Re: Native American ancestor search
Lyn Dearborn (lyn@anchor.esd.sgi.com)
Tue, 29 Sep 1992 19:20:03 -0700
To answer Cyndi Cuppernell's question regarding tracing Native American
ancestors when you don't know which "tribal area" they came from .... other
than to say "GOOD LUCK!!" .... I'd recommend that she/anyone write to the
mormon group that deals with geneology studies in Salt Lake City Utah. Call
your local Latter Day Saints church and tell them you want to trace your
family's ancestors (don't mention the indian thing) and ask for the Mormon
Churches headquarters in Salt Lake. While I've always been "allergic" to
their "PREVIOUS" anti-Indian policies, lately they've decided maybe we haven't
been damned prior to birth after all. Where there skills at tracking one's
"European" lineage are concerned they have always been quite skilled, but
that may not carry over into the field of "AMERICAN" heritage since usually
their association with Native America has to do with what we can do for them
and not what they can do for us. I know several people of "confused"
immigrant status (people who previously tried to hide their original names
and points of origin) who have gotten more information than they ever
deemed possible, so there is "hope" .... but its wise to be cautious and
a little skeptical... peoples of "third world" cultures in general are
believed not to always respond with honest answers that would definitely
be considered an invasion of privacy .... though admittedly they are some-
times so naive that they don't realize their privacy is being invaded ...
a carryover from the blind days of revering those who could read and write
just because they had been to school longer.
There are also countless commercial enterprises that claim they can
research your family tree, or you might even get solicitations if you have
a specific "historical" name .... some of them are probably o.k. and honest;
others are just out for a fast buck and make huge generalizations. At lest
when you enlist the mormon church, your chances for a REAL search are greater
BUT don't mention the Indian stuff at first and proceed with caution. ... Just
recently I've been hearing a lot of negative stuff about their Indian
children placement program (in Mormon foster homes) to "further" the
poor native children's education, but in fact, sometimes these foster
children end up being cheap household help. So while we have used them
for "foreign lineage" information, I would worry about their purposes for
researching my native background ..... just born suspicious I guess.
Good luck!
lyn dearborn
< dearborn@anchor.esd.sgi.com >