I chose not to ask for one because one has never been needed. In my lineage I've got Chiefs and other well known relatives. My mother and my father are Cherokees but not full bloods. My Cherokee kin are well known. Sequoyah is related to me. I can certainly meet any requirement and my parents and grandparents are on the Final Rolls.I'm retired from the U. S. Government -DHEW-Indian Health Service and have worked with the Tribes.I volunteered at the State Indian Archives for five years. You can contact Mr. William Welge who is the Director if you'd like to check up on me. I get calls from Washington, D. C. sometimes. I called a County Office one time and gave my name. The girl told me immediately that as much as my family had to do with the beginning of that County I should join. I thought I could be of some assistance to this group but I guess not. I'm sorta well known or rather my name has been slung around. Don Chestnut is my cousin. I married a white man from Alabama so I've had both worlds. If you have a Cherokee Roll book I'll send you all the numbers you need to find my people. I'm also English and well known relatives along with some Kings and Queens which certainly not important and also Scots./I realized I've given you more than you asked for but if you think of anything else you'd like to know just write me. I've been told by people had it not been for me they never would have gotten the things straightened out. Oleta Elizabeth Benge Kite On Fri, 29 Sep 2006 10:28:48 -0500 "James Brown" <patton14@crosstel.net> writes: > This question is none of my business and perhaps unworthy of a > response, but > I'm curious. Did you not obtain a CDIB as a matter of your choice > not to > apply or because you couldn't meet the requirements established by > BIA > and/or tribal membership department? > > > James > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "J W Kite Jr" <obengekite@juno.com> > To: <indian-territory-roots@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006 9:21 AM > Subject: Re: [INDIAN-TERRITORY-ROOTS] Natural Archives closure > > > > Dear Robin, Our family went through this. They were wealthy in the > East > > and my family is pretty well known-written about in many books > and even > > though my Grandfather was one half he was not allowed to be > Guardian for > > his children-had to have whites appointed and yes you can guess > what > > happened. My sister-in-laws cousin married a wealthy Osage and > she had a > > son . She had to get permission to buy him shoes and this happened > in the > > 40s or 50s. In a lot of cases the amount of blood varies because > the > > people did not want to be restricted if they were more than one > fourth. I > > am a Cherokee-volunteered for five years in our State Indian > Archives > > working closely with BIA, etc. in Washington. The Dawes enrollment > was > > for Cherokees who had landed in Indian Territory and this was > between > > 1898 and 1906-anyone born after that could get certified from > either > > parents or grandparents who were on the rolls. I've never gotten a > CDIB > > card but am right at one half. I too am descended from Nancy Ward. > I'm > > also retired from DHEW-Indian Health Service. Oleta > > On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 10:51:39 EDT Smithfx7@aol.com writes: > >> I am Cherokee and have a CDIB card and am a citizen of the > Cherokee > >> Nation > >> in OK. My ancestors that are listed on the Dawes all have > varying > >> degrees of > >> blood quantum, siblings with the same parents have different > blood > >> degrees. > >> I was always told by my grandparents and great grandmother that > >> most were > >> afraid to say they were more Cherokee than they really were > because > >> if you were > >> more than a 1/4 the government would assign a white overseer of > >> your > >> allotment. My blood line is fairly easy to trace since I am > a > >> descendant of Nancy > >> Ward on my grandfather's side and Major John Downing on my > >> grandmother's side > >> there was a lot of documentation . I also see differences in > blood > >> degree > >> on the 1900 census vs the Dawes roll in what my ancestors > listed. > >> I think > >> that makes no difference in how that reflected in their > Cherokee > >> pride. We > >> have to remember that times were different back then most were > just > >> trying to > >> survive. My ancestors started out wealthy and ended up poor my > >> great > >> grandmother lost her husband and 6 children from sickness and > >> accidents and on both > >> sides of my family they had houses that burned down. I think > it > >> has taken > >> all the way up to my generation to catch up, my sister's and I > are > >> the first > >> to own houses and be able to keep up with the Jones's. > >> > >> Robin Smith > >> > >> ------------------------------- > >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > >> INDIAN-TERRITORY-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word > >> 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of > the > >> message > >> > >> > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > INDIAN-TERRITORY-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' > > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > INDIAN-TERRITORY-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the > message > >

Thank you Ms. Kite, I wasn't questioning your credentials , certainly not as a very knowledgeable historian of Native American history or your Cherokee ancestry. I believe that speaks for itself re your posts to this list.I was actually wondering if there are persons that choose not to apply for a CDIB for their own reasons. When you stated you hand never obtained a CDIB, I wondered if it was because your ancestors chose not to ( for their own reasons ) to sign the Dawes Rolls.My apologies if I offended you. James ----- Original Message ----- From: "J W Kite Jr" <obengekite@juno.com> To: <indian-territory-roots@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006 3:30 PM Subject: Re: [INDIAN-TERRITORY-ROOTS] Natural Archives closure >I chose not to ask for one because one has never been needed. In my > lineage I've got Chiefs and other well known relatives. My mother and my > father are Cherokees but not full bloods. My Cherokee kin are well known. > Sequoyah is related to me. I can certainly meet any requirement and my > parents and grandparents are on the Final Rolls.I'm retired from the U. > S. Government -DHEW-Indian Health Service and have worked with the > Tribes.I volunteered at the State Indian Archives for five years. You can > contact Mr. William Welge who is the Director if you'd like to check up > on me. I get calls from Washington, D. C. sometimes. I called a County > Office one time and gave my name. The girl told me immediately that as > much as my family had to do with the beginning of that County I should > join. I thought I could be of some assistance to this group but I guess > not. I'm sorta well known or rather my name has been slung around. Don > Chestnut is my cousin. I married a white man from Alabama so I've had > both worlds. If you have a Cherokee Roll book I'll send you all the > numbers you need to find my people. I'm also English and well known > relatives along with some Kings and Queens which certainly not important > and also Scots./I realized I've given you more than you asked for but if > you think of anything else you'd like to know just write me. I've been > told by people had it not been for me they never would have gotten the > things straightened out. Oleta Elizabeth Benge Kite > On Fri, 29 Sep 2006 10:28:48 -0500 "James Brown" <patton14@crosstel.net> > writes: >> This question is none of my business and perhaps unworthy of a >> response, but >> I'm curious. Did you not obtain a CDIB as a matter of your choice >> not to >> apply or because you couldn't meet the requirements established by >> BIA >> and/or tribal membership department? >> >> >> James >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "J W Kite Jr" <obengekite@juno.com> >> To: <indian-territory-roots@rootsweb.com> >> Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006 9:21 AM >> Subject: Re: [INDIAN-TERRITORY-ROOTS] Natural Archives closure >> >> >> > Dear Robin, Our family went through this. They were wealthy in the >> East >> > and my family is pretty well known-written about in many books >> and even >> > though my Grandfather was one half he was not allowed to be >> Guardian for >> > his children-had to have whites appointed and yes you can guess >> what >> > happened. My sister-in-laws cousin married a wealthy Osage and >> she had a >> > son . She had to get permission to buy him shoes and this happened >> in the >> > 40s or 50s. In a lot of cases the amount of blood varies because >> the >> > people did not want to be restricted if they were more than one >> fourth. I >> > am a Cherokee-volunteered for five years in our State Indian >> Archives >> > working closely with BIA, etc. in Washington. The Dawes enrollment >> was >> > for Cherokees who had landed in Indian Territory and this was >> between >> > 1898 and 1906-anyone born after that could get certified from >> either >> > parents or grandparents who were on the rolls. I've never gotten a >> CDIB >> > card but am right at one half. I too am descended from Nancy Ward. >> I'm >> > also retired from DHEW-Indian Health Service. Oleta >> > On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 10:51:39 EDT Smithfx7@aol.com writes: >> >> I am Cherokee and have a CDIB card and am a citizen of the >> Cherokee >> >> Nation >> >> in OK. My ancestors that are listed on the Dawes all have >> varying >> >> degrees of >> >> blood quantum, siblings with the same parents have different >> blood >> >> degrees. >> >> I was always told by my grandparents and great grandmother that >> >> most were >> >> afraid to say they were more Cherokee than they really were >> because >> >> if you were >> >> more than a 1/4 the government would assign a white overseer of >> >> your >> >> allotment. My blood line is fairly easy to trace since I am >> a >> >> descendant of Nancy >> >> Ward on my grandfather's side and Major John Downing on my >> >> grandmother's side >> >> there was a lot of documentation . I also see differences in >> blood >> >> degree >> >> on the 1900 census vs the Dawes roll in what my ancestors >> listed. >> >> I think >> >> that makes no difference in how that reflected in their >> Cherokee >> >> pride. We >> >> have to remember that times were different back then most were >> just >> >> trying to >> >> survive. My ancestors started out wealthy and ended up poor my >> >> great >> >> grandmother lost her husband and 6 children from sickness and >> >> accidents and on both >> >> sides of my family they had houses that burned down. I think >> it >> >> has taken >> >> all the way up to my generation to catch up, my sister's and I >> are >> >> the first >> >> to own houses and be able to keep up with the Jones's. >> >> >> >> Robin Smith >> >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> >> INDIAN-TERRITORY-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word >> >> 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of >> the >> >> message >> >> >> >> >> > >> > ------------------------------- >> > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> > INDIAN-TERRITORY-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word >> 'unsubscribe' >> > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> INDIAN-TERRITORY-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word >> 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the >> message >> >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > INDIAN-TERRITORY-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

I think the CDIB question was just curiosity, not a doubting of your Indian ancestry. I was curious as well, thinking your children might benefit and their children, for schooling and such ...which is why we pursued it for our sons. I think the Indian heritage is awesome, regardless, but I have no Indian Blood that I can prove...a few relatives who swear we have it, but I can't find a connection. Don't take offense, your help is appreciated. Carla