The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 and the Kikotan Descendants: A Family History Perspective
- Dr. Guadalupe Vanderhorst Rodriguez D.Ac, L.Ac
- Aug 24
- 6 min read
When we look back at American history, there are moments that completely shifted the course of life for entire communities. One of those moments was the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, a law that made all Native Americans born in the United States U.S. citizens.
On paper, it sounds simple. In reality, it carried layers of meaning, especially for descendants of the Kikotan people, whose story is deeply intertwined with families like the Tann family.
In this article, let’s explore what the Act meant, why it was passed, and how it connected to the lives of Indigenous descendants who had already survived centuries of displacement, assimilation, and erasure.
A Glimpse Back: Who Were the Kikotan?
Before diving into 1924, we need to step back several centuries. The Kikotan people lived in what is now Hampton, Virginia, at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. They were part of the broader Powhatan Confederacy but also maintained their own distinct identity. When the English arrived at Jamestown in 1607, the Kikotan were among the first Indigenous people they encountered.
Overtime, by the 1690s, indians wars, disease, and forced removals devastated the Kikotan. Their lands were seized from Kikotan to Elizabeth City in 1611, and their descendants were absorbed into other Indigenous Tribes in Virginia or intermarried with Africans and European newcomers. Over time, the Kikotan name faded into the pages of the colonial records, but their descendants carried on—sometimes identifying as Native, sometimes as “colored” or “mulatto” under Virginia’s racial classifications.
This is where genealogy plays such a powerful role. Families like the Tann family, with ancestral ties to Virginia, can trace their bloodlines back to these early Indigenous communities. The names may have changed, but the heritage remained.
Life Before 1924: Not Quite Citizens
Before the Indian Citizenship Act, Native Americans existed in a strange legal limbo. Some had already become U.S. citizens through treaties, military service, or special laws like the Dawes Act of 1887, which tied citizenship to accepting individual land allotments. But many others were left out.
Imagine being born on the very land where your ancestors lived for thousands of years, only to be told by the government that you weren’t officially a citizen of the country that grew around you. That was the reality for countless Indigenous people. They lived here, worked here, paid taxes, and even served in wars—yet full recognition was withheld.
For Kikotan descendants who had already blended into African American or mixed-race communities across the United States, the situation was even more complex. They often faced double erasure: their Native identity was ignored by lawmakers and historians, while racial segregation laws denied them basic rights as Native Americans, hidden from society.
Why 1924? The Push for the Indian Citizenship Act
So why did the federal government finally grant citizenship to all Native Americans in 1924? Several factors came together:
Military service in World War I: Over 10,000 Native men enlisted, many voluntarily. Their courage made it impossible for lawmakers to deny them recognition.
Assimilation pressures: The federal government believed citizenship would speed up the process of “Americanizing” Indigenous people, pushing them further away from tribal sovereignty.
Political pressure: Reformers argued that excluding Native people from citizenship contradicted America’s democratic ideals.
On June 2, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act, declaring:
“All non-citizen Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States be, and they are hereby, declared to be citizens of the United States.”
It was a turning point—but also a complicated gift.
What Citizenship Meant (and Didn’t Mean)
For many Native communities, including descendants of the Kikotan, U.S. citizenship brought opportunities but also carried risks.
What it meant:
Recognition under federal law.
The right to vote (though many states still blocked Native voters until the 1940s and even later).
A symbolic acknowledgment that Indigenous people were part of the national story.
What it didn’t mean:
Full respect for tribal sovereignty.
An end to discrimination or erasure.
Immediate equality—Jim Crow laws in Virginia, for example, still separated and oppressed Indigenous-descended families.
In fact, for Kikotan descendants who were often recorded as African American or “colored” in official documents, the Act may have felt invisible. Their Native identity was already buried under labels imposed by census takers and lawmakers. Citizenship didn’t restore their tribal nation; it simply placed another federal identity over them.
The Kikotan Descendants’ Story
So where do Kikotan descendants fit into this narrative? By the 1920s,Tann families who lived in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri, Oklahoma with Kikotan blood were living under multiple identities. Some openly claimed their Indigenous ancestry. Others passed as African American because that was the category available to them under segregation.
John Tann was born in 1849 in Berkeley County, South Carolina. He was the son of John and Mary Jane (Snyder) Tann. On Nov 10, 1920, John died, and his death record states his "color or race" as Indian.
The Tann family, like many others, carried pieces of this blended history. The story of the Kikotan wasn’t just about loss—it was also about resilience. Every time a family preserved oral traditions, remembered a grandmother’s story, or kept a sense of belonging to the Chesapeake region, they resisted erasure.
The 1924 Act didn’t “give” them identity; they already had it. But it did mark a moment when the U.S. government had to acknowledge, however imperfectly, that Indigenous people were part of the American fabric.
Why This History Matters Today
You might ask: why should we care about an old law passed a hundred years ago? For Kikotan descendants and families like the Tanns, this history matters because:
It explains identity struggles. Understanding how citizenship laws worked helps explain why some families’ Native roots were hidden in official records.
It honors resilience. Despite erasure, Kikotan descendants carried their identity forward.
It gives context to genealogy. Tracing family history isn’t just about names and dates—it’s about seeing how laws and social forces shaped our ancestors’ lives.
It reclaims narrative. Telling this story ensures that the Kikotan are remembered, not as a “vanished” people, but as living through their descendants.
Carrying the Story Forward
As descendants, we hold a responsibility. Every time we research our genealogy, share family stories, or publish books about the Tann family, we restore what was lost. We give voice to the Kikotan ancestors who were written out of history.
The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 is a reminder that legal recognition is only one piece of the puzzle. True recognition comes when we acknowledge the complex heritage of families like ours and honor the sacrifices our ancestors made to survive.
Final Thoughts
The Kikotan people may have been small in number, but their legacy is vast. Through families like the Tanns, their blood, culture, and spirit live on. The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 was a milestone in American history—but for Kikotan descendants, the real story is about perseverance in the face of erasure.
As we continue researching and sharing our family history, we ensure that the Kikotan are not forgotten. Citizenship was just one step. Remembering, reclaiming, and honoring their story—that’s the true path to justice and belonging.
Written for the Tann Family History Blog to preserve and honor the story of the Kikotan descendants and their journey through the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924.
About the Author:
Dr. Guadalupe Vanderhorst Rodriguez is a published author, licensed acupuncturist, and lifelong family historian with four decades of hands-on genealogical research. Her work focuses on Indigenous ancestry and early American families, blending courthouse records, maps, DNA insights, and oral tradition to bring ancestors back into view. Dr. Rodriguez’s research has been featured on the television program Who Do You Think You Are, where her careful documentation and compassionate storytelling earned wide recognition.
As a clinician and educator, she bridges holistic health and heritage, showing how knowing where we come from can support how we heal—body, mind, and spirit. Her books, articles, and talks empower families to preserve documents, interview elders, and pass down stories with accuracy and respect. When she’s not in the archives or the clinic, you’ll find her mentoring others on building source-based family histories that future generations can trust. Connect with her at tannfamilyhistory@gmail.com.
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