looked black they were black my 4th GF is black in 1910 then he dies before 1920 his wife is white, only in 1880 or 1870 my ancestors were enumerated as Indian, also before 1840 we got lucky,they Enumerated either my 6th GM or great aunt, but guess they found she was Indian and scratched thru her name, the early years since they didnt know how to enumerate Indians they didnt add them to the census

[docat]

The things I noticed about census records in helping others in genealogy was that NDNs were counted more than any other group. If you go to the Ancestry section of NDN records only, you might find that they counted almost yearly a census of NDN nations. It's pretty easy if your ancestors stayed with the main group. Be careful in your spelling. Sometimes they used an NDN name, sometimes an English and sometimes both. Those enumerators couldn't spell worth crap.

If your ancestor intermarried and/or left the group, it's not as easy. In the general census some years they counted NDNs as "colored" or some other distinctions. Sometimes I've seen "Ind" for race. It wasn't consistent.

What I would do is first check the Native American resources, the censuses they took with the tribal nations. Sometimes they even marked how much NDN blood your ancestor had. 8/8 was a full blood. 7/8 meant he/she had one g-grandparent who was non-NDN...if you were looking for an white or black ancestor, you had that clue.

Another place to go is to a historian of the tribe you belong to. The historian may have access to a census that isn't on ancestry. Also, you can find more recent information on NDNs than the general population. I followed my dad up to the 1950s while the general census available on Ancestry is only to the 1940s.

One often overlooked resource is newspapers. There are newspaper archives out there and a free resource called Chronicling America. The general population loved to read about the NDNs. From about 1830 through modern times, you can find info on individuals that way. I found a TON of info on my family. It was eye opening!

[bowman]

Standing Bear Case/Census

I am probably wrong again, as is usually the case, but as I have heard dumb people get smart by asking dumb questions. I thought Native Americans were usually not included in the US Census, because of a US Supreme Court case--I think part of the name is Standing Bear--that held that "Indians" were not "persons." Could anyone enlighten me about this?

[bowman]

Standing Bear/Census

I need to apologize to everyone. I had my facts wrong. In the Standing Bear case, the holding was that Standing Bear was a person. So I guess what I was remembering was that--before the Standing Bear case--NDNs were not considered "persons." I do not know whether they were included in the US Census or not, before the Standing Bear case. Does someone know about this?