User:Jeanettefayemurray/Sandbox/Native American Research

Here are the steps to locate Native American Census records.

5. https://search.ancestry.com/search/group/nativeamerican

6. Don't fill out anything yet. Read over whole page. You will see a wide range of specific information for various tribes. There is also a "How to Research Guide" in a blue box on right side of page that can be downloaded.

7. If nothing matches your tribe, or the information you are looking for, then click on "U.S. Indian census rolls 1885-1940" found in the Data Collection List.

8  Again read entire page before filling anything out to increase your knowledge of how and where to research for your tribe.

9  On right side of page there is a Browse box. Click the down  arrow where it says choose.

10 This will give you lists of all kinds of tribes. This step is just so you know what is out there. If you click on a listing here it will take you to the beginning of the census for that year.

11. To save time go back to the page with the Browse box. Fill out as much information as possible.

12. If you leave the census date boxes empty you will get a listing of all the censuses where that name appears. Remember Indian names can be the same in various tribes, so look at the tribe name after the person name.

13. Then just click on the name for the rest of the information just as you would on any other census type.

HAPPY RESEARCHING!

Additional information you may find helpful.

Indians were given census numbers and the people were listed in the same order every year. A person’s number would stay the same from year to year unless someone with a lower number died, got married, had children. The new number would be because there were less or more people now before him and all the number and all the numbers after him would change accordingly.

Families are listed together. When a woman marries she then gets a new number, the one following her husband's. This information really helps when tracking from year to year.

Tribes took care of their own. If parents died someone would take in the children and the record will show that child adopted. If a spouse dies and there is a remarriage, the children are listed as step children. And you will find family groups with a person, usually a child, living with them but not listed as adopted or as a step child. Don’t automatically assume that this child’s parents died. The child may be living with the family for a variety of reasons including “heritage training”.

On U.S. Federal Censuses (1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940) be sure to look at very bottom of census page. There is usually a block that gives specific additional information. No name may show but line number applies to person with that line number above. The 1930 Census gives percentage of ethnicity for each person, full, 3/4, or 1/2 etc.