Author Archives: Roberta Estes

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About Roberta Estes

Scientist, author, genetic genealogist. Documenting Native Heritage through contemporaneous records and DNA.

Still Part Redman Deep Inside

Do you have a persistent story of Native American heritage in your family? Mark Green’s wife did.  Her ancestor Nancy Pittman’s mother was supposed to be a Cherokee Indian.  If your family was from the south, chances are you have some … Continue reading

Posted in Cherokee | 6 Comments

Digitizing War of 1812 Records, a Quilt and NY Indian Service Records

The War of 1812, which lasted from 1812 to 1815, is probably the War we know the least about, and one for which an astounding number of pension and bounty land records still exist for veterans who served.  If your … Continue reading

Posted in Military, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, Tuscarora, War of 1812 | Leave a comment

A Buck By Any Other Name

A Buck by any other name might be Hogan, Logan or Williams.  I think we have a case of surname schizophrenia.  We have four surnames involving 3 people. Do you sometimes wonder why you or one of your relatives matches … Continue reading

Posted in DNA, Seneca | 2 Comments

1887 Croatan Indian Petition Signers

In 1887, the Croatan Indians, now the Lumbee, petitioned the state legislature to establish a normal school to train Indian teachers for the county’s tribal schools. With state permission, they raised the requisite funds, along with some state assistance, which … Continue reading

Posted in Croatan (Later Lumbee), Education, History, Lumbee, North Carolina | 2 Comments

Metlakahtlan, Alaska

I’m still working on transcribing the Carlisle Indian School records, although I’m nearing the end of all 18,000 records found in three sources that have to be integrated.  This project has been way beyond the magnitude I ever expected. One … Continue reading

Posted in Alaska Natives, Tsimshian | 9 Comments

Native Study Website

I recently came across the Native Study website. http://www.nativestudy.com/index.html This site has several books of transcribed original records.  For the most part, records deal with the following tribes: Cherokee Chickasaw Choctaw Creek Seminole Blackfeet Delaware Hopi Navajo Sioux However, a … Continue reading

Posted in Blackfoot, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Delaware, Hopi, Navajo, Seminole, Sioux | Leave a comment

Carolina Indian Boy for Sale in Boston – 1713

“A Carolina Indian Boy about 11 years old, to be sold, inquire as the post office in Boston.” In 1713, the Boston News-Letter carried this advertisement for a “Carolina Indian Boy” to be sold as a slave. The boy had, presumably, been … Continue reading

Posted in North Carolina | 2 Comments

Cameron’s Letter Regarding Survey of 1763 Proclamation Line

I want to thank our friend Mavis again for finding this wonderful document.  She says she reads Documenting the American South every morning over coffee.  I, for one, am very glad that she does.  Keep up the good work Mavis. Today’s … Continue reading

Posted in Cherokee, Creek, Maps | Leave a comment

Broken Tennessee Treaties

One of our subscribers, Don, spotted this great site provided by the Tennessee State Museum.  Thanks Don. On the site itself, there is additional information, but what struck me was the visual representation of what happened to the Indian lands … Continue reading

Posted in Cherokee, Maps, Tennessee, Treaty | 10 Comments

Memoirs of Henry Timberlake – Cherokee Emissary

I love digitization projects.  They bring history, especially long out-of-print documents to all of us.  The Memoirs of Henry Timberlake is one of these documents and it’s downloadable through the Internet Archive. Henry Timberlake (1730 – September 30, 1765) was a colonial … Continue reading

Posted in Cherokee | Leave a comment