The first residents of North America primarily kept records through oral histories, multi-generational sharing of histories through storytelling and family relationships and intermarriages.  While there are hundreds of federally-recognized tribes, there are also broad, general areas that can direct aspects of research.  Knowing the geographic location of ancestral families can help to identify tribal connections.  From knowing these potential tribal connections, specific record groups such as special Indian censuses, enrollment lists and tribal membership information can be utilized.  As some Indians also held land, converted to Christianity, and had business relationships, other records can be helpful in placing these families in time and location.

While these families can be research challenges, as oral history and stories are foundational and there are often limited records, learning about tribal customs and naming patterns, lifestyles and movements, can help to locate fur trade, farming, military and other records that can help in locating family groups.  Beginners will learn how to discern whether the family myth about a Native ancestor may be real and where to look, while more advanced beginners and intermediate researchers can begin to discover how to locate records unique to certain tribal membership requirements or resources.  Learn how to use geography, tribal resources, historic records. 

Please register below and you will be sent a Zoom meeting link one day prior to the event.