Tribal Screening Program
Find Your Way Back to Your Nation
A structured, compassionate process to help you document your Indigenous ancestry and reconnect with the nations your family descends from.
Indigenous North Americans — Before & After Colonization
For thousands of years before European contact, the indigenous natives of north, central, and south America built nations, raised families, developed languages, governed themselves, and passed their heritage from generation to generation. If you cannot locate your surname on slave schedules, consider the tribal screening program. They were not discovered. They were already home.
Life Originated Out of Africa but...
Two-thirds of the world's population carries dark or brown skin. The assumption that all melanated people descend exclusively from African migration is a colonial simplification — not a scientific fact. Indigenous peoples of North America, South America, and the Pacific Islands carried deep melanin for millennia, entirely independent of the African continent. These are their faces. These are their descendants.
The Dawes Rolls Were a Tool of Erasure
The Dawes Rolls — the federal census used to determine tribal citizenship — were deeply flawed by design. Enrollment agents reclassified dark-skinned Indigenous people as "Negro" or "Colored," stripping them of their tribal identity with a single pen stroke. Families who had lived on this land for generations were erased from the record — not because they were not Native, but because their skin made it convenient to say so.
The Record Can Be Corrected
What was written incorrectly can be researched, documented, and challenged. The Tribal Screening Program exists precisely for families who know — or suspect — that their Indigenous ancestry was reclassified, buried, or denied. You do not need to look like the history books said you should. You need documentation. And that is what we help you build.
"They did not erase your people. They erased the paper trail. The blood remained."
Legacy Preservation Project
About the Program
What Is the Tribal Screening Program?
The Tribal Screening Program is a signature service, co-partnered with American Indian LLC. This group of legal eagles holds an outstanding reputation and offers a guided, step-by-step process that helps individuals and families document their Indigenous ancestry, understand the historical context of their family's misclassification, and take meaningful steps toward reconnecting with their ancestral nations. We combine genealogical research, historical analysis, and compassionate guidance to help you navigate a process that can feel overwhelming alone.
Eligibility
Who Qualifies?
This program is designed for individuals and families who believe their Indigenous heritage was hidden, misclassified, or erased through colonial systems. You may qualify if:
Your family has oral traditions or stories of Indigenous ancestry that were never formally documented.
Ancestors were listed under racial classifications such as 'Colored,' 'Mulatto,' 'Mestizo,' or 'Other' in historical records.
Your family has roots in communities historically affected by colonial misclassification or tribal erasure.
You have DNA results suggesting Indigenous ancestry but lack the documentation to trace it.
Your family descends from Free People of Color whose Indigenous roots were obscured by racial reclassification.
You are of Mestizo or mixed-heritage background and wish to reconnect with your Indigenous ancestral nations.
How It Works
How the Process Works
01
Initial Consultation
We begin with a confidential conversation to understand your family's history, what you already know, and what you hope to discover. There is no judgment — only curiosity and care.
02
Document & Record Review
We gather and analyze existing documents — census records, birth certificates, church records, land deeds, and any family materials — to build a foundation for your research.
03
Ancestral Research
Our team conducts deep genealogical research across Indigenous tribal records, Freedmen's Bureau archives, Latin American civil registries, and other specialized sources relevant to your background.
04
Heritage Report & Next Steps
We deliver a comprehensive heritage report documenting your findings, along with guidance on next steps — whether that means tribal enrollment, further research, or simply knowing your story.
Take the First Step
Your journey toward reconnection begins with a single conversation. Reach out today and let us help you find your way home.
Tribal ScreeningWe Exist to Educate, Not to Profit
The Legacy Preservation Project is a nonprofit organization. We serve a carefully selected number of families at a time — because this work requires depth, not volume. Our mission is education, documentation, and reconnection.
If you believe your family's heritage was misclassified or erased, we want to help you find the record that was buried — not sell you a service.
Partner Resource
Also Seeking Tribal Recognition?
American Indian LLC offers Tribal Screening Services for families reclaiming their Indigenous identity through the Tutul Xiu Mayapán Nation. Their program helps misclassified Indigenous peoples obtain documentation and restore their rightful heritage.
If your family's journey includes Indigenous ancestry beyond our East and Central Texas research corridor, we encourage you to explore their services as a complementary resource.
Visit American Indian LLC Tribal ScreeningAmerican Indian LLC is a firm of Indigenous attorneys specializing in tribal identity documentation and recognition. The Legacy Preservation Project (LPproject.org) and American Indian LLC operate as co-partners in service to families reclaiming their Indigenous heritage. The Legacy Preservation Project is a nonprofit program of RECIPE INC, a registered 501(c)(3) organization. American Indian LLC is an independent legal services firm. Neither organization profits from this referral relationship — our shared mission is the restoration of truth, identity, and belonging.