^Yeah, I have the name (but I think it's the married name) of my great-great grandmother who was full-blood Cherokee. I think that I may have to do some traveling and hands-on research this summer. My aunt (who was born on a reservation in Cherokee, Oklahoma) has done this and came up empty handed but I feel such an overwhelming push to do it... there's no going back. My great-great grandmother's body was exhumed by her father and buried with her people (in Talequah, Oklahoma... Cherokee Nation) and my grandmother says that my great-grandmother was also buried with her people. I think (but am really not at all certain) that my great-great Grandmother's husband was Creek Indian (at least part). I think that I will go to Talequah this summer and see if I can find anything out. It was too long ago for anyone who may have known her to still be alive, I think. I have to get the correct spelling of her last name to begin with (my aunt with the records had a house fire so everything is boxed up). Here's a little excerpt of the e-mail she sent me:
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The problem has to do with the Dawes Roll. At the time of the Trail of Tears there was not a complete listing of those moved from NC to OK by way of the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee that were forced in that move settled in and around Talequah. Local records from 1840 forward show many of the people bought or traded for property. When the US government established the Dawes Roll to provide restitution to the Cherokee there were of course stipulations. IF the head of the household was a land owner then they had to either give up their land (giving it to the government) to be placed on the Dawes Roll which then gave them privilege to free housing, education, oil rights, etc. If they refused to give up their land they were never recognized as native Cherokee. My great-great grandfather was on the Miller List which was later established for those land owners who refused to give up their land for the government handouts. We have found his name on that list and know that he owned land because I have relatives ...
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