It’s important to understand that Freedmen of the Five Tribes have very unique records available to us. We know the names of our ancestors and their owners. We also know the names of their parents and their parents’ enslavers. We also have interviews conducted with our family

members by the Dawes Commission. We have access to very unique records that other descendants of slaves may not have. We can map out where our families lived, where their allotments were located, and who their owners were/what other slaves were on their plantations with them.

Not only do we know our ancestors were enslaved but we can trace back who their owners were. Not just general families either, but exactly who their owners were (many were owned by women, etc.).

Our ancestors were some of the best-documented enslaved people in the United States.