July 27, 2024
REGISTERThe Legacy of Forced Removal: Finding Formerly Enslaved & Indigenous Kin
- From Tulsa to Beyond: African American Genealogy in Oklahoma – Attendees will learn how to research the lives of their ancestors using tribal records (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Seminole), federal records, newspapers, college/university collections, historical society records, and more! Smith’s understanding of these records will help those researching family trees to discover deep roots in the Sooner State.
- Finding Isaac Rogers – Isaac Rogers was a well-known Cherokee Freedmen, U.S. Civil War veteran and Deputy Marshal, but who was he outside of those titles? This is the story of how traditional genealogy, oral history, and DNA collided to reveal his family origins, which include connections to Cherokee Nation leaders, stories of resilience during the Trail of Tears/forced removal, and the true story of life as people of African descent within an indigenous group.
- Giving Them Their Glory: First Kansas/US Colored Troops 79th Regiment – Organized in August 1862, the First Kansas Colored Infantry was the first Black unit recruited in the North, the first to see and die in battle in the Civil War, made up of both free and enslaved men, including those from the Five Tribes, its exploits were legendary. Yet, the lives of its rank and file outside of their service were prolific and unsung.
- Lost to Time, Unearthed by Access – Follow the journey of formerly enslaved families whose origins and life during enslavement were nearly forgotten but were revealed due to expanded access to records.
Location & Recordings
Join us live at the Dallas Public Library or online on Zoom.
Schedule
Saturday July 27 (all times CT)
| 9:25 | Welcome & Opening Remarks | |
| 9:30 | 10:30 | From Tulsa to Beyond: African American Genealogy in Oklahoma |
| 10:30 | 11:00 | Break |
| 11:00 | 12:00 | Finding Isaac Rogers |
| 12:00 | 1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00 | 2:00 | Giving Them Their Glory: First Kansas/US Colored Troops 79th Regiment |
| 2:00 | 2:30 | Break |
| 2:30 | 3:30 | Lost to Time, Unearthed by Access |
| 3:30 | Closing Remarks |
Cost (USD)
| | By July 8, 2024 | After July 8, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| DGS Member | $50 | $70 |
| Others | $60 | $80 |
Box Lunches will be available for $15 (must be ordered with a registration by July 22).
Join DGS REGISTERRefund Policy: Requests for refunds made prior to the early-bird cutoff date (July 8, 2024) will be granted (less a $10 handling fee). DGS will not issue refunds after 5:00 pm on July 8, but we will provide a syllabus (PDF) and access to the recorded lectures for two weeks after the July 27, 2024 presentation.
Nicka Sewell-Smith
Nicka Smith is a host, consultant, and documentarian with more than 20 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in researching the enslaved and their communities and is an expert in genealogy research in the Mississippi Delta.
She is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, a member of two lineage societies (Sons and Daughters of the Middle Passage (SDUSMP), National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)), and a past board member of the California Genealogical Society (CGS) and is an honorary life member of the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California (AAGSNC). Nicka served as the chair of the Outreach and Education Committee for AAGSNC, and is the former project manager for the Alameda County, CA Youth Ancestral Project where more than 325 youth were taught the value of family history.
Additionally, Nicka is the family historian and lead researcher for the Atlas family of Lake Providence, East Carroll, Louisiana and guides and coaches an active group of family historians at the Who is Nicka Smith Patreon community.
