A Student's Guide to Native American Genealogy

E. BARRIE KAVASCH is a research associate at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, CT. She has written and lectured extensively on Native American foods and healing plants. Her other publications include the highly acclaimed book Native Harvests. Of Creek, Cherokee, and Powhatan descent, Ms. Kavasch can trace her own ancestry to the famous daughter of Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas.

Chapter 1. Grandmother Spider's Tangled Web,
Questions of Identity,
The Native American Past,
Native Americans Today,
Resources,
Starting Your Exploration,
Chapter 2. Why Trace Your Roots?
Learning About Your Origins,
Getting Started,
Staying Organized,
Resources,
General Reference Sources,
Getting Started,
Chapter 3. Celebrating Heritage and Diversity,
Where Did It All Begin?
Nontraditional Families,
Adoption,
Resources,
Adoptee Support Organizations,
Information on Adoption,
Chapter 4. A Deeper Sense of History,
Ancient North America,
Native American Culture Areas,
Native American Displacement,
Slavery,
Migration and Extermination,
Canada's First People,
Native American Tribes,
Fight for Rights and Independence,
Native Women Leaders,
Family and Self,
Resources,
Native American Tribes,
Native American Women,
Native Americans Throughout History,
Native American Culture and Traditions,
Legal and Political Issues,
Chapter 5. Tracing Your Family Tree,
Who Is American Indian?
Filling in Your Family Tree,
Family and Tribal Membership,
Tribal Enrollment,
Certificate Document of Indian Blood (cdib),
Folklore and Oral History,
Family Reunions,
Resources,
Genealogy Basics,
Oral History and Traditions,
Films and Videos,
Chapter 6. Genealogical Records and Research,
Library Resources,
Census Records,
Soundex Index,
Native American Names,
Wills and Cemeteries,
Historical and Family Associations,
Records in the National Archives,
Computers and Genealogy,
Resources,
Using Outside Sources,
Names,
Census Records,
Graves and Cemeteries,
National Archives,
National Archives Regional Archives,
Historical Societies, Genealogical Societies, and Libraries,
Computer Genealogy,
Internet Web Sites,
Chapter 7. Native American Records and Documents,
Indian Treaties,
The Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Records of Federally Unrecognized Tribes,
Resources,
Native American Genealogy,
Chapter 8. Preserving What You Find,
Notebooks and Files,
Family Group Sheets and Pedigree Charts,
Your Pedigree Chart,
Essays,
Family History Books,
Resources,
Family Group Sheets and Pedigree Charts,
Preparing a Written Family History,
Native American Biography and Autobiography,
Glossary,
Index,