Doris-- Sugar Loaf was in the Choctaw/Chickasaw area of Indian Territory (see map of the Choctaw Nation at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~itchocta/choc_map.htm). The 1890 census shows that the population of the Chickasaw Nation was more than 89% non-Indian, and the 1885 Choctaw Nation census shows that their population was 66% non-Indian. Since John Chapman married in Lumpkin Co GA, which was over 200 miles from the pre-1830 domain of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations (they were removed from MS/AL into I.T. in 1830/32), then I would not expect him to have any connections to those tribes. The nearest tribe to Lumpkin County would be the Cherokees. If he was Cherokee and they remained in the east after the 1838 Trail of Tears (an option that they had under Article #12 of the 1835 Treaty of New Echota), then he and/or his family will be shown on the 1851 Siler and the1852 Chapman rolls. In case you didn't know it, the GA law said that the marriage had to take place in the county of residence of the bride, so that may give you a clue. BUT-- be VERY careful about saying that "I know for a FACT"! The only people who "know for a fact" about an 1828 event are DEAD! "Pictures" mean-- nothing! Because of their lack of makeup, working in the garden or fields before sun-screen was even thought of-- causes most of the pre-1900 photos to be very misleading; in our eyes (today) "everyone looks Indian" in them. All that matters are-- the facts. It would be very difficult for the Crowders or Childers to prove an 1828 relationship to the Cherokee tribe, because I have done some Crowder research (my niece)- and there was no Crowders (or Childers, for that matter-- I just checked) listed on the pre-removal 1835 census of the Cherokees. While the Cherokees are very flattered to be "the 1990's race of choice" in all of the United States (University study says that 60% of the population believes that they have Cherokee ancestry), we do know that many times it's just easier to say "Cherokee" than try to explain where (for example) the Wea or Kickapoo Tribes were from! There were over 500 Indian tribes and bands here when "Columbus got lost"-- and it would be a simple mathematical impossibility for 60% of the U.S. to be descendants of the Cherokee Tribe. Lots of luck in doing your research- just thought I would throw in these comments and I do hope they will help you get on the right track. Jerri Doris wrote- > I have been trying to research my Chapman genealogy. The story is that > Arterberry Chapman was "Indian" and I have always believed this because of > features of our family. I have found Arterberry in Sugar Loaf County in 1895, > but I understand that this is not a true indication that he was Native > American. <snip>