Looking for ancestors

I am having trouble finding out if my ancestors were actually Cherokee. They have been referenced in articles and genealogical sites as being Cherokee. I am looking for Mary/Polly Goins, born in 1797 in either North Carolina, or Tennessee (near the Appalachian Mountains), Edward Goins, born 1799 in either Cherokee county NC or Rutherford county NC. Polly married John Fitzgerald and had Robert Gerald b. 1817, Dolly Gerald b. 1819, Eustace Gerald b. 1821, James Gerald b. 1823, and Johnson Gerald/Fitzgerald b. 1825. Robert’s son, Joseph applied to the Guion-Miller Roll and claimed through Polly.

Edward Edmond Goins was Polly’s brother. He married Sarah Goins, or some say Sarah Brewer. He had Daniel Goins b. 1819, Elizabeth “Betsy” Goins McAlister b. 1820, Hugh Goins b. 1821, Phoebe Goins b. 1827, John Atkins Goins b. 1829, William Henry Goins b. 1830, and Jeremiah Goins b. 1835. John Atkins Goins wrote a letter on behalf of his niece Martha McAlister Longwith during her application to the Guion-Miller Roll. He claimed his father Ed was on a council and was on rolls, along with his sister Sally Goins Johnson and his sister Elizabeth “Betsy.”

Polly and Edward’s respective families were living in Bradley County Tennessee, primarily in Charleston right on the Hiwasse River. People say that Polly, Sally, and Edward’s father was Alexander Edmond Goins (Jr), and their mother was either Jane Booth or Susan/Susannah maiden name unknown, but I have not found evidence of this as information on my ancestors is very scarce.

I’ve seen a Betsy on the Henderson Roll, but only her name and state, not any more details. I have seen that a Sallie Johnson at least applied for land on the reservation in 1817, but I didn’t see her on the final roll. I am not sure if anyone had alternate names.

The Goins family had many variations to spell their names; Goin, Goins, Goines, Going, Goings, Gowings, Gowin, Gowen, Gowan, Goen, and Gaines.