How Do You Research Native American Ancestors?
You’ve heard stories for years about how a distant relative was Native American. You’ve always wondered if it was true. Curiosity about Native American ancestors is booming, with increasing numbers of people trying to trace their lineage and prove a Native American heritage. Although Native American genealogy is more challenging to research than European ancestry, you can follow these tips to get started. Determine the tribe or tribes you believe you’re descended from, or at least try to narrow down your ancestry to a geographical area. There are more than 600 federally recognized tribes. Check federal records. Census records are a starting point for many genealogical searches, but because of spotty record-keeping practices, U.S. census data was unreliable for Native Americans until very recently. A more reliable resource for Native American records is the National Archives Record Administration (NARA), which includes Indian agent reports by the Bureau of Indian Affair (BIA). Start wit
