Researching Native American Heritage

Researching Native American ancestry can be difficult for several reasons:

Multiple legal and other definitions of what constitutes a Native American or American Indian
Differing levels of legal recognition of tribes; some may be recognized on the state level but not the federal level, some may not be recognized at all
Necessary record collections scattered among various agencies and locations
Lack of remote access to necessary records collections
Problem of DNA testing as it relates to Native American culture (see DNA tab)

Below is a brief overview of available resources for researching native American ancestry, including a look at the issues with DNA testing.

DNA

For several reasons, DNA tests are not always accurate measures of Native American ancestry:

Home testing kits are not advanced enough to give an accurate result.
DNA is often less important to Native American cultural identity than community relationships, shared experiences, and long-standing traditions.
Sovereign tribal nations determine their own criteria for tribal membership; genetics may not be part of the requirements, or they may use different kinds of genetic testing.
A person may have a Native American ancestor and not have inherited any DNA from them, or inherited such a small amount that it does not show up in test results.

Resources

DNA tests stand on shaky ground to define Native American identity - From the National Human Genome Research Institute
Native American DNA - From Ancestry.com
Tribal Enrollment and Genetic Testing - From the American Indian & Alaska Native Genetics Resource Center
Can a DNA test make me Native American? - All My Relations Podcast, Episode #4

BPL Resources

Native American Genealogy

Books and other resources at the BPL related to Native American genealogy research.

View Full List

Government Resources

Indian Census Rolls

The Indian Census schedules were census rolls that were generally submitted each year from 1885-1940 by the government officials that were in charge of Indian reservations. The information on the rolls will vary by year as the questions changed. Only people who had a formal affiliation with a federally supervised tribe are included in these records.

Indian Census of the United States - 1885-1940 - Digitized records on the Internet Archive
Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 - Information from NARA

Dawes Rolls

Also called: Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory or Dawes Commission of Final Rolls.
Lists of people accepted between 1898 and 1914 by the Dawes Commission as members of the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes.

Dawes Rolls - Information from NARA

More Records and Guides

American Indian Records in the National Archives - From the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Bureau of Indian Affairs Photographs Finding Aid - Includes over 18,000 photographs from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Record Group 75)
U.S. Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs - Genealogy - Provides links to guides and resources
U.S. Department of the Interior - Trace Indian Ancestry - Provides information about how to trace Native American ancestry
Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Commission on Indian Affairs - Information about and links to various resources
The CCC Indian Division - Article from Prologue Magazine, formerly published by NARA

Websites

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe- Enrollment - Information about enrolling in the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
National Conference of State Legislatures- Federal and State Recognized Tribes - Listings of tribes recognized on the Federal and State level.
Native Nations of New England - Research guide from the New England Historic Genealogical Society
Our Mother Tongues- Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project - Information about efforts of the Wampanoag to learn their native language.
The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) - Official website