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As many Genealogist understand, one of the keys to success in our research is locating and identifying the last slave owner. For the "Oklahoma Freedmen" researcher, the Dawes Census Records (NARA M1186) provides vital information regarding the identification of slave owners. "Estelusti Foundation" is providing the "Oklahoma Freedmen" researcher with a database containing the names of the slave owners and break down by the various Indian Nations. This research tool we hope will be beneficial to those unable to gather the information any other way. It should also be stated, the slaves or "Estelusti" lived among the Southeastern Indians known as the Five "Civilized" Tribes did not just become their slaves when the tribes were relocated to Indian Territory (Oklahoma). Many of the "Estelusti" had been slaves within the various nation's for many years prior to the removal period. We hope the databases will provide more clues to the researcher attempting to locate the ancestor not alive at the time of the Dawes enrollment period. "Estelusti Foundation" welcomes contribution to our database. If you have knowledge of records or have in your possession, records pertinent to the Oklahoma Freedmen, and you would like to share that information with other Freedmen researchers, please drop a line and let us know how "we" can make this a site useful to the descendant's of both the freedmen and the slave owners. Clearly, the issue of slavery in America needs a serious dialogue for there to be healing from this tragic chapter in "our" country. It is the opinion of "Estelusti Foundation", information concerning our ancestors will reconnect the families of those enslaved. Additionally, the "complete" gathering of this knowledge can only be accomplished with the efforts of all, descendants of slaves and slave owners. |
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