In researching my family tree, I have read that my greatx3 grandfather Levi Powell and his family were Cherokee, and was wondering if there was any way to verify that. He was born in North Carolina in 1799, moved to Knox County, KY in about 1818 and operated a store in Bimble. In 1837 some of the family changed their surname from Powell to Laws. The reason for the name change is not known, but I suspect it may have been an attempt to hide and avoid removal to Oklahoma. Does this sound reasonable?