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Family Tree Maker 10-01-04
Posted by GFA Terry <gfaterry@aol.com> on Fri, 01 Oct 2004
IN THIS EDITION* Top Stories
- New Home for American Indian History
- Ancestors Road Show to Reappear in NYC
- Networking in the UK
* Sneak Peeks at FamilyTreeMagazine.com
* Speakers' Schedule
_________________________________________________________
NEW HOME FOR AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY
Some 20,000 North and South American Indians, many in
traditional dress, marched along the National Mall last week in a
procession to celebrate the opening of the Smithsonian Institution's
National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI, http://www.nmai.
si.edu) in Washington, DC.
NMAI offers a unique view of history: Staff at the $219 million
museum say it's the first dedicated exclusively to American Indians
that presents the past from their own perspective. If you have
American Indian ancestors, you'll find the insight into their world
particularly valuable. (For tips on researching your American
Indian roots, see the April 2004 Family Tree Magazine, available
at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/magazine_apr04.asp.)
Three main exhibits cover history, the stories of eight contemporary
American Indian communities and spiritual worldviews of
indigenous cultures. Nearly 800,000 artifacts--clothing, tools,
masks and pottery--are on display, covering 10,000 years and
1,000-plus native cultures. By allowing unprecedented practices,
NMAI manages to avoid some of the animosity such collections
have inspired in American Indians who view the objects as tribal
property. For example, tribal elders are allowed to "feed" cornmeal
to some masks, showing spirits that the objects are being cared for.
Sacred artifacts are displayed with the approval of the tribes that
created them, and some items are lent out for ceremonies. NMAI
has promised that human remains, sacred objects or items
acquired illegally will be returned to groups than can prove a claim
to them.
The museum building reflects American Indian
values, with an east-facing main entrance, orientation to the
cardinal directions and curved shape. Four habitats--forest,
meadow, wetlands and crops that Indians cultivate using
traditional techniques--surround the building. Inside the entrance,
a Welcome Wall greets visitors in hundreds of American Indian
languages. Master Indian boatbuilders, displaying an ancestral
craft that's become the centerpiece for some native communities'
cultural revivals, construct canoes, reed boats and dugouts.
You even can snack on Indian-inspired food, such as quahog
clam chowder, Peruvian mashed-potato cakes, smoked seafood
and bison chili, at the Mitsitam Café. (That's "let's eat" in the
Piscataway and Delaware languages.)
Located just south of the US Capitol, NMAI is open daily from
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, but you'll need an entry
pass to get in. A limited number of same-day passes are available
at the museum right after it opens each day, or you can reserve
them by calling toll-free (866) 400-6624 or visiting
http://americanindian.si.edu/tickets.cfm (you'll pay a $1.75 service
charge per ticket).
_________________________________________________________
ANCESTORS ROAD SHOW TO REAPPEAR IN NYC
Those lucky New Yorkers! The Big Apple's 15th annual Family
History Fair, planned for Oct. 17, will once again feature the
Ancestors Road Show. This genealogical version of PBS' popular
"Antiques Roadshow" offers free, one-on-one professional help for
specific genealogical problems.
Brick wall-stricken fair attendees will form a "triage" line, where
members of New York City's Association for Professional
Genealogists (APG, http://www.apgen.org) chapter will help them
fine-tune their research dilemmas and send each person to the
right expert.
"If there is one thing I think we all experience, it is that we
sometimes get overwhelmed with too much information on too
many ancestors," says APG member and event organizer Nancy
Coleman. "I always encourage my clients to focus on one branch
at a time, and if that gets too large, break it down even further [to
one ancestor]. Then, if you get bored or hit a wall that you'd rather
not scale at the moment, you can move on. . . . The idea behind the
Ancestors Road Show promotes this 'focused' approach."
The Family History Fair offers workshops on topics such as
computer research, using libraries and archives, and document
preservation. Visitors also can talk with 40 exhibiting genealogical
societies, historical agencies, repositories, booksellers and
genealogy product vendors. Admission is free. The fair takes place
from noon to 5 p.m. at the City University of New York's Graduate
Center in Manhattan. Log on to http://www.nycarchivists.org/
fhf.html or call for information.
The event is the highlight of New York Archives Week, a city wide
history celebration held October 10-17. Read about other Archives
Week events at http://www.nycarchivists.org/awevents.html.
_________________________________________________________
NETWORKING IN THE UK
The UK genealogy data site formerly known as Origins.net has
given itself a new name, Origins Network (http://www.
originsnetwork.com), to accompany its broader coverage and its
switch to a subscription payment system.
Webmasters dubbed their English records collection British
Origins and plan to add non-English records such as the 1871
census of Glamorgan, Wales. The Irish and Scottish collections
also contain new databases. The free Origins Search, a
genealogy-specific search engine that previously found Irish Web
sites, will now find English and Scottish sites for you, too.
A subscription service has replaced the Origins Network's credit
system, in which a user "spent" pre-purchased credits each time
he viewed a record. The cost for access to all collections ranges
from 7.5 pounds (about $14) for three days to 34.5 pounds (about
$64) per year; you also can purchase separate subscriptions to the
British, Irish or Sottish collection. You'll have to stay on top of
things, though: Unless you cancel your account, your subscription
automatically renews when it ends.
___________________________________________________________
SNEAK PEEKS AT FAMILYTREEMAGAZINE.COM
Be first to check out these new articles on our Web site:
* More Magic
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/articles/oct04/rootsmagic.asp
RootsMagic continues to dazzle with its latest release. Learn how
RootsMagic's improved charting and publishing features can add
a little sparkle to your family history.
* Object Lessons
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/articles/oct04/heirlooms.asp
Your ancestors' belongings can tell you a lot about their
personalities and the way they lived. Find out how to research and
preserve your family heirlooms.
* The Power of PERSI
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/articles/oct04/persi.asp
In the flurry of census records and vital statistics, many
genealogists simply overlook periodicals as a key resource. If this
rings a bell, check out the new and improved Periodical Source
Index, now available at HeritageQuest Online.
* Busting Out
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/articles/oct04/brickwalls.asp
Has your roots research reached a dead end? These time-tested
brick-wall busters will help you trace those elusive ancestors in no
time.
_________________________________________________________
SPEAKERS' SCHEDULE
* Kansas City, Mo.
Sharon DeBartolo Carmack
Oct. 7-9
Pursuing Our Italian Names Together Conference
Topics:
- From Italy to America: Starting Your Italian-American Research
- Flesh on the Bones: Putting Your Italian Ancestors into Historical Perspective
Contact Danny Zangara at pointkc_2004@yahoo.com.
*Tyler, Texas
Emily Anne Croom
Oct. 9
East Texas Genealogical Society seminar
Topics:
- Old Dominion Research: Our Virginia Ancestors
- Proof and the Paper Trail: Documenting Your Research
- Scaling the Brick Wall
- The Other Half of the Story: Researching Female Ancestors
Visit www.rootsweb.com/~txegs.
***
Reprinted with permission from Family Tree Magazine Email
Update, copyright 2004 F+W Publications Inc. To subscribe to this free weekly e-mail newsletter, go to
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/newsletter.asp. For a
free sample copy of the print Family Tree Magazine,
America's #1 family history magazine, go to
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/specialoffers.asp?
FAMfreeissue
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