Genealogy Resources

Before opening a single database, write down every name, date, and place your family already knows. Maiden names, approximate birth years, counties, and oral traditions all matter. Each scrap of information is a potential search term. Many beginners waste hours searching without first recording what they already have.

The Dawes Final Rolls (1898–1914) are the starting point for nearly all Cherokee genealogy research. If your ancestor was a Cherokee Nation citizen during that period, they should appear here. Search by surname at the National Archives, OHS, FamilySearch, or Fold3. Note the roll number and enrollment type — Cherokee by Blood, Delaware, Freedmen, or Intermarried White.

A Dawes Roll number is just the beginning. Each applicant has an enrollment jacket — a file containing their original application, testimony transcripts, a census card listing family members, and often correspondence. These jackets frequently contain the richest genealogical detail of any single record. Order them from the National Archives at Kansas City or view digitized versions on Fold3.

Before the Dawes Roll there were earlier Cherokee census rolls that can extend your tree back decades. Key rolls include: the Old Settler Roll (1851), the Drennen Roll (1852), the Chapman Roll (1851), and the Tompkins Roll (1867). Each documents Cherokee citizens at a different point in time, and cross-referencing them can confirm lineages and reveal maiden names.

For ancestry predating the Trail of Tears (1838–1839), look to eastern Cherokee records: the Henderson Roll (1835), the Mullay Roll (1848), and missionary records from the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Guion Miller Applications (1906–1910) are also invaluable — applicants claiming Eastern Cherokee descent submitted detailed family histories going back generations.

If your research points to the Goingsnake or adjacent Flint and Illinois Districts, seek out district-level records at NARA Kansas City: land allotment case files, district court dockets, probate records, and marriage registers. The OHS Research Center in Oklahoma City holds administrative records from the Cherokee Nation's district government.

The Cherokee Phoenix (1828–1834) is digitized and fully searchable. The Indian Chieftain and Cherokee Advocate newspapers are held by OHS and contain obituaries, land notices, legal announcements, and community news that can fill critical gaps. Published county histories for Adair and Cherokee Counties in Oklahoma often contain biographical sketches of early families.

Our Surnames Index documents Cherokee family names with connections to the Goingsnake District, including historical notes, notable family members, and Dawes Roll status. If your family surname is in the district, it may already be indexed. If not, you can submit it to grow the resource for other researchers.

If you've worked through the steps above and still have gaps, our volunteer researchers may be able to help. Submit a research request through the form below — describe what you've found and what you're looking for, including any roll numbers or record references. We'll do our best to point you toward the right records.