Finding your American Indian ancestors

@dm74728 (159)
United States
January 20, 2007 11:11pm CST
I am trying to find my ancestors on the Cherokee rolls so that me and my children can get a CDIB card. It is just so hard. My Grandma tried to get my Grandpa to let her get them the house and land that they were entitled to and he wouldn't hear of it. She was never to mention her relatives again as her mother had some chilren out of wedlock and back then it was really looked down on. So our chances of finding information seemed to have died with her. I have all the books with the roll numbers but no one knows what name the roll number was under. Has anyone gone through this? How long did you have to search? I have been on so many websites and they seem to have different opinions on the requirements for getting a roll number. If anyone has firsthand information I would appreciate it.
1 person likes this
1 response
@GardenGerty (157674)
• United States
21 Jan 07
I may not be much help, as what I have heard is second hand. Friends of mine on the Cherokee rolls said that some of the Cherokee tribes in the mountains refused to register on the Dawes rolls. If your relatives are not on the rolls, then you cannot get a CDIB card. I hope I am wrong, as my daughter in law has cherokee anscestors. You need to check your geneaology and find someone who would have been living in 1907 or earlier. That is the relative that would be on the rolls.