6 February 2014
Amid a discussion of a certain political brouhaha over alleged Native American identity and the "proof" offered by the claimant, a Facebook follower quipped, "What's the citation for 'high cheekbones'?"
That kind of "evidence" definitely will not be found by running an every-word search of EE's electronic edition. Still, it is covered. All kinds of family stories—logical, wishful, and fantastical—can be covered with the QuickCheck Model for "Traditions" on p. 115 or the examples under EE 3.45. Naturally we would then want to include, either in our text or our note, our evaluation of the reliability of the information we've been told.
If you're also wondering how to prove or disprove a family story of this type—the sources that exist and the methods to use—you may find guidance in EE's QuickLesson 7: Family Lore and Indian Princesses (https://www.evidenceexplained.com/content/quicklesson-7-family-lore-and-indian-princesses). This case study focuses upon the Cherokee Nation, the one claimed by just about every family that's been here since the days of the Union Jack; but the types of resources used are transferable to countless cases in the eastern states that flank the Appalachian-Adirondack ranges.