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Article #47: Cherokee Genealogy

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For those of Native American descent, one birth certificate cannot be found, simply
of the easiest genealogies to trace is because the Native name was used. Thus,
Cherokee genealogy. Thanks to the Cherokee genealogy searches often come up
Cherokee being one of the most Anglicized with the dead end of a mysterious name.
of the nations, they put down much more As well, many people claim Cherokee
of their history in writing than many ancestry, but were not actually Cherokee.
other nations. There were many other nations around the
As the Cherokee lived along and near the Cherokee, and some folks would simply
Eastern Seaboard, had much more contact call themselves Cherokee to save a lot of
with white settlers and thus picked up confusion. Thus, a person might have
many more of the white settlers ways. grown up believing they were Cherokee,
Included among these ways was the habit but their Native American grandfather or
of obsessively writing down their births, great-grandmother would not show up on
deaths, and parentage. Though other the Cherokee genealogy. This is a
nations certainly kept track of such strange but very true fact of life for
things, the Cherokee actually put their those who know they are descendents of
genealogy down on paper, allowing later Native Americans, but cannot figure out
generations to trace their lineage. anything past one name.
Thus, Cherokee genealogy is the most However, for those who are Cherokee and
complete of all the Native American know it, and can find the proper names
nations. for their ancestors, Cherokee genealogy
However, just because it is the easiest is very complete. There are many books,
lineage to trace does not mean that it is papers, and websites that are dedicated
actually easy. The record is not to showing family trees. If you can
entirely complete, after all, and there trace the names properly, you will be
are many other problems involved. Not able to go back quite a ways into the
least among this is the fact that many past and find many of your ancestors.
Native Americans used two names in their For those who can manage it, Cherokee
dealings with other people. One was the genealogy is a rich mine of information
name to the tribe. The other was an about the names and places where your
Anglicized name that included a surname. ancestors were born, lived, and died.
It is very difficult to trace one If you have the time and the energy and
particular person, just because one name the knowledge that you need, you can
might show up on one document, and the trace your ancestry back to men and women
other name on another document. Unless a living as natives on the shores of the
person knows both names that the person New World. So give Cherokee genealogy a
went by, this habit could chop off the try figure out that much more about your
family tree at a person whose Anglicized family.
name shows up as a parent, but whose






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