Connecting with your ancestors is possible, even when you don't know your family history.
Even if you're holding the most accurate family tree in your hands, you may still not feel connected to your ancestors.
We live in a time where more and more records are becoming digitized and accessible on a daily basis.
In the old days, genealogists focused on recording lineages using BMD records (Birth, Marriage, and Death). But these documents don't tell your family's whole story. In fact, they can disguise just as many truths as they reveal.
I don't know about you, but I wasn't very interested in the cold hard facts of my ancestors. I wanted to feel a way. I wanted a sense of knowing, and I was motivated to understand my ancestors using all the information I could find.
I developed the SALVAGE methodology as a comprehensive way to compile research along several different vectors. Like traditional genealogy, Salvaging Ancestors can be collaborative, private, or public.
S - Seek Existing Information
A - Ask Family for Stories
L - Learn Local History
V - Visit Ancestral Locations
A - Assemble Anecdotes
G - Get your facts together
E - Express what you’ve learned
The Ancestor Salvage approach to genealogical research isn't new, it isn't ground-breaking or revolutionary. It combines an anthropological mindset, modern research tools, and, in the end, expressing what you've learned and releasing it into the world in order to salvage your ancestors; to give their stories a life, keeping them alive in the memories and imaginations of future generations.
You can visit my Instagram and follow me on Facebook to learn more ways to salvage your ancestors
