First Families of the Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee National Historical Society is pleased to offer charter life memberships in the First Families of the Cherokee Nation. This unique organization is operated under the auspices of the Cherokee National Historical Society as a means of recognizing the families who formed the Cherokee Nation. In addition to Cherokee citizens, there were intermarried whites, whites living under permit, Freedmen, and others.

Eligibility: Membership is limited to those persons able to document that their ancestor was a lawful resident of the Cherokee Nation East or West before the time of removal on the Trail of Tears, 1838-1839.

Instructions: To receive membership in the First Families of the Cherokee Nation you must complete the application. Anyone who is a tribal member of the Cherokee Nation is automatically entitled to join simply by completing the application and the lineage chart and enclosing a copy of their tribal membership card, however they still must submit their ancestry back to 1838. For those persons without tribal membership, the documents listed below will serve as acceptable proof of residency in the Cherokee Nation.

First Families of the Cherokee Nation Specific Sources of Proof: Photocopies of all verifying materials accompanying the application will be required. No original copies of documents should be sent. Please underline all pertinent information in red, such as name of ancestor, birth date, etc. Do not use a highlighter because it will render the information illegible if microfilmed. We encourage the use of extra sheets of paper or family group sheets to include, when known, names of all children in all generations in direct descent, and whom they married, down to and including your own family.

PRIMARY SOURCES are defined as contemporary and/or government records made at the time of the event by the parties involved. These records are deemed acceptable in proving relationship from one generation to another.

1. Birth Records. Oklahoma birth records have been kept since 1925 and are available from the Division of Vital Records; Oklahoma State Dept. of Health; 100 N. E. 10th Ave.; P. O. Box 53551; Oklahoma City, OK 73152-3551. Birth Affidavits for Minor Cherokees are included in the Dawes Applications available from the Oklahoma Historical Society; 2100 N. Lincoln Blvd.; Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4997. Guion Miller Applications include birthdates and proof of family relationships, available from the John Vaughn Library; Ballenger Room; Northeastern State University; Tahlequah, OK 74464 and the Oklahoma Historical Society, address above.

2 Death Records. Oklahoma death records have been kept since 1920. County probate records have been kept since statehood in 1907. Cherokee dates of death are recorded in the Dawes and Guion Miller Applications obtainable from the Oklahoma Historical Society and Northeastern State University, address above.

3. Marriage Records. Oklahoma marriage records are available from the county court clerk in the county where the marriage occurred. Marriage records are usually complete from the formation of each county except in case of courthouse fires, etc. Cherokee marriages are also recorded in the Dawes and Guion Miller Applications.

4. Census Records. Oklahoma Federal Census records are available 1900-1920. All Cherokee Rolls and Censuses and their availability are listed in Exploring Your Cherokee Ancestry, by Tom Mooney. This book may be obtained from the Cherokee Heritage Center Gift Shop; P. O. Box 515; Tahlequah, OK 74465 for $12.50 (price includes shipping).

5. Probate Records. Wills/estates. Guardianships, available from county court clerks. Records begin with formation of counties.

6. Land Records & Plats. Purchase or sale of property shows residency and marital relationships. Available from time of county's formation. Cherokee Allotment Plats show location of Cherokee Allotments awarded in 1906. Available for research in bookform at Rudisill Branch of the Tulsa Library, Tulsa, OK.

7. Military Records. Records include muster-in and muster-out, pay vouchers, pension papers, military bounty land warrants (before 1856) for WWI (1914-1918); Spanish-American War (1898-1899); Civil War (1861-1865); Indian & Other Wars (1816-1898); Mexican War (1845-1849); War of 1812 (1812-1815); Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Records available from the National Archives & Records Service; 8th and Pennsylvania, N. W.; Washington, D. C. 20408.

8. Church Records. Church records often contain birth, death, marriage, and funeral information of their membership. Missionary Journals are indexed in the book, A GUIDE TO CHEROKEE DOCUMENTS IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, by Sr. Paul Kutsch available on microfilm from the Oklahoma Historical Society.

9. Court Records. Civil and criminal records begin from formation of the county and may be located in circuit court or superior court where the event occurred.

Supplemental or secondary Sources in print that do not come from a contemporary or government record. The inclusion of these records is encouraged. Photocopies of these materials will provide valuable material for future generations using this permanent file:

1. Bible Records. Date and/or updated. Include photocopy of the page showing publisher, date of publication, and the actual pages showing names, dates, and events. Identify current owners of Bible when known.

2. Obituaries. Dated and identified, when known, name of the newspaper and location. Most libraries contain copies of local newspapers.

3. Newspaper clippings. Dated and identified, when known, name of newspaper and location. Clippings may include anniversaries, biographical sketches, awards, marriage notices, reminiscences, etc.

4. Family Histories/Genealogies Published. When submitting this type of material include a copy of the title page, photocopies showing direct ancestral descent and state location of this book.

5. County Histories/Portraits and Biographical Histories, Published. Many Oklahoma counties have at least one history with biographical sketches.

6. Personal Papers. Unpublished written data include letters, diaries, journals, reunion records, and manuscripts. Many of the Cherokee paper are indexed in Kristine L. Southwell's CHEROKEE NATION PAPERS, INVENTORY AND INDEX, available from the University of Oklahoma Western History Collections; 630 Parrington Oval, Room 452; Norman, OK 73019.

Tombstone Inscriptions. Submit photographs or transcriptions of the stone. Also include the name and location of the cemetery. Many Cherokee inscriptions are listed in Tyner and Timmons' OUR PEOPLE AND WHERE THEY REST, available from the Cherokee Heritage Center Gift Shop, address above. Other sources would be published lists of cemeteries within the counties and cities of the Cherokee Nation, i.e., TALKING TOMBSTONES, by Ruby Cranor transcribes headstones of Washington County, OK.

Certification: Your proof must be sufficient to prove that the person you claim membership through is unquestionably your direct ancestor. Collateral lines through brothers or sisters of your ancestor are not acceptable. You should include documents to show your relationship to your ancestor for each generation. For non-tribal members this proof will include birth and death certificates and other official sources. Tribal members may submit a copy of their membership card, but must still provide a copy their lineage to 1838. Information found in Emmet Starr's History of the Cherokee Indians or Starr's Notes will generally be sufficient for this latter requirement. We ask that tribal members make every effort to include date and place of birth and death for each individual. The Cherokee National Historical Society will be responsible for certifying all applications and may request additional information when needed. Eligibility will be determined by the Cherokee National Historical Society. The committee's decision will be final. Fees: Only one ancestor will be inscribed per life certificate. Certification costs for each ancestor is a $25.00 non-returnable fee. Submitted Materials: All materials submitted will become the property of the Cherokee National Historical Society and may be made available to genealogical researchers and/or published. It should also be understood that this membership is separate from membership in the Cherokee Nation.

Charter Memberships will be offered through December 31, 1998, the 160th anniversary of the year the removal began, after which regular memberships will be issued. All charter members names will be on permanent display in the archives and history room of the Cherokee Heritage Center, Tahlequah. For further research information or for further assistance, contact the Cherokee National Historical Society Genealogy Office; P. O. Box 515; Tahlequah, OK 74465, you may also e-mail tsalagi@netsites.net. Phone requests to 1-918-456-6007 or fax 1-918-456- 6165. Please submit a self-addressed stamped envelope when requesting an application form.

Click here to see current members and ancestors

Charter Life Membership is extended through December 31, 1999