Without using ancestry.com or paying, how can i find out if i am native american?

Dear Ms. Bridgewater,

Thank you for contacting the History Hub.

We suggest that you begin your genealogical research by finding out as much as you can about your family history. The National Archives has a resource page (https://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy) with links to databases and online research tools. Ancestry.com and Fold3.com are free for use in National Archives facilities. If you cannot come to a National Archives location (https://www.archives.gov/locations), contact your local library. Many library systems subscribe to these sites, making them free for patrons.

With information about your family, you will have more ideas how to move forward with your research. The National Archives has a guide on researching Native American people and families (https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/research-individual). NARA’s Native American Research Guide (https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans) has many resources available once you have tribal affiliations, names, or locations to work from. The records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Record Group 75) include several series useful for to genealogical research, including documents that have been digitized and available online through the National Archives Catalog.

Another free resource you may wish to use is the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ “A Guide to Tracing American Indian & Alaska Native Ancestry” (https://www.bia.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/text/idc002656.pdf).

We hope that this information is helpful. Best of luck with your research!

Katharine Seitz

Dear Ms. Bridgewater,

Thank you for contacting the History Hub.

We suggest that you begin your genealogical research by finding out as much as you can about your family history. The National Archives has a resource page (https://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy) with links to databases and online research tools. Ancestry.com and Fold3.com are free for use in National Archives facilities. If you cannot come to a National Archives location (https://www.archives.gov/locations), contact your local library. Many library systems subscribe to these sites, making them free for patrons.

With information about your family, you will have more ideas how to move forward with your research. The National Archives has a guide on researching Native American people and families (https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/research-individual). NARA’s Native American Research Guide (https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans) has many resources available once you have tribal affiliations, names, or locations to work from. The records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Record Group 75) include several series useful for to genealogical research, including documents that have been digitized and available online through the National Archives Catalog.

Another free resource you may wish to use is the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ “A Guide to Tracing American Indian & Alaska Native Ancestry” (https://www.bia.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/text/idc002656.pdf).

We hope that this information is helpful. Best of luck with your research!

Katharine Seitz