Dear Kinfolks, My grandchildren have often asked, can we get a Indian Card?  We know we have ancestors with Cherokee blood, where do I make my application?  The answer is yes, you do have Indian blood, however the Cherokee Nation will only accept applications for those persons who have a direct lineage to an ancestor who shows up on the official Indian Rolls.  These rolls go back to the 1800’s when President  Jackson passed the Indian Removal Act that would send our Indian kinfolk from the East Cherokee Nation  to the Oklahoma Territory.  Many Cherokees who did not want to leave  their native home , simply hid in the woods and did not sign the rolls.  There lies our problem.  Until we find a relative, who signed one of the rolls,  we are out of luck.  I sincerely believe it is possible, but I may need my talented internet grandchildren to join the search.

Our grandfather, William H. “Black Bill” Anderson made the following statement on his application to EASTERN CHEROKEE’S  Guion Miller Roll #34466, dated August 16, 1907.

“Henry(M) Anderson was my grandfather.  Henry (M) Anderson was the son of James Anderson and grandson of Henry Anderson and also a grandson on his mothers side  of James and  Bettie Mitchell who lived in the old (East) Cherokee Nation.

East Bettie Mitchell’s maiden name was East Bettie Harlin (grandfather used East to refer the Eastern Cherokee Nation) and was recognized Cherokee and my grandfather was an second cousin of old Tom Starr.

My grandfathers folks came from Tennessee to Mississippi then to Arkansas.  Farther dates I can’t tell you if there is any farther information  I can give you I will gladly do so”.

Yours very resp.

W.H. Anderson,  Hamburg,  Okla.

Granddad W. H. Anderson included several affidavits with his application which claimed the Harlins and the Griffins ” here in this nation are Cherokee Citizens by blood”.  The only official answer to his application simply read “Rejected”.  I can only guess the rejection came from lack of their names showing up on the Indian Rolls. How would granddad=have access to his ancestors roll numbers back in those early days?

In 1928 grandfather William H. Anderson again made a notarized statement asking for rights and privileges of the Cherokee Nation.  Part of the letter read “that his grandfather, Henry M. Anderson was a quarter breed Cherokee Indian, who was born in 1908 in the state of Mississippi, as appears from the record taken from the family bible”.

Based on the “quarter breed” claim, it would lead us to either his paternal  grandmother, Bettie Harlan Mitchell or to his mother Francis “Fannie” Griffin.  The Griffin and Harlan (Harlin) name appears on a number of Indian rolls, question is which one is ours? So to my daughters, grandchildren and cousins come join this call to action.  Just let me know and I can furnish family trees and other research.

Sincerely,

Jim Lee Anderson