This is an article I found relating characteristics and to tracing your Native American roots...sorry for the length of it. Winnie Physical Characteristics Many people are surprised to find the physical characteristics running in their family, indicate they are descendents of Native Americans. At this point I usually have someone who accuses me of perpetuating stereotypes of Native Americans. Well, the characteristics I will mention are all based on medical studies. A little research is all that is needed if someone is interested in the facts behind them. High cheekbones where glasses set high on the face and get all smeary on the bottom of the lens. Almond shaped almost oriental looking eyes? Lazy eyes in children. Heavy "fat" eyelids where the eyelid appears to have an extra fold. A melanin (pigmentation) in the back of the eye on the retina peculiar to Native Americans. "Shovel" teeth, the teeth have a ledge on the backside. Run your tongue across them, they feel almost like a shovel shape. Large front teeth with a slight or more than slight gap. Lack of the Carrabelli cusp on the maxillary first molars, which is missing in Native Americans. Large heavy earlobes. Crooked fingers particularly the little finger or pinky. An inverted breastbone. Often called a Chicken Breast. The bone actually makes an indentation in the chest. Little toes that lie under the next one. A second toe longer than the big toe. A wider space between the big toe and second one. An extra ridge of bone along the outside of the foot. Stamford University researchers have a new method of scanning a genetic mutation that exists only in the samples of Indian populations in North/South American and in Eskimo groups. Comparing families characteristics to old photographs of recognized Native Americans is all the proof many people need. Some who require more proof can explore the scientific and medical avenues. While those whose ultimate goal is tribal recognition, must accumulate pertinent documentation of their direct line (birth, marriage and death records) back to the recognized Native American Ancestor. Some of the information concerning Physical Characteristics which can help you determine if you are Native, were taken from an article by NAAH Contributing Editor Cones Kupwah Snowflower in NAAH #14 July 1996 "Let's Get Physical". Snowflower is a Shawnee Genealogist familiar with all of the tribes in the Ohio Valley area. She can be reached at 204 Rome-Hilliard Road Columbus Ohio 43228. The scientific and medical information was gleaned from an article in the the Family Tree publication of the Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library P O Box 1110 Moultrie Ga 31776-1110 (912) 985-6540 FAX (912) 985-0935. Back issues of the Family Tree, when available are $3.50 which includes s/h. The information in the article was credited to T.L.& M. Genealogy published by the Talbot Library and Museum P. O. Box 349 Colcord OK 74338. White Indians According to Cones Kupwah - Snowflower many early Ohio "white" settlers, were hidden Native Americans who moved west as the whites approached. The people of many Nations who were with Tecumseh at the Battle of the Thames (1813) were automatically considered outlaws, and not allowed to return home. As itbecame harder for them to live in exile, they filtered back in twos, threes, sometimes whole families. The English Quakers and German Amish took them in, protected them, often claiming them as family members. So take a close look at any ancestor who just appears in an area of Amish or Quakers. Living among them but not practicing that particular religion, especially after the removal act of 1832. Also, in 1832 were 600 Shawnee on the Wapakoneta Reservation in north western Ohio, when the Army showed up and ordered them to pack and leave. 300 arrived at the first Shawnee reservation, in what was to become Kansas City Mo. What about the others? Well, they went far enough away, where they thought noone would recognize them and changed their appearance. If they spoke fluent English they claimed to be English. If they spoke broken English - German or Dutch. If each of these Shawnee had four children, that is 1200 people in one generation. We are now seven generations down the road. So those original Shawnee could have produced 8400 descendants who are part of the current US population. And as Snowflower says "If one group did it, why not others?" Hidden Ancestry Many researchers are unaware of their Native American Ancestry, because it has been hidden for generations. Due to fear of removal - relocations - adoptions out of the tribes - children taken to boarding school - and prejudice. Only the most trusted child in each generation was told. Native Diseases In addition to the physical attributes mentioned, there are five major diseases that we look for in Native American Families. Everyone knows about the Indian. Alcoholism, many attribute this to the lack among Native Americans of an enzyme which converts alcohol in the bloodstream. Arthritis. It is beginning to appear that Fibromyalgia is also related to Native ancestry. Diabetes. Heart Disease. Kidney problems including Kidney stones. Also noted are numerous family instances of thyroid problems, both hypo and hyper. Oral Traditions Your investigative skills will be tested trying to figure out the clues you come across in your ancestral research. You must study your ancestral heritage to best be able to understand the clues that come to you from your oral family traditions. Unfortunately, many consider the tribal oral traditions as mere myth. When, if one truly understands and listens they can glean factual information pertaining to their research. Elder Relatives If your family has a story about a Native Ancestor, go to the oldest living person who will talk about it and ask them to write down the story, date, sign and have the paper notarized. This piece of paper could prove to be your most important piece of information. Don't have a family story about a Native ancestor, but your research leads you to think your ancestor was Native. The same advise still applies. You will have stories that are actually about a Native Ancestor, you just have to look harder for the clues. Finding a Native Ancestor is difficult if they were not on one of the rolls, but not impossible. If no one will talk, keep in mind that our elders were cautioned to keep the information a secret for the safety of the family. In some cases prejudice still prevails, so it may be best not to tell older relatives you are looking for a Native ancestor. I have had a few researchers tell me that when they approached an elderly relative for information they were informed in no uncertain terms that there were no *&$% Indians in their family. Start by asking them for the basic information - names - places and dates (birth and death). The place is vital to determining which tribe your ancestor belonged. One of the first books I reach for when trying to help someone figure out what tribe they should look at, is The Atlas of the North American Indian by Carl Waldman. The atlas provides some tribal migratory routes, where the tribes lived at various times, etc. . . Think You're White? Grow up believing you were totally white, but constantly being mistaken for Indian? For years I didn't know of my own heritage. I was constantly amazed by people who would come up and ask me what tribe I was from. I felt complimented, but thought they were confused. Though I actually had early confirmation of my heritage. When I was in elementary school I was a Tomboy. I loved being barefoot, and used to take my shoes off even in school. Until the day we traced our feet and I my feet were different. My big toes are shorter than the next toe, with a wider gap between the toes. I thought I was deformed and started wearing socks even without shoes or sat with my feet under me to hide them. A mother helping in the class noticed the change. She told me that in some tribes, feet like mine were a sign of Indian royalty. She actually used a different word I didn't understand, that she explained was like a princess. Even though she was Cherokee, I didn't believe her. I just accepted her reassurance as any young child would. I was a senior in High School in 1974, when we found out my mother's Great Great Grandmother was Full Shawnee. In 1981 an Army Doctor comment that he'd only seen toes like mine once before. A roommate who always went barefoot had the wierd toes too. And when they asked him what was wrong with his feet he said they were "just Indian feet". Red/Black/Slaves Don't be surprised to find information categorizing your Native ancestor as black - negro - freeman of color - mulatto and slave. Some states had no designation for Native Americans. If a few years later, the same record lists this ancestor as white, you are most likely looking at a Native American. Because the catagory never changed to white for African Americans. The designation of slave, isn't too surprising either because many Native Americans were sold into slavery. The Chickasaw sold 500 Choctaw taken in battle by 1700. There were 12,000 Apalachees and Timucuas sold through the Carolina slave markets. There are many cases of Red/Black ancestors - sources for this area of research can be found in back issues of Back To The Blanket". A Cherokee Native American Journal. Vol 3 No 6 had an article discussing Tribal RecordsReveal Black Indians Triracial Families and mentions a book "Black Indian Genealogical Research". Also the Frontier Freedmans Journal and Black Indian Genealogy Research :African American Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes," by Angela YWalton-Raji. With the Red/Black mix you could be looking at a Melungeon ancestor. The majority of Melungeons lived in Tennessee, but they were also found in Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Are said to be an off-shoot of the Native American Croatans, and their culture resembles that of the Croatan-related Lumbee Indians of North Carolina. National Archives The National Archives microfilms of original documents, contain the rolls that genealogists and tribal offices go by in determining your Native Ancestry. But, there aren't records for every reservation or tribe for every year. As it was impossible to take a census on some reservations, and some rolls were lost over the years. People who maintained a formal affiliation with a tribe under Federal supervision are listed. Some Eastern tribes have never been under federal jurisdiction. And because others did not maintain a tribal connection, theirnames do not appear on the INDIAN CENSUS ROLLS 1885-1940 censuses which are available on National Archive Microfilm Publication M595. Other records in the National Archives include: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) education, employment, financial and business affairs, health, land ownership, and legal rights. BIA field offices, agencies, and schools.Records are arranged and described by Indian Agency. Some records are restricted for privacy reasons. Records relating to Native Americans may be found among the records of U.S. Attorneys and Marshals, Fair Employment Practice Committee, the Federal courts, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Mines, and National Park service. Veterans Pensions, Service records, microfilm files of the War Department Collection of Post-Revolutionary War Manuscripts covers 1784-1811. the Registers of Enlistments in the US Army 1798-1914, and about Indian Scouts 1866-77, 1878-1914. And Passport applications. Unlike today's passports, which are for foreign travel. Early passports were used for domestic travel allowing people to travel between states and territories. I am often asked to what lengths I will go to find information. It is my firm belief that our ancestors want to be found. They are as proficient in death as they were in life of covering their tracks. I review many books outside the realm of Genealogy in my search. The cultural books on every tribe can lead you to clues you would otherwise miss. On Being Cherokee Many begining to research their Naitve American Ancestors soon learned that the white settlers thought, the only "safe" Indian was a Cherokee. And our ancestors claimed to be Cherokee because of this. So pay particular attention to the area where your Native ancestor was born and lived. Historically the area for Cherokees were in southern Tennessee and North Carolina. Popular belief is if your ancestor does not come from this area,chances are that they belonged to some other tribe. But the territory covered by Cherokee was much larger. And the Cherokee were friendly with many other tribes and there were marriages between them. So your Cherokee ancestor may actually be Cherokee. Other things to watch for as clues to Hidden Native Ancestors Did your ancestor smoke a pipe, or were they known to belong to a Pipe Club, Smoking Clubs or societies. This could be a uphemism for Indian Ceremony! Native children were placed for adoption during the time of removal, adoptions during the period from 1825 to around 1850. Households with an unusual amount of "servants" could be the serants were Natives. In many areas Indians could not own land, look at ancestors who were tenant farmers. But there were also Natives who were given land in return for military service. Our Native Male Ancestors were outstanding hunter, great trackers, axtremely handy at making thier own tools etc. Many Native Female Ancestors were Healers with unusual powers. People who could stop blood or take the fire out of burns, and MIDWIVES. Also planters often able to grow gardens in areas otherwise thought to be barren. If you have an ancestor who was thought to be more than a little eccentric. For instance if your ancestor was not a member the recognized faith of the area. Is there a story with a hidden meaning such as "they went out into the woods and spoke with the spirits". NATIVE! Many hidden natives lived in very small towns where everyone was related. It was not uncommon for them to stay within their own community and marry people they knew. Other Tips Native American Ancestry Hunting is an intensive area of study. This type of search requires not only a working knowledge of genealogy. But one must also consider the history of this continent. In addition to each tribes history, culture, languages or rather the many dialects, travel patterns, and life styles. Not everyone is aware of many tribal taboos such as not marrying into onesown clan. Or that some tribes were Matrilineal while others were Patrilineal. Non BIA card carrying Native Americans, and part Native Americans out number the BIA recognized Native Americans 20-1 in the U.S. They make up an unknown percentage of: the four out of ten adults in this country who are somewhat interested in their roots. And the seven percent, or nineteen million people who are greatly involved in family research. Take a good long look at any pictures of your ancestors. Don't assume they look dark because the pictures are old. Compare them to published photos of Native Americans. By: Laurie Beth Duffy Nanticoke Home page