CIRI receives many inquiries for shareholder genealogical information, which it does not have. The Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted enrollment for the regional corporations formed as a result of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The regional corporations, including CIRI, did not receive copies of the ANCSA enrollment applications nor did they receive family tree information, and instead received only statistical information from the BIA on those individuals determined eligible and enrolled to their respective regions.
Still, knowing who our families are and where we come from is an important value in our Alaska Native cultures. In recognition of this, CIRI is listing some online genealogy resources for those interested in exploring their heritage in this fashion.
- Alaska Genealogy Forum
- Alaska Genealogy Resource Guide – a basic list of Alaska-related genealogy resources, courtesy of the Alaska State Library
- Alaska Historical Society
- Alaska State Archives – genealogy page of the Alaska State Archives
- Ancestry.com – the world’s largest online family history resource.
- Anchorage Genealogical Society
- Fairbanks Genealogical Society
- Familysearch.org – the world’s largest collection of free family trees, genealogy records and resources
- Gastineau Genealogical Society – Juneau
- “Researching Our South Central Alaska Roots” represents years of research by Coleen Mielke and includes a compilation of census data and newspaper clippings from 1882 to 1953. Ms. Mielke has made her research available for your own private research; however, she does not give permission for this information to be used commercially.
- Rootsweb – the Internet’s oldest and largest free genealogical community, whose primary function is to connect people so they can help each other and share genealogical research
- U.S. Dept. of the Interior Indian Affairs – a guide to tracing American Indian and Alaska Native Ancestry
- USgenweb.org – free genealogy sites and collections by state and county
Although membership fees do apply to some of these services, many of their sites have sections offering free tips for conducting genealogical research as well as links to other available genealogical resources, many of which are available at no cost to the user.
Know about other genealogy-related resources?
Email info@ciri.com to let us know about them.
