Black Indians A-Z

Black Indians A-Z category image

Black Native Americans are people of African-American descent, with significant Native American ancestry, who also have strong ties to Native American culture, social, and historical traditions.

Certain Native American tribes had close relations with African Americans, especially those where slavery was prevalent.

Members of the Five Civilized Tribes held enslaved blacks, who migrated with them to the West in 1830 and later. In peace treaties with the US after the American Civil War, the tribes, which had sided with the Confederacy, were required to emancipate slaves and give them full citizenship rights in their nations.

The Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole have created controversy in recent decades as they tightened rules for membership in their nations and excluded Freedmen who did not have at least one Native American ancestor on the early 20th century Dawes Rolls.

Black Indians starting with C

Cherokee
Chickasaw
Choctaw
Creek

Black Indians starting with M

Melungeon

Black Indians starting with S

Seminole

Black Indians starting with W

Wampanoag

Black Creeks adopted through the Dawes Commission between 1898 and 1916

Note that many of these names appear in other Indian nation lists, and their appearance here does not provide proof of Black Indian Ancestry.

In addition to these items, it is recommended that the researcher obtain as much oral history as possible on the family, and then locate the Dawes records on the family, including the names of ancestors on the Enrollment Cards and other pertinent records.

Continue to Black Creeks adopted through the Dawes Commission between 1898 and 1916 →

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Black Chickasaws adopted through the Dawes Commission between 1898 and 1916

Note that many of these names appear in other Indian nation lists, and their appearance here iss not absolute provide proof of Black Indian Ancestry. In addition to these items, it is recommended that the researcher obtain as much oral history as possible on the family, and then locate the Dawes records on the family, including the names of ancestors on the Enrollment Cards and other pertinent records.

Continue to Black Chickasaws adopted through the Dawes Commission between 1898 and 1916 →

Read MoreBlack Chickasaws adopted through the Dawes Commission between 1898 and 1916

Black Cherokee Surnames recorded on the Dawes roll

This list of surnames represent the names of the Black freedmen who were adopted through the Dawes Commission, between 1898 and 1916. Note that many of these names appear in other Indian nation lists, and their inclusion here does not provide absolute proof of Black Indian Ancestry. 

In addition to these items, it is recommended that the researcher obtain as much oral history as possible on the family, and then locate the Dawes records on the family, including the names of ancestors on the Enrollment Cards and other pertinent records.

Continue to Black Cherokee Surnames recorded on the Dawes roll →

Read MoreBlack Cherokee Surnames recorded on the Dawes roll

The Freedmen: James Coody Johnson

The Freedmen: James Coody Johnson … KEYWORDS:James Coody Johnson freedmen black indians black creek freedmen black indian leader freemen who lived with Indians creek indian history Oklahoma Freedmen African-Native people green peach war Seminole Freedmen A significant number of Afro-Americans were sold, escaped or fled from slavery and eventually settled in the West, where they were adopted by Indian tribes and accepted into the tribal structure as equals. Many even assumed roles of leadership. Sugar T. George a.k.a. George Sugar…

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The Freedmen:John Myers, Creek Lighthorseman

A significant number of Afro-Americans were sold, escaped or fled from slavery and eventually settled in the West, where they were adopted by Indian tribes and accepted into the tribal structure as equals. Many even assumed roles of leadership.  John Myers served as the personal interpreter to the Creek leader Isparhecher . He was the son of a white man, A.G. Myers, and an African Creek woman, Harriett Cosmay who was a Creek Freedwoman. As a young man, John Myers…

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