Connection to a Lost Tribe of Cherokee

Question

My maternal grandmother (Geneva Lee Bolen) was born in Star City, AR 1928-ish. She IS CHEROKEE but not on any rolls was told because she was not born in Oklahoma(?). The location she was born is a Lost Tribe of Cherokee location and is there a central location for records for that tribe or a roll?

Answer 1

I’m sorry, but there is no “Lost Tribe of Cherokee.” The Cherokee are extremely well documented back to the early 1800’s.   If your grandmother has Cherokee ancestors they should appear on one of the twenty-plus rolls or censuses.   There are Cherokee descendants who are not eligible to enroll in any of the three Cherokee tribes.  

Here are Wikitree pages which might help you search:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Finding_a_Cherokee_Ancestor

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Cherokee_Sources/Resources

Comments

Here is the 1930 census with Geneva and her parents.  Father born in Arkansas, his parents in Arkansas and Mississippi.  Mother and her parents all born in Arkansas.  "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMLJ-X7T : accessed 2 September 2021), Geneva Bolden, Spring, Lincoln, Arkansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 21, sheet , line , family , NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll ; FHL microfilm .

Here is James with his parents in the 1900 census - father born Kansas, mother Mississippi.  "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M36V-DZS : accessed 2 September 2021), James W Bolen in household of Lee Bolen, Bartholomew & Spring Townships, Lincoln, Arkansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 116, sheet 21A, family 436, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,065.

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Couldn't help myself. An old Economist article describes this "lost tribe". Subscription required unfortunately, but you can read the first couple of paragraphs.

https://www.economist.com/united-states/2006/03/09/waiting-their-turn

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But here's another article that debunks them:

https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/non-recognized-cherokee-tribes-flourish/article_ac02834f-35d3-5bc3-bd2c-ad2b69101baf.html

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There are many more articles about this lost tribe. Some of their members claim the Cherokee were Jewish!

https://www.google.com/search?q=lost+tribe+of+cherokees+in+arkansas+and+missouri&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS884US885&hl=en-US&ei=ycIwYdSgHIa0ggfsx5_oCg&oq=lost+tribe+of+cherokee&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAEYADIFCAAQgAQyBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgUIABCGAzIFCAAQhgMyBQghEKsCMgUIIRCrAjIFCCEQqwJQAFgAYMYRaABwAHgAgAFViAFVkgEBMZgBAMABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

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There are over 200 groups all over the country claiming to be Cherokee that have zero connection to any actual Cherokee people.  It's a disgrace that they have conned so many people - and sad that so many people want to believe that they have a Cherokee ancestor that they will join them.

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It's such a shame.  I talk to many people who live near me and are desperately trying to claim Cherokee heritage.  It sounds like there is so much disinformation out there and it is absolutely heartbreaking to these people to discover that they don't.

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There is no discussion topic that will get people more heated on G2G than that of fictional Native ancestry. A lot of people are very attached to these family stories and become defensive if presented with evidence to the contrary.

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So Kathie in this particular case, this group claims they remained behind in Arkansas (and/or Missouri) when the Cherokee went to Oklahoma. Is there any basis in fact that there was such a group?

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No.  Some Cherokee people, wishing to maintain their traditional life style, began to move west as early as 1795. They were gradually joined by more Cherokee (Tahlonteskee and about 1000  people went west in 1809, for example).  They moved farther south and west into Arkansas (one group went to Texas) after the New Madrid earthquakes in 1811. In 1817 the Cherokee were promised a large area of Arkansas and groups continued to move there. By the time that land was taken away about 3,000 people, (mostly full-bloods) were in Arkansas  Those Cherokee were forced to move again to what is now Indian Territory in 1827-28.  They were known as the “Old Settlers” or “Western” Cherokee and they are well documented.  They did not leave people behind in Arkansas because the Cherokee were not welcome there. These were not acculturated mixed-bloods, they were people who wanted to live with their tribe as they had always lived.

The "Western Cherokee ("Old Settlers") joined in a new, single government in 1839 with the eastern Cherokee who arrived in Indian Territory at Removal. About 1000 Cherokee who remained in North Carolina at Removal formed the Eastern Band and and after Oklahoma statehood some Cherokee (mostly traditional/ fullblood families) separated from Cherokee Nation and became the United Keetoowah Band.  There are now three Cherokee tribes - Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band in Oklahoma, the Eastern Band in North Carolina.

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Thanks for the history and clarification, Kathie. Your deep knowledge of the Cherokee is very helpful to the rest of us. Thanks for sharing it.