Michigan and American Resources Regarding Native Americans
Please visit the French Canadian and Native Families Page to download profiles of the families in the Detroit River Region
Online Resources for Michigan: The following links provide resources for researching Native Ancestry or Families with Native and European Ancestry in Michigan:
United States' Laws and Treaties: Charles J. Kappler's Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties is available online from the HathiTrust. See: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/004384258. At the end of each volume, researchers can find a list of treaties by Tribe or Year. In addition to reading the treaties themselves, the individuals named in the treaties can be useful for genealogical purposes. For example, French Canadians often acted as interpreters for the United States or the Tribes or Nations that were parties to the treaties; their roles as interpreters can provide you with occupational information regarding your ancestors. For those who are searching for a potential Native Ancestor, the treaties or the signatories to the treaties may contain clues. For example, many treaties contain names of individuals with French Canadian or European surnames. This often indicates descent from a Native American and French Canadian or American. In other cases, the treaty mentions specific grants that were made to individuals; the grants may even include genealogical information such as the name of one of his or her parents.
