Let's Talk Truth

Too many people believe common myths when it comes to Cherokee genealogy. They often use these myths to explain why they believe they are Cherokee but cannot prove it. We heard these myths used repeatedly when Senator Elizabeth Warren supporters were trying to give her a pass on her lie about having Cherokee ancestry. We still hear these excuses today. Because these myths are so prevalent, I thought it was important to address them. Below you will find some of the most common myths perpetuated by Warren supporters (and others) and links to previous posts I have written on why these beliefs are not true.

1 – There are no records.

There are plenty of records to prove one has Cherokee ancestry if they truly do. I posted the source list used when doing Elizabeth Warren's genealogy. Part two of the list includes the Cherokee sources and records checked while doing the research on Warren's ancestry. Warren's family was found in NONE of these Cherokee records.

2 – It is hard to prove Cherokee ancestry.

If one is Cherokee, then they will find many records to show it, as explained in my post that linked me back to my Cherokee 6th great grandma, Sally Hughes, through documentation. The post is - Tracing Back to Sally Hughes.

3 – If your family isn’t on the Dawes Roll, then you can’t prove you have Cherokee ancestry.

One does not have to have an ancestor listed on the Dawes roll to show they are a Cherokee descendant. This was explained in a post featuring the writing of David Cornsilk titled - The Dawes Roll is not the only proof.

4 – Indians could only be listed as white or black on the census.

Since 1860, people could be and were listed as Indians on the US Census, as explained in the post - Indians on the US Census.

5 – Everyone from Oklahoma probably has Indian ancestry.

The two decades before statehood, the non-Indian population exploded in Indian territory. If a family was in Indian Territory before statehood, they were more than likely white as explained in the post - Ethnic Fraud isn't Funny.

These are just a few of the claims "truthers" made during Warren's campaign. As you can see, they are simply myths, just like Warren's "Cherokee ancestry." And as you all can see, though the "truthers" continue to try to validate her claim; though Warren's campaign had plenty of money to hire a genealogist; and though many people (both hobbyist and professional genealogists) were doing her genealogy for free, not one...NOT ONE SINGLE person has proved me or the little research team wrong.  

Elizabeth Warren is not Cherokee.
 
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

copyright 2013, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

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