Crow or Blackfoot.

Question

I always thought that my great grandfather was Blackfoot but my Cousin told me yesterday that he was Crow. Is there anyway to find out which? I do not know his Indian name,  just his English. George Caldwell Phillips. Lived in Scott County, Tennessee. He passed away 1989 and is buried in Black creek crossroads cemetery.

Answer 1

If you click on Find at the upper right of this page and take the menu down to Projects, then look for Native Americans, you will find that project which has resource people who should be able to help you sleuth out a correct answer.

Comments

Okay thank you!

Answer 2

Neither the Crow nor the Blackfoot lived anywhere near Tennessee, so you might want to search elsewhere.  The Blackfoot live on both sides of the U.S. border in Montana and Alberta.  The Crow lived primarily  in what are now Wyoming and Montana, now just Montana.  Ancestry has digitized Indian censuses starting with the 1880’s, those would be the place to search for members of those tribes.

Comments

 While neither a Crow tribe or tribes as a unit, nor a Blackfoot tribe or tribes as a unit, lived anywhere near Tennessee, that did not preclude individuals nor individual families from doing so.

 

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Except that the ancestors of the referenced profile are documented back before the American Revolution, with everyone living in southwest Virginia or Tennessee.

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Digging into my family history and My father finally admitting that his mother was Native American is the reason I asked. My cousin has the proof, which means either Harvey Phillips or Bertha Belle Terry were, if not both, full Native Americans...which also explains all the secrecy my whole life. So, with that said, as soon as I'm able to go get this proof to upload as a source for my family tree, I will make the necessary changes to that line.

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Please post that documentation.  All of these folks (and their parents) are listed on the U.S. Census as white.  A full-blood Indian would not be mistaken for a white person, so if there is an Indian ancestor it is probably much farther back in your tree.

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I will post it as soon as I am able to take off work and go get it. My full blood Cherokee great grandmother and her mother full Cherokee as well were recorded as white on the census. The census back then was not very accurate.

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If your ancestors were Cherokee who remained in the East after Removal you should find them on the Siler/Chapman Rolls of 1851/52 and the Guion Miller/Eastern Cherokee roll of 1907-1911.  Both those rolls involved money so people were very eager to sign up.  Those rolls are digitized on Ancestry.

Answer 3

When Packs a Knife of the Blackfoot lost his son in battle with the Crow, he decided to kill the son of his enemy. After he took the Crow chief's son, his wife convinced him that this boy so closely resembled their son, that He decided to adopt him. Later the 2 tribes decided to make an alliance.  Packs A Knife was made honorary Cheif of the Crow as well. His name was changed to Crowfoot. He was responsible for the forging of a confederacy of tribes. So that is why it is hard to differentiate, when it comes to researching ancestry.

I am STILL trying to get info on my great grandmother, born to a blackfoot chief, that migrated to the Colorado Rockies, in 1860 plus, where my grandfather was born in 1906. (ALICE GOFF-DAVIS).

GOOD LUCK.

Melody Alberts