Excerpt from African-Native American Genealogy Forum

Re: Freedmen Roll DOES indicate "Indian blood"

Posted By: Marilyn Vann

Date: Sunday, 28 January 2007, at 2:16 p.m.

http://www.afrigeneas.com/forume/index.cgi?noframes;read=13769

..."The Descendants of Freedmen Association has hosted several genealogy workshops in central and Eastern Oklahoma which has focused on the Dawes Rolls and we have been instrumental in assisting many persons in obtaining Certificates of Indian blood cards (CDIB) and tribal memberships in various nations.

Some of the Cherokee Freedmen Dawes enrollees who the Dawes Commission records document Indian ancestry are:

Rachel Walker - Census Card 1046 - Cherokee Indian Father - Jim Martin

Mary Lynch Kelly-Census Card 3631-Cherokee Indian Mother-Cynthia Lynch

Solomon Baldridge-Census card 825-Shawnee Indian mother-Nancy Baldridge

Reed Vann - Census card 1047 - Cherokee Indian Father - John Vann

Andrew Lynch - Census Card 1228 - Cherokee Indian Mother - Cynthia Lynch

Louisa Gaskins -Census Card 1067 -Cherokee Indian Father-
Robin Webber

Ellen Nave - Card 1075 - Cherokee Indian Father - Robin Webber

Malinda Sanders- Card 1122 - Cherokee Indian Father - George Welch
Susan Downing - Card 1086 - Cherokee Indian Father -William Downing

Maria Rider - Card 1031 - Cherokee Indian Father - Charles Lowrey

This is just a small sample of persons whom former Deputy Chief John Ketcher and Chief Smith appear to be publically stating have no documented Indian ancestry and whose descendants are merely talking about having "Indian princess" ancestors. (Mr Ketcher was deputy Chief under Wilma Mankiller who told the Baltimore Sun in July 1984 that Freedmen had no Indian blood and should not be members of the Cherokee nation). I personally have never met a Descendant of a freedmen tribal member of any Indian nation who claimed their grandmother was an "Indian princess". Indeed, earlier this year, I was looking at historical documents along with members of the Baldridge family who not only could show their ancestor listed on the 1871 roll of Loyal Shawnee immigrants to the Cherokee nation but had information on their Indian ancestors prior to immigration to the Cherokee nation. I also sat several months ago and personally reviewed documents with a member of the freedmen association who is a descendant of Cherokee Indian Nancy Ward and a member of that society, and her Nancy Ward Society certification showed her Indian ancestry back to the 18th century, prior to the birth of Stephen Hilldebrand, the Cherokee Indian who is listed by the Dawes Commission as the father of Freedmen Francis Hildebrand McNac. No part of that discussion dealt with talk of an "Indian princess grandmother" either. The Tulsa World in November 2006 ran a story regarding one descendant of Nancy Ward, Mrs Havanna Vann who is facing tribal disenrollment due to "lack of proof of Indian ancestry" - at least that is what is claimed by current or former tribal officials leading the freedmen dis-enrollment movement:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/237458/message/1164388743/

The only thing established by the Dawes Commission in putting a person on the freedmen roll was that the person had some African ancestry, was a member of the tribe, and that they preferred that his allotment be unrestricted in 1904 so that it could be stolen by settlers as quickly as possible since those tribal members listed with degrees of blood had restricted allotments until at least 1908.

I dont believe that anyone is saying that every single freedmen in every single tribe had an Indian parent or grandparent or made such claim to the government or tribal officials. I dont know of any freedmen descendant who is saying that those who dont have Indian ancestry should not have their treaty rights to tribal membership honored.

I do know that the main argument used by tribal officials to exclude from tribal membership those whose ancestors were listed as freedmen is that such people have no documents to prove Indian ancestry. The Dawes rolls were made to destroy the tribal unity, the tribal government, and the federal government was successful in that some individuals began to believe (or pretended to believe) that the actual "blood quantum fraction" listed, or what section of the dawes roll a person was placed on should determine whether that tribal member or their descendants should retain tribal membership or be a second class tribal member so far as benefits, holding office, etc. (1/4 blood quantum is required in the Creek nation currently to hold office.)"

-snip-

See the entire post at the link provided.