Confused...can anybody help?

[cherokeemom06]

Ok, so I've been told years upon years that I have native heritage and had part of it traced back to Pocohontas (please dont laugh or call me a wannabe, I have the family tree somewhere). Well I just recently started tracing the rest because even though I was always told Cherokee, I wanted to make sure and look into getting tribally enrolled for my children's sake. Anyways, I have it traced back to Cherokee ancestors before the Trail of Tears. Here's my problem though. The only one of my ancestor's that made the journey (the rest ran off into the mountains and hid) apparently passed away in OK before the rolls were done because she isn't on it. Her brother is however. Her children (from what I am understanding) were among those who ran off into the mountains and stayed in KY. Since obviously her and her brother have the same parents and bloodline, is there any way for me to receive enrollment even though it isnt a direct bloodline to her brother?

I've been working on tracing this for years with dead ends all over the place. Finally Ive hit a gold mine of information only to be stopped once again.

If not, I wont be heartbroken or anything. I know I'm native and I live the lifestyle. It would just be nice to be able to have it. Thanks if anyone can help me out!

[timmy tiger]

If you found her brother on the rolls in OK. What Rolls were they? If you found them before the trail which was in 1838/1839 and can prove they are siblings. You might want to contact tribal enrollment in OK and find out if they would accept that as proof.

But there were no federal census records back then that listed names other then those of the head of household and there were no birth records as we know them today.

[cherokeemom06]

Found her brother on the Dawes Rolls. I think I'll contact the tribal office. It makes it really hard to prove with no census records or birth records.

[timmy tiger]

Actually there was an 1880 Census done of the Cherokee of OK and one done in 1896 by the NDN agency. But you said that she didn't go on the trail. The dawes rolls were done in 1896-1910 and the census card of that roll lists their parents and their lines.
But that's long after the trail of tears which was in 1838/1839. So if they were siblings, then wouldn't they have lived in the same household? Just wondering.

[cherokeemom06]

According to the information Ive found, she passed away in OK in 1861 in Indian Territory. Just the way it's phrased in the information I've found. She was married to a secondary chief and her parents were Cherokee (Again this is just according the information I've found). So she apparently made the journey but passed away before any of the censuses or rolls were conducted. Her brother is on the rolls however. I have the same issue with her son. One of them is on the Dawes rolls as a parent but the other is not. The one whom I have a direct bloodline with isn't listed. He would have been plenty old enough to be on his own so my guess is he fell off the trail in KY. This is really frustrating.

[Josiah]

According to the information Ive found, she passed away in OK in 1861 in Indian Territory. Just the way it's phrased in the information I've found. She was married to a secondary chief and her parents were Cherokee (Again this is just according the information I've found). So she apparently made the journey but passed away before any of the censuses or rolls were conducted. Her brother is on the rolls however. I have the same issue with her son. One of them is on the Dawes rolls as a parent but the other is not. The one whom I have a direct bloodline with isn't listed. He would have been plenty old enough to be on his own so my guess is he fell off the trail in KY. This is really frustrating.

Direct Line is how they enroll

So the brother was how old in 1900?

[Josiah]

Here is the Documents
To enroll in the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma you must show Direct Lineal Descendancy

[neling4]

Just curious Cherokeemom06, why do you want to be enrolled?

I guess it would be nice to be able to prove that one is part Native, and not Chinese...or Japanese (Those pesky tourists keep talking Japanese to me and asking me to take their photographs, lol!) or Taiwanese, although being told I looked like a "Tai" was a nice compliment from my Taiwanese friend.

Timmy and/or Josiah: Don't you have to have a certain blood quantum, as well as having family on the rolls, to be enrolled in the Cherokee Nation?

[cherokeemom06]

Thats what I thought Josiah. I'm glad you brought up the age thing because I just noticed there is no way that could be her brother. I'm going to keep digging and see what else I come up with. If nothing else I'll have a wealth of knowledge about my past!

[timmy tiger]

According to the information Ive found, she passed away in OK in 1861 in Indian Territory. Just the way it's phrased in the information I've found. She was married to a secondary chief and her parents were Cherokee (Again this is just according the information I've found). So she apparently made the journey but passed away before any of the censuses or rolls were conducted. Her brother is on the rolls however. I have the same issue with her son. One of them is on the Dawes rolls as a parent but the other is not. The one whom I have a direct bloodline with isn't listed. He would have been plenty old enough to be on his own so my guess is he fell off the trail in KY. This is really frustrating.

Okay, wait a minute here. Like we were saying, the trail was in 1838/1839. The Dawes Rolls were in 1896. Now, if she was in OK in 1861 and died there. Where did you find those records and info? There were a couple of Rolls done before the Dawes Rolls. There was the First Settler's Roll's and then the Drennen Rolls of 1851. So if she actually did go on the trail and made it there, then she should be listed on that roll. Also, if her one son was on the Dawes Roll, then there is a Census card on him that will list his parents and if she's his mother, she would be listed on there as such.

Alos, KY has some awesome records. I love doing research in KY, they actually have birth and death records that go all the way back to 1852 (depending on the County and that). You might want to check more into that. Also, they have census records and you might want to look your direct line up on there, if you haven't already, and see what's what.

[cherokeemom06]

Just curious Cherokeemom06, why do you want to be enrolled?

I guess it would be nice to be able to prove that one is part Native, and not Chinese...or Japanese (Those pesky tourists keep talking Japanese to me and asking me to take their photographs, lol!) or Taiwanese, although being told I looked like a "Tai" was a nice compliment from my Taiwanese friend.

Timmy: Don't you have to have a certain blood quantum, as well as having family on the rolls, to be enrolled in the Cherokee Nation?

Neling, honestly the biggest reason is for the kids. If they want to be enrolled when they get older, I want it to be easier for them to do it. I don't need a federal agency telling me whether I'm native or not. It would also be nice to be able to "prove" to the ones who think they are hot stuff because they have a card in their pocket. You know the type...."You're not native because you're not enrolled..."

[timmy tiger]

Just curious Cherokeemom06, why do you want to be enrolled?

I guess it would be nice to be able to prove that one is part Native, and not Chinese...or Japanese (Those pesky tourists keep talking Japanese to me and asking me to take their photographs, lol!) or Taiwanese, although being told I looked like a "Tai" was a nice compliment from my Taiwanese friend.

Timmy and/or Josiah: Don't you have to have a certain blood quantum, as well as having family on the rolls, to be enrolled in the Cherokee Nation?

The EBC has a blood quantum requirement. But the CNO doesn't, that's what the difference is, really.

[neling4]

The EBC has a blood quantum requirement. But the CNO doesn't, that's what the difference is, really.

Ahhh! Thanks! That must be why the fellow at the Museum in Cherokee kept telling me to "Go to Tahlequah!". I thought he was just trying to brush me off. LOL!

[neling4]

Well, I wish you luck Cherokeemom06! Researching the Native branch of my family has been a real bear.

[timmy tiger]

Ahhh! Thanks! That must be why the fellow at the Museum in Cherokee kept telling me to "Go to Tahlequah!". I thought he was just trying to brush me off. LOL!

He was probably telling you that the records might be there for you to find. That they probably don't have the ones that you are looking for.