Author Archives: Roberta Estes

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About Roberta Estes

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

Anthropologist Frank Speck 1881-1950

Frank Speck with Standing Deer in Cherokee, NC in 1936. Frank Gouldsmith Speck (November 8, 1881 – February 6, 1950) was an American anthropologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in the Algonquian and Iroquoian peoples among the Eastern Woodland … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology | 1 Comment

1606 Hondius Mercator Map of “Virginia and Florida”

Virginiae Item et Floridae This map by Jodocus Hondius first appeared in the 1606 Mercator’s atlas, published by Hondius. As noted by William P. Cumming (The Southeast in Early Maps), Hondius relied primarily on de Bry’s engravings of White’s and LeMoyne’s maps of Virginia and … Continue reading

Posted in Maps, Virginia | 3 Comments

Acanahonan Found on Jamestown Map in Dutch Archives?

Our friend Yvette in the Dutch archives has done it again.  I’m so glad she loves maps as much as I do.  This map is particularly interesting though, because it is of the James River area, near Jamestown, discovery attributed … Continue reading

Posted in Jamestown, Lost Colony, Powhatan, Sasquesahanoughs | 15 Comments

2012 Blog in Review

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who follows or reads the Native Heritage Project blog.  2012 has been a banner year, especially for a first year, with over 64,000 views from 115 countries around the world.  I’ve posted … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Marquette and Jolliet 1673 Expedition

Louis Jolliet (sometimes spelled Joliet) and Jacques Marquette are credited with the (European) discovery of the Mississippi River. Jacques Marquette (also known as Father Marquette) was a Catholic missionary and explorer. He was born in Laon, France.  In 1666 he came … Continue reading

Posted in Expeditions, Maps | Leave a comment

Jackson County Michigan Indian Trails Map

This map shows the Indian Trails that traversed Jackson County, Michigan.  I wish there were more maps like it.  You can see this map in detail, along with the ability to zoom, at the following link at the Michigan archives: http://cdm16317.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p129401coll3/id/23/rec/12Continue reading

Posted in Maps, Michigan | 2 Comments

Lost Colony DNA Project Makes The Scientist Magazine List of Top 20 Stories for 2012

The Lost Colony DNA project, sponsored by the Lost Colony Research Group, http://www.lostcolonyresearch.org, found themselves featured at number 15 in The Scientist Magazine’s Top 20 stories for 2012. http://www.the-scientist.com/TheScientist/emails/daily/2012/12/26a.html Original article, published on January 1st, 2012, is found at this … Continue reading

Posted in DNA, Lost Colony | Leave a comment

James River 1665 Map

You just never know where a great map is going to pop up.  In this case, thanks to Yvette, one of our friends in the Netherlands, we find this one in the Dutch National Archives.  It’s a beautiful map with … Continue reading

Posted in Maps, Powhatan | Leave a comment

Chief John Ross 1861 Proclamation

Thanks to Bill, we have a copy of the Liberty Tribune of Clay County, Missouri on Friday, July 5, 1861, in which Cherokee Chief John Ross issued a proclamation as the United States headed towards the brink of Civil War.

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The Moravians, the Shekomeko Indians and the Gnadenhutten Massacre

The Moravian mission at Shekomeko was founded in 1740 by Christian Henry Rauch to convert the Mahican Indians in eastern New York.  Today the location of the Mahican village is marked by the monument, above, at Pine Plains in Dutchess Co., … Continue reading

Posted in Delaware, Lenni Lenape, Mahican, Shekomeko | 11 Comments