Steps to follow, when tracing ancestral roots

ONE needs to obtain relevant documents that would assist in tracing one’s roots, for example a certificate of indenture, certificate of discharge, an immigration pass, and marriage certificate that has indenture numbers.

It is not necessary that one needs documents of a parent or grandparents. Documents of even distant relatives may be sufficient – as long as they lead to the same roots of either a paternal or maternal grandparent or even great-grandparent.

Take these documents to either the Durban Archives, UKZN Documentation Centre or the KZN Department of Arts and Culture for verification.

The indenture number will reveal which place family members have come from and when they arrived in the country, as well as the name of the ship that brought them here.

On the other hand, if family members were not indentured labourers but came as traders or passenger Indians then their records may be traceable from the Who’s Who or from family records and correspondences.

The Department of Home Affairs may be able to assist in this regard. The Documentation Centre at UKZN has a complete set of the Who’s Who.

Tracing can also assist people of Indian origin to apply for an Overseas Citizenship of India card with the government of India.