What tribe is this Baker family from?
Risposte
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@ShellyR Leavitt1 Indiana has some interesting Native American history... with a lot of migration; some that might make it difficult to determine unless there were records kept.
When conflicts with Europeans eventually came to a head, the result was the forced removal of the indigenous peoples of Indiana who had called that land home for thousands of years. Over a period of about fifteen years beginning in 1830 indigenous tribes were forcibly removed from Indiana to territories further west. Indian removal was happening on a national scale with the passage of the Indian Removal Act by the United States Congress in 1830.
The Wea and Shawnee saw the direction that things were headed and left the state voluntarily, leaving the Miami and the Potawatomi the two remaining tribes. The Wea and Shawnee experienced great hardships from pressures on hunting and land use directly related to American settlement. These groups escaped by moving west. The Potawatomi village led by Chief Menominee resisted as long as possible. He and his village were removed along what is called the Potawatomi Trail of Death in 1838.
Of the nearly 900 people removed around forty of them died along the journey. After the Trail of Death, the only natives left in the state were the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, having gained special permission from the government to remain in the Great Lakes. In 1846, many of the Miami were removed by force. However, many stayed on land that they owned privately. Many of the Miami were permitted to remain on land allotments guaranteed to them under the Treaty of St. Mary's (1818) and subsequent treaties.
Lets see if we can find any census or roll records that reference the Baker family with either the Potawatomi or the Miami...
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@ShellyR Leavitt1 I checked on William's descendants and it looks like they had a daughter who was "Susie Pocahantas Baker". These lead me to consider that her native ancestry possibly came from her mother, "Nora Sophia Thompson".
Nora is shown as born in Missouri, and in 1900 is cited as residing in Creek Nation, Indian Territory, Oklahoma with a "Frank" Baker.
I remember reading in that same article I linked you to earlier that in 1808, the Creek were one of the many tribes who came in to Prophetstown, Indiana to join the Native Confederation lead by Shawnee brothers, Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa. So it seems like she would been of that nation.
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@Amber Marstella Rothamer So are you saying Creek is her tribe?
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@ShellyR Leavitt1 it is highly possible, but to verify, I would like to check the rolls and census' to be sure. Let's check, shall we? Tell me what you find and I'll do the same!
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yeh - the question seems a bit confusing - - since the Bakers were from England.
When you reference "a family" you have to remember that all of us descend from hundreds of different family lines - often with a very diverse background.
The question with this specific baker family - would be to identify where precisely the Native American connection is to be found. As Amber points out maybe it was through the some of the ancestors of Nora. Neither Baker - nor Thompson would be Native American names - chances are it is some maternal ancestor of Nora's who was Native and then that persons ancestors.
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Thanks everyone!
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