Your ancestors know who you are.  They love you, and they want to be connected to you.

We're so happy you want to remember and record your own family history and genealogy. Creating these family records can feel overwhelming at first, but we know it is meaningful and valuable work. As you become familiar with your ancestors, their records, and their stories, the work becomes a great and fulfilling joy.
 

Tracing Native American and First Nations genealogy poses specific challenges not encountered by many other cultural groups. Many of our cultures have relied on oral traditions to share information, so tracing written records within the community is difficult.  Records created by government officials and census takers frequently misunderstand relationships, misuse terms, and misspell names of people and places. Communities and families cross modern international borders. Changing terminology over generations means a simple search for “Native American” records would miss “First Nations,”  “Indian,” or “American Indian” topics, or any records related to specific tribal nations or communities, such as Navajo, Creek, or Cherokee. Searches that do include specific tribes also need to include both the traditional name the people have for themselves, as well as the community name described in government records – such as Diné and Navajo; Creek and Muscogee; or Cherokee and Tsalagi.

We recognize these challenges, but the first steps to remembering and recording your own family history are simple. Use the links below to start recording what you already know: Your own family. Create a record today with the names, dates, and places you are familiar with, and then start asking family members for more information, including stories that you can record and save for future generations.  And when you get stuck, pray – your ancestors will find you.

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If you have been working on your family history for a while and need help, we have volunteers who are anxious to serve. Contact us at hello@gatheringoftribes.org, and we will connect you with family history researchers who can help you with your next steps. 

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Click below to download our "5 Things You Can Start Today to Help with Your Family History" or discover more family history activities.