We reputedly have a Cherokee ancestor on my dad's side, and the family was living in WNC at the time, but there is NO way that I would make any sort of claim until I had run down the relationship and verified it.
I would certainly not put it forward as a basis for an affirmative action claim without documenting it fully. That's dishonest.
The Guion Miller Roll is the best place to start for genealogical purposes. It’s later than the Baker Roll and contains newer and often additional/different information. It also lists all applicants, not just those accepted, even listing reasons for denial. Being denied does not necessarily mean the indiviual(s) were not Cherokee descendants. It can mean that they had lived apart from the tribe going back generations, certainly prior to 1835.
I have seven relatives on it, but only one in my direct maternal line. My great grandmother.
My dad and uncles said we have a “Genuine Cherokee Princess” in our background. A deep look at our genealogy shows the only person who could be Cherokee was NOT Cherokee or any Indian background.