Been reading all the info past on here and one of the most usefull questions that should have been addressed is;
is there now online a list of all peoples rounded up for the Trail of Tears ,and which one's took which route {as they went two route's} .Does the list state as to what state they were from or if they did die on route? Does it list members of families who stayed behind? These are pieces of a puzzle that indeed would help many searchers.
As well one looking for the info on kin ,they must remember that not ALL Cherokee/Creek/Choctaw/ect went on that particular Trail ,there were more and before,and many hid in other states till it was safe to return to the land. Letting people know also that in such states as Va per say you coudn't say {via census tax lists ect} that you were Indian up through 1963 and was so in other states. Also when looking for TN/NC ancastors they need to search early Ga /Ala records at certain time frames. Also they need to understand that just because their family was rejected from Cherokee rolls DID NOT MEAN THEY WEREN'T of Native blood or not enrolled ,some accidently enrolled on the wrong site's {per say on Creek rolls} .And for a long time many folks only accepted the OK Cherokee as true Cherokee because they suffered the Trail of Tears. But either way they are part of the early Tsalagi of TN/Ga/Nc ect. And you can find some info on early Cherokee /white folks in early VA/Pa/Oh ect. Just research in the info on early traders,scouts ect. Don't give up ,and don't let someone say you are not what is in your heart and soul,because they just can't find proof for a plastic green card. If you know in your heart you feel it,you know it and no one can remove that anymore then they could remove our ancestors souls from the Mountains of the East.
Dawn {Sunalei Noquisi}Trent