Am helping a friend with her genealogy. Harry Mefford was her grandfather; Gladys her grandmother. What documentation shows he was Sioux? Census and other records state he was white. I have his father as John Oliver from Kentucky. No Sioux there. Have I been led astray?
Hello Karen.
Harry Mefford is my great grandfather. The census listed native people who didn’t live on a rez as white. Because they were considered “taxable” individuals. Therfore they were white in the eyes of the government. My DNA didn’t show any Native blood until I uploaded my raw data to GEDMATCH there it showed native and Asian dna. Sometimes the two are mistaken for eachother in dna tests.
I should clarify that they are both of my great grandparents. When looking at the Mefford and Howard families, I would look closer at the women in the families. After talking to a lot of Native Americans, they told me that it is more likely for a white man to marry a native woman than the other way around. (In those times) Harry’s mom is Emma King. Her father was orphand as a child. The only thing he knew of his father is that he was from Ireland. He knew nothing of his mother. His father went out west and left the boy with a native woman, and his father never returned. I don’t know who the woman was but she raised him until he was a teenager. My tree is open on Ancestry.com
DONNA GARRISON
7 years ago
My Grandfather was born in Tama Iowa. How do I find out what Native American he is?
Thanks
Michael
9 years ago
I have been registering with Sioux,Apache,Powwow Maybe I have forgoten username or password anyway I like to recovery
Free Email Series: What to Expect at Your First Pow Wow
My grand father’s we from Iowa his name was Harry mefford
He was full blood Sioux and my grandmother was half her name was gladys howard.
Hello Robin. They are my grt. Grandparents. I have a little information on them, but not much.
Am helping a friend with her genealogy. Harry Mefford was her grandfather; Gladys her grandmother. What documentation shows he was Sioux? Census and other records state he was white. I have his father as John Oliver from Kentucky. No Sioux there. Have I been led astray?
Look here – http://www.powwows.com/am-i-native
Hello Karen.
Harry Mefford is my great grandfather. The census listed native people who didn’t live on a rez as white. Because they were considered “taxable” individuals. Therfore they were white in the eyes of the government. My DNA didn’t show any Native blood until I uploaded my raw data to GEDMATCH there it showed native and Asian dna. Sometimes the two are mistaken for eachother in dna tests.
I should clarify that they are both of my great grandparents. When looking at the Mefford and Howard families, I would look closer at the women in the families. After talking to a lot of Native Americans, they told me that it is more likely for a white man to marry a native woman than the other way around. (In those times) Harry’s mom is Emma King. Her father was orphand as a child. The only thing he knew of his father is that he was from Ireland. He knew nothing of his mother. His father went out west and left the boy with a native woman, and his father never returned. I don’t know who the woman was but she raised him until he was a teenager. My tree is open on Ancestry.com
My Grandfather was born in Tama Iowa. How do I find out what Native American he is?
Thanks
I have been registering with Sioux,Apache,Powwow Maybe I have forgoten username or password anyway I like to recovery