Tracing Native American ancestry is a complex endeavor that requires integrating DNA testing with cultural awareness and historical context. Collaborating with tribal resources can lead to more comprehensive results and create opportunities for positive outcomes.
Findings from one study show that for some young women, a desire for cultural connection and feelings of responsibility informed qualities they sought in their romantic and reproductive partners.
Know the Tribes
A tribe is a political group of families (clans and lineages) united by shared history, culture, language or religion. There are 573 federally recognized tribes in the United States, and many more indigenous groups have either been state-recognized or are seeking official recognition. Each tribe has its website with contact information for volunteer researchers and professional researchers and resources that can assist in researching tribal connections. There are also pages for each state and province with links to those tribes that have a historical connection to the state.
The first step in identifying an ancestor’s tribe is knowing where the family lived. This can be determined through standard genealogy research or by examining historical documents such as land and church records.
Other sources that can help identify a tribe include the Indian census rolls (1885-1940), which provide a wide range of information, including tribe, degree of Indian blood, ward status, marital status, and place of residence. Online sites offer free access to these census records and their corresponding images.
Another valuable resource was published in Bulletin 145 of the Bureau of American Ethnology in 1953. This manuscript provided a breakdown of the tribal groups by state, with each page providing a brief ethnological description of the tribes and references to other works on Native Americans.
Know Yourself
Many people have family stories about Native American ancestry and cherish them as part of their identities. These stories can help provide clues to other research areas, but they are not the only way to establish a connection with Native American heritage.
One of the best ways to discover whether you have Native American ancestry is through DNA testing. Ideally, test yourself, your parents and your siblings (if available). If you know any other relatives who have tried, ask them to do the same if your relatives share a segment of DNA associated with Native American heritage that indicates a common ancestor who contributed that portion of their DNA to you.
Another way to identify a potential Native American ancestor is by looking at the ancestral map provided by the Department of the Interior. This map highlights areas of the country where various tribes are located. It also includes a list of tribal nations, some agencies and reservations, records jurisdictions and types, and links to other resources.
If you find an ancestor on the rolls, contact the tribal entity to learn more about how they determine membership and their research process. Sometimes, a person may have a connection that does not appear on their genealogical record because the ancestor was far back in their lineage and did not pass along any DNA, or they inherited such a small amount from the ancestor that it did not show up in their tests.
Know the People
Even though DNA tests can reveal Indigenous ancestry, it’s important to understand that being Native American isn’t simply a matter of genetics. Just like countries outline processes for citizenship, individual Indigenous North American Nations, Tribes, or Bands determine their own rules for becoming a member. In most cases, being a member requires documented descent from an enrolled relative.
This web page from the Department of the Interior provides a general overview of questions about genealogy and tribal enrollment. It is a great place to start.
You can also learn more by visiting your local public library and checking out the genealogy collection. Most libraries have a variety of books about conducting genealogy and also offer research workshops.
Their online searchable database is a good place to find information about a specific tribe and period. It can help you locate historical records from Bureau of Indian Affairs agencies and reservations, church, census, annuity, allotment, school, military, and removal records. It also contains helpful links to resources for finding an enrolled relative or learning about a particular tribe. You can also use the search option to help you narrow down your research. This will save you time by highlighting only the records that pertain to your region.
Know Your Purpose
Having a purpose when working with tribal communities can help foster trust and cross-cultural understanding. For example, a biologist works with shellfish biologists and fishermen to ensure that traditional knowledge is included in fishery co-management programs that engage non-Tribal residents. This information informs decisions regarding shared quota allocations, which can impact all parties.
A purpose can also include collaborating with tribal partners to support cultural preservation efforts. For example, some sites are currently partnering with Native American tribes to support the creation of a new map tool that allows people to see the location of Tribal connections to specific national parks and public lands. This map will improve the efficiency of agency-Tribal coordination, collaboration and consultation by federal treaty and resource management responsibilities.
The most important thing for people exploring their possible connection to a Native community is to be cautious and understand how their research may be viewed. The research process is a journey that takes time and patience. For this reason, it is best only to pursue tribal research when you can provide strong evidence of a recent connection to the individual for whom you are researching.
The first step is to establish that you have a documented lineal ancestor who was an American Indian or Alaska Native. Then, you can work with a tribe to explore their records to determine if you qualify for enrollment.
