To discover your true Cherokee heritage you must understand that the history of the Cherokee Nation.
The tribe was not originally one unified group, but rather separated into bands based on geographic features and language dialects.
Over time, many Cherokee moved from the Southeastern states westward, settling in Arkansas and making treaties with the United States. These Western Cherokee are known as the Old Settlers. Later, in 1838 the majority of Cherokee remaining East of the Mississippi were forcebly removed from their homes and moved to Indian Territory (Oklahoma). Some Cherokee were able to remain in North Carolina and avoided the Trail of Tears, later becoming known as the Eastern Band.
Traditional Cherokee society was matrilineal, with family ties and clan membership under the control of women. Interclan marriage was forbidden, and those born outside of a clan had to be adopted in by a clan mother. This is important to keep in mind when researching your Cherokee ancestry and understanding your family’s ties to the tribe.
If you’re looking to trace your Cherokee ancestry, keep in mind that family stories and traditions can be a good starting point, but may not always be accurate. It’s important to remain open-minded and aware of potential errors that may have been introduced as the story was passed down over generations. For example, ancestors from other tribes are often mistakenly called Cherokee in family lore.
Alternatively, your Cherokee ancestors may have been listed on the rolls of other tribes, or may not have been included at all on U.S. government censuses. In fact, some white people who married into the tribe were later removed from the Cherokee rolls. Similar names, variations in spelling, and changes in surnames can make it even more difficult to trace ancestors accurately.
That said, a great deal of genealogical information was collected, verified, and backed up by witness testimony when the government set out to break up the tribe. This information was used to decide who would be eligible for an allotment of Cherokee land and it can make tracing your Cherokee ancestry much easier.
Sadly, the vast majority of family trees made public on the web are riddled with errors. Yet, those errors are often copied onto other trees with a mouse-click along with incorrect and fabricated stories. It is important to examine the source of all information that you add and make a part of your own family history. In recent years a number of academics, celebrities, and politicians have been spotlighted for their erroneous claims.
Today, the historical Cherokee Nation is divided into three federally recognized tribes: the Eastern Band, the Cherokee Nation, and the United Keetoowah Band. It’s important to understand the differences between these groups and the criteria required for membership, which can vary depending on the tribe.
