Author Archives: Roberta Estes

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About Roberta Estes

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

Analysis of the 1869 Cherokee West Census

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Roberta Estes

After spending the past several weeks working with the 1869 Cherokee West Census, I finished integrating the 4307 family names into the Native Heritage Names project.  After finishing this work, I felt there was also a story to be told … Continue reading →

Posted in Cherokee | 28 Comments

Ethel Green Hair

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Roberta Estes

Working with the Carlisle School records, we certainly discover that if some of the students were forced to be renamed, certainly not all of them were.  A case in point is Ethel Green Hair.  She was a Winnebago Indian from … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools, Winnebago | Leave a comment

Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Roberta Estes

This site is like candy for a sugar addict.  What a candystore!  Hat tip to Steve for sending this link! The Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842, contains approximately 2,000 documents and images relating to the Native American population of the … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 2 Comments

Carlisle Indian School Records

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Roberta Estes

Chiracahua Apache Indians After Training at the Carlisle Indian School, 1886 (photograph from the National Archives, ARC identifier 593352, local identifier 111-SC-85688) Carlisle Indian Industrial School (1879–1918) was an Indian boarding school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1879 at Carlisle, … Continue reading →

Posted in Pennsylvania, Schools | 2 Comments

6 Founding Native Mothers

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Roberta Estes

In honor of Mother’s Day, I’d like to honor our Native mothers, historically referenced in many tribes simply as “the Grandmothers,” who came before us.  I’d also like to share with you what science and genetics has to say about the Grandmothers. We … Continue reading →

Posted in DNA | 7 Comments

Unknown Indian

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Roberta Estes

It strikes me as odd that we don’t know the name of this man.  He fought for our freedom in the Revolutionary War, but couldn’t honor him if we wanted to…because we don’t know his name.  He is recorded simply … Continue reading →

Posted in Connecticut | Leave a comment

Dirt – Specifically, Dirt Names

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Roberta Estes

In the 1869 Cherokee West census, most, but not all of the Native people have adopted some sort of first name plus surname naming convention.  Some names are in transition – and of course we don’t know where that transition … Continue reading →

Posted in Cherokee, Names | Leave a comment

The Battle of Tippecanoe

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Roberta Estes

Growing up in Indiana, the word Tippecanoe was very familiar.  So were Native arrowheads and other remnants of the life of the Native people who lived there generations before my family. Little did I know that Indians had been engaged … Continue reading →

Posted in Shawnee | Leave a comment

Coweater, a Vegetarian

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Roberta Estes

Ok, so maybe we can’t tell that much.  But it grabbed your attention, just like the National Enquirer in the check-out line at the grocery! Sometimes Excel is my friend.  It’s much easier and more time efficient to enter these … Continue reading →

Posted in Cherokee, Names | 1 Comment

Corntassel and Susan Robbins Corntassel

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Roberta Estes

In the 1869 Cherokee West Census, I came across a couple of entries that were quite interesting, and of course, I had to take a small detour to see what I could find. In the census, we have Lewis Corntassel, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cherokee | 112 Comments