What if one of my ancestors refused their roll #, What can I do ?

Question

What if one of my ancestors refused their roll #, What can I do ?

Answer 1

Many Native Americans considered it as an insult to be given money, in what they considered exchange for their freedom.. or chose not to identify themselves, due to prejudice and stigma.

From a genealogy standpoint, that is not necessarily going to stop your research or knowledge. You still can use alternate records to confirm YOUR ancestor, to be related to someone who did enroll.  For example, my husband's ancestor was absolutely known to have a sister; and in 1850, the sister was shown as Indian, as well as living with a family who is well documented as Cherokee. If you dig into all available records (many of which will NOT be online), you may find confirmation in such things as earlier land records or other documents.

Finding your ANCESTRY, and valid documents, is not limited at all, to verification of Native lineage. A roll number simply confirms tribal enrollment at the time.

It is always possible that your ancestor is believed to be Native American, when in reality, they were not.  Experience has shown over and over, that many families rely on oral history, which is incorrect.  For many families.. this means Aunt Mary will be stomping around in anger, if you find PROOF that the ancestor was actually born in Germany (for example), when she believed otherwise.

Probably the one most disregarded thing that I offer here.. ALL genealogy is not on the internet, although you can find tons of leads. You might be able to prove that grandma was on the census in a certain county.. and use that info to go to the court/ land records there.  

It all depends on your determination to find everything out there.. and not limit yourself to proof of being Native or not.

Answer 2

Is this to do with the war and how they got called up?