I need help tracing my Indian heritage.?

Question:

I need help tracing my Indian heritage.?

My gr grandmother is Shawnee Indian who married a white man. The story goes that she was found along the road at 4-5 yrs old and taken in by a family. The Feds came in and said all Indians must leave. She didn't want to leave so she married my gr grandfather. No docs on her Indian name. What do I do? DNA proved Indian ancestory. Is that enough?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Hi, Holly...
You are among the few I have heard that already has used the DNA, and how wonderful that it confirms the blood. There are MANY families that claim Native heritage based on family tradition, but sadly, many of those are not accurate. Also, many Natives chose to not enroll for their heritage, so they won't show up on the "official" rolls.
I believe that the standards for official tribal enrollment requires documentation of family already listed. That is not the same as knowing that yes, you do have Native ancestry.
My mother in law's ancestor was Cherokee, and she always passed down that she was "Princess deer in water". I explained that Cherokees didn't have Princesses, but I later find that the name Deer in Water, is actually a surname in the Cherokee tribe. It is still up in the air if I can locate proof of her immediate family.
Meantime.. setting aside the rest, use the "normal" resources to determine all you can, ie date of birth, possibly find a marriage record, census, etc. Among that, you might find a lead to earlier history.