To Find My Past

[Caitrianna]

I am trying to find my Mother's and Father's side of the family. They both tell me I am part Indian and I am trying to find out where. My Grandmother, now deceased, says that her mother was full blooded Indian, so that would make me 1/8 Indian and able to go to college for less. But I am finding it hard because all of the people are now gone that could help me.

[JudithM]

You don't say where your parents and grandparents were born but to prove this story you will need to build your tree back from known facts just as we all need to do to avoid mistakes. If in England and Wales you can get your parent's birth certificates which should show their mothers' maiden names. Marriage certificates for your grandparents should give their fathers' names and occupations. If you can then find your grandmother's birth record that will give her mother's maiden name. BUT I'm wondering if you are in a different country as I wasn't aware that college fees were reduced for Indian descendants in this country?

[Caitrianna]

Hi Judith, I believe there is a grant in some states for Native American descendants to go to college. But it only goes to the 1/8th or the 1/16th generation. I would have to look that part up again and you have to know what tribe and if they were on the rosters. That is what I am trying to find out. I was told that she was an Indian Princess, but I am not sure if it is from Missouri or Kansas. I was also told that part of that family was lost in the Trail of Tears. I don't think a lot of them had birth certificates though. I have her married name and her husbands. And I have his parents names. But I don't have any further on her family. I get stopped all the time. So I continue to look. Thanks for the comments.

[Katarzyna]

Welcome to the site Caitrianna.

There is some good advice here:

https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/American_Indian_Genealogy

If you google Native American Genealogy there are several sites that may be of help to you.
For example:

http://www.narf.org/nill/resources/roots.htm

http://www.native-languages.org/genealogy.htm

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/

http://www.indians.org/articles/native-american-genealogy.html

and a forum:

http://genforum.genealogy.com/ai/

[PhotoFamily]

Welcome to tFTF, Caitrianna
US census is available up to and including 1940. Hopefully your parents &/or grandparents were living at the time of that census.

Familysearch.org provides a free index to US censuses. Your local public library may provide free access to a limited edition of Ancestry.com &/or HeritageQuest - which would give you full access to those censuses.

You may sign up for two weeks free access to Ancestry.com - be sure to cancel at the end of those two weeks or you will pay a charge!

You may post names & Date of Birth (DOB) and Place of Birth (POB) here, and we may be able to find individuals for you -but remember, FTF does not permit posting names of living persons!

Finally, there are organizations that may be local to you that may assist you in person: Family History Centers are often willing to help anyone get started - you may need to make an appointment. They are usually listed on Familysearch.org's website. Sometimes there's a local genealogical society (GenSoc) which may offer assistance. Your local library may know about them, or try googling Genealogical Society and your city's name and see what shows up.

Happy Hunting!