Second Saturday Family History Workshop: Researching Native American Roots with Anita-Finger Smith

The Kentucky Genealogical Society joins the Kentucky Historical Society with a series of free family history workshops each month at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. Topics range from how to begin documenting your ancestry to specialized resources for experienced genealogists. (See bottom or side menu for registration information)

**Please note this month's event will be on the 1st Saturday of November**

Join us for the November Session: Researching Native American Roots with Anita Finger-Smith (Morning and Afternoon Sessions outlined below)

“Rooted to the Earth:” Searching for your Cherokee Connections
Does the oral tradition “handed down” in your family suggest a Cherokee ancestor?  This presentation will help you understand the geographical background of the Cherokee, the historical Cherokee census and enumeration rolls east of the Mississippi, current day tribal enrollment requirements, and Cherokee blood quantum.

“Records of the Cherokee:” Pre-Removal to the Twenty-First Century
Difficulties in documenting Native American ancestry have several primary causes. In this session you will learn to apply a chronological framework to your family traditions through official Cherokee records, test the validity through primary sources, and discover additional accounts of the Cherokee in the East.

Speaker Bio: Anita Finger-Smith is an accomplished researcher, a national lecturer, an instructor and a former public school teacher.

Her many activities include Cherokee Indian research (especially post-removal), teaching, compiling indexes, and volunteering for several organizations. Anita is active in the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the North Carolina Trail of Tears Association and does extensive research for the Eastern Cherokees.
As an educator, Anita is one of the principals in the Qualla Family History Research Group conducting weekly workshops at the Cherokee Indian Reservation. She has also presented lectures at the Institute of Historical and Genealogical Research, and is a frequent presenter at statewide and local organizations.

Anita operates a home based genealogy business on the Cherokee Indian Reservation and is granted a Federal Traders License certified by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She is the co-owner of Bearmeat’s Indian Den, an authentic Native American art gallery.

Morning session runs from 10:30-11:30 a.m., followed by an hour break for lunch. Second session runs from 12:30-1:30 p.m. A light box lunch is available at a cost of $7 payable at the door when requested in advance. Registration for these free workshops is required by noon of the previous Friday.

For more information or to register, contact:

Martin F. Schmidt Research Library Reference Desk

(502) 564-1792, ext. 4460

KHSrefdesk@ky.gov