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How to Find Native American Ancestors Using the 20th Century U.S. Census and U.S., Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940

This article is primarily for novice family history researchers and aspiring genealogists who are researching their Native American ancestry. However, it can be beneficial for all who desire to find their native ancestors by searching the U.S. Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 and the U.S. census collections. The research process [link] is the same no matter the family's background and ethnicity. The research process includes: 1) Identify what you know about your family 2) Decide what you want to learn about one of your ancestors 3) Select records to search 4) Obtain and search the record 5) Use the information. Throughout the research process it is best to keep a record of when, where, and what was found onto a research log [link] for each family.

Step 1: Identify the known facts about the ancestor (background research)

As with any genealogical research, it is best to go from the known to the unknown. Known information will provide clues that will help with the research plan before beginning the actual research. This preliminary or background research is important for any family history research; but critical for Native American ancestry research! Collecting what family knows will not be a one time event. As with any ethnicity, collecting what is known by family members will be an ongoing process for many years to come as one works on family history research.

Therefore, conducting informal interviews for oral histories will be a means to gather what the family members know about their ancestors. Out of these casual conversations or interviews will emerge information about the ancestor's tribal and family traditions, objects as memorabilia associated with a memorable event or an ancestor, the ancestor's tribe(s), and native and American names the ancestor was known as throughout his lifetime.