How does a person legally prove American-Indian Descent?

Question:

How does a person legally prove American-Indian Descent?

My grandmother was a full-blooded Cherokee, and was not listed on the Dawson (sp.?) Rolls, and I can't seem to find her name anywhere.

She died in 1934, without any paperwork to prove that she was Native American. If I can prove this, I am eligible for lots of financial aid for school, and to have a lot of my student loans erased. (That's not the only reason, of course, I would love to know more about my family, too.)

Has anyone done this, or know how I could go about finding this information?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Wanting to know or prove it should not have the intention of getting anything from it... If knowledge isn't enough, then (no offense) let it be... Leave the amount of benefits that are available to those that live within their culture, are very poor, and really need it badly.