This is my Grandmother and I have been told for years she was a Cherokee Indian from Virigina
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All Things Cherokee is an online resource for Cherokee genealogy information, history, culture, and art.
Cherokees didn’t live in Virginia, historically speaking. The last bit of land that the Cherokees laid claim to in the extreme SW part of the state was ceded even prior to the Revolutionary War. The last Cherokee raiding parties that attacked White settlements in Virginia was in 1794. No Cherokees were to be found in that state until decades after the Trail of Tears when a small number of individuals or families associated with Eastern Band or Cherokee Nation moved into that location. This would mostly be related to career moves, attending schools, military stations, maybe a marriage to a partner with Virginia roots, etc. Otherwise, there were no historic Cherokee villages or indigenous family clusters ever associated with that state since the time of American Independence to the present time. All Cherokees in that state have tribal roots from other locations (e.g. Oklahoma or around Qualla Boundary, NC).
Being a Cherokee Indian required a lineal connection to known Cherokee families. And you’d have to establish this lineal connection. If you’re family did not maintain affiliation or enrollment, this process is usually done through standard genealogical research. This usually requires a set of biographical details that provides a starting point. For example, a full name with dates of birth and death, spouse’s name, children, parents names, where they lived, etc.