Tracing Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes [Paperback]

Rachal Mills Lennon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 4, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0806316888 | ISBN-13: 978-0806316888

This new work, Tracing Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes, is designed to eliminate speculation and help you determine the truth about your possible links to the Cherokees, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks, or Seminoles. It focuses on the toughest period to research--the century or so prior to the removal of the Southeastern nations to Indian Territory (the point at which records were regularly maintained). It provides the cultural, genealogical, and historical background needed to turn family stories into proved lineages. And it outlines a method of research that will take you as far back as the colonial and early federal periods and forward to the great tribal enrollment records of the late nineteenth century.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Rare is the reference librarian who has not encountered a question like, "My great-grandmother was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian princess. How do I find the tribal roll that lists her name?" Lennon (Florida's Unfortunates) explains that problems often arise in this type of research because family tradition doesn't match the time when the Native American ancestor actually lived and because many obscure resources go unexplored. A healthy start to avoiding such problems is to research the family outside of the Indian tradition, learning as much as possible about the customs and political realities of the area where the ancestor resided. Focusing on the Five Civilized Tribes of the Southeast (the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole), Lennon details the often-overlooked resources in U.S. and international archives covering the years prior to the tribes' removal to Indian Territory. She notes that many early white interactions with tribes came in the form of trade or religious instruction and emphasizes that researchers should investigate all extant records related to those endeavors, as well as slave-related records for those of African-Indian descent. She also overviews the popular federal records (such as the Guion Miller Enrollment Records) and discusses valuable but obscure federal records. Reference notes and an index round out the book, but it is the excellent bibliography that readers should closely peruse as it lists histories, memoirs, archival guides, manuscript collections, and record transcriptions that could add historical and cultural depth to one's research. Other helpful general guides such as the Native American Genealogical Sourcebook focus on familiar records, but Lennon's book provides guidance in an area of research not well addressed in the current literature and is therefore highly recommended for public and genealogical libraries. Elaine M. Kuhn, Allen Cty. P.L., Ft. Wayne, IN
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: Genealogical Publishing Company (December 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806316888
• ISBN-13: 978-0806316888
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #171,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE Book for Tracing Undocumented Native Americans in the South, February 27, 2008

By 

Carolyn Earle Billingsley (Saline County, Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tracing Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes (Paperback)

A great many Native Americans who belonged to the Five Civilized Tribes were never offically enrolled. Researchers who want to find their American Indian heritage are left completely empty-handed and confused after they've checked the usual records for the Five Civilized Tribe and come up empty-handed.

Lennon, an obviously gifted researcher and historian, has written THE definitive book for understanding how to find the records that might lead you to finding those non-enrolled American Indians.

If you're looking for an individual or family who was thought to be or known to be a member or members of these tribes, but you cannot locate them in the obvious records, buy this book. It's the only one of its kind and is invaluable in understanding the realities of Indian research in the South.

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Civilized Tribes research, December 25, 2011

By 

Mary - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tracing Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes (Paperback)

If you have ancestry in the South in the late 1700s and early 1800s and are searching for your mythical Indian Princess, this work is a must have for your library. Ms. Lennon packed a ton of information into the 156 pages of this book.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!!!, October 24, 2009

By 

Alice M., Smith "Nancy Battle" (Oakley CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Tracing Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes (Paperback)

It was great! It was delivered on time & had no problems ordering!!!

Thank You!!
Alice Helton Smith