The Baca / Douglas Genealogy and Family History Blog

09 March 2008

Native American Genealogy

While searching for something completely different, I found a website that deals with Native American Genealogy. Looking up Native American roots can be tricky. One of the links on the site is to a blog on Suite101.com also called Native American Genealogy.

Being Hispanic, I definately have some Native American blood. Jose Tomas Candelaria is one of my Indian ancestors. The 1790 Census of Plaza No. 4 of Alburquerque enumerates his family:

(Family #) 155 Jose Tomas CANDELARIA, G(enizaro) , 20 (years old), shoemaker; m(arried) Anna M(aria) GALLEGOS, M(estiza), 15 (years old.) (1.)

A Genizaro is "an Indian who became part of the Spanish community and adopted the Spanish way of life". It is a term used almost exclusively in New Mexico. A Mestiza is a woman who has mixed Spanish and Indian blood. (2.)

Jose Tomas Candelaria is my 5th great grandfather.

1. Virginia Langham Olmsted, New Mexico Spanish and Mexican Colonial Censuses: 1790, 1823, 1845 (Albuquerque, NM: New Mexico Genealogical Society, 1975), p. 9. Hereinafter, "NM Censuses 1790, 1823, 1845".

2. Olmsted, "NM Censuses 1790, 1823, 1845", p. 1.

2 comments:

Lorraine said...

I am interested in your Candelaria line, my line thre me a screw ball when a gr gr gr grandfather decided to change name from Candelaria.I discovered a birth record that showed he was born to a Juan Candelaria...Ygncaio would have been born around 1800 so I placing Juan about 1780

Hard to find info, Juan married to Tomasa Sanchez (Teresa chaves name also noted on record I found).

Does this sound familiar...we have also been told we have Native blood (apache) Gr aunts and uncles sent to indian school.

From ATrisco area of NM..

would appreciate any thoughts

AltaLomaGallegos said...

Good morning.

I believe that I may be part of your Candelaria line.

My g-g-grandfather Manuel Antonio Candelaria was born in Cubero, Valencia, NM. As a youth he was kidnapped by Apaches and lived among them for several years before returning back to his birth family.

You can contact me at e-mail: jhjgallegos@msn.com.

Regards,

John H. Gallegos