Tracing Family Roots: First Armenian Genealogy Conference Planned for April

WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)— The Armenian Genealogy Conference will take place April 9-10 in Watertown. The conference, which grew out of the Armenian Genealogy group on Facebook, will feature several speakers on various topics regarding Armenian genealogy, history, geography, and presentations on different organizations and initiatives.

George Aghjayan, a retired actuary and one of the conference organizers, noted that the study of Armenian genealogy has grown substantially over the last decade, and that organizing a conference was a necessary step. “Advances in technology have allowed access to information previously thought unattainable,” said Aghjayan, who hopes that the conference can become an annual event.

'They feel a pull—like the voices of their ancestors are calling from the dust. This conference will help them answer that call,' said Keeney (Photo: Gdouts Island on Lake Van /George Aghjayan)
‘They feel a pull—like the voices of their ancestors are calling from the dust. This conference will help them answer that call,’ said Keeney. (Photo: Gdouts Island on Lake Van/George Aghjayan)

Aghjayan is a frequent contributor to the Armenian Weekly. His primary area of focus is the demographics of Western Armenia (westernarmenia.weebly.com). “It is a natural progression to hold annual conferences for those desiring to advance knowledge of their Armenian roots. For so long, Armenians were told no records exist, everyone has passed away, and other messages of futility. I think many Armenians will be surprised at how much is possible in repairing the rupture in our family histories caused by the genocide,” he told the Armenian Weekly.

Mark Arslan
Mark Arslan

Aghjayan has been working with Tracy Rivest Keeney and Mark Arslan to organize the conference, which is co-sponsored by the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), Project Save Armenian Photograph Archives, Inc., Houshamadyan, the Armenian Museum of America (AMA), and Hamazkayin Boston. During the weekend, participants—both beginners and advanced—will learn how to carry out genealogical research specific to Armenians, and will take part in workshops, during which experienced volunteers will help answer questions, teach how to get started, and how to go beyond existing research.

“The recent proliferation and acceptance of social media has allowed a level of collaboration on genealogical and historical research never before possible,” Arslan told the Armenian Weekly. He also noted that the Armenian Genealogy Facebook group has brought together people from the Armenian Diaspora worldwide, as well as the Republic of Armenia—individuals who share a passionate interest in learning more about their Armenian families and heritage. “The collective knowledge of our online community is amazing. Everyone brings their own special talents to uncover genealogical treasures from the primary records online and in archives, as well as shares their own family anecdotes, memories, and experiences,” he said.

The conference will take place at the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown.
The conference will take place at the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown.

Arslan is one-fourth Armenian and has been avidly researching his family history (Armenian, British, French, and German) since 1968, specializing in the records of the U.S. and Canada. He founded the Armenian DNA Project in 2005, as well as the Armenian Immigration Project in 2011.

Tracy Keeney, a professional genealogist and the creator and administrator of the Armenian Genealogy group on Facebook, said that while Armenians long had a difficult time tracing their family roots, today it has become much easier. “At some point in our lives, most people feel a tug at the heart to reach into the past and connect with those who came before us. For those of Armenian descent, that was a seemingly hopeless quest for decades. But that is simply no longer the case,” she told the Armenian Weekly.

Tracy began her research in 2013 with only the 4 names of her maternal great-grandparents. By 2015, she had discovered and verified 537 other family members, going back 3 more generations to approximately 1820, and has had contact with 43 newly discovered relatives, with whom she’s been able to exchange information, family stories, family trees, and photographs.

“That’s the significance of this conference. Because of Mark’s work, because of George’s work—who both do this research voluntarily, by the way—because of Vahé Tachjian’s [of Houshamadyan] work, the walls are coming down, fast and with a passion. Armenians around the world are longing to find traces of their ancestors, to learn their stories, the name of their ancestral village, etc.  They feel a pull—like the voices of their ancestors are calling from the dust.  This conference will help them answer that call,” said Keeney.

Historian Vahé Tachjian is one of the conference speakers, and will give an overview on Armenian history and geography and of the Houshamadyan Project—a project “to Reconstruct Ottoman Armenian Town and Village Life.” Tachjian is currently the project director and chief editor of houshamadyan.org, which was created in 2011 by the Berlin-based Houshamadyan not-for-profit Association, founded in 2010.

Houshamadyan.org, which was created in 2011 by the Berlin-based Houshamadyan not-for-profit Association, founded in 2010.
Houshamadyan.org, which was created in 2011 by the Berlin-based Houshamadyan not-for-profit Association, founded in 2010.

During the conference, Stephen Kurkjian, an acclaimed investigative reporter, 40-year veteran of the Boston Globe, and founding member of its investigative Spotlight Team, will join Janet Achoukian Andreopoulos in highlighting the unlimited potential that DNA research can have for Armenians exploring their individual roots when wedded with genealogical research. Andreopoulos’s passion to expand her own family tree was reignited at the onset of the internet, as she found herself searching for any and all descendants from Evereg. Her research materials started with books, pamphlets, and personal accounts from telephone calls all around the world. This quickly expanded to include online resources such as Ancestry.com and Facebook. Her tree has now expanded into other regions and contains more than 25,000 individuals. Andreopoulos is particularly interested in using DNA testing to search for more connections and helping people reunite with their long lost relatives.

The conference will take place at the Armenian Museum of America, at 65 Main St. in Watertown. A special group rate is available at the Crowne Plaza in Newton, less than a mile from the conference location.

A special dinner has also been planned for participants, featuring a live band playing traditional Armenian music. The dinner will take place Saturday evening at the Papken Suni Agoump in Watertown. Participants will also be able to visit open houses at various locations of Armenian interest on Sunday. The full schedule of the weekend’s events can be found here.

Participants are asked to register no later than March 5. Registration is free and can be done at armeniangenealogyconference.com/registration/.

 

 

10 Comments

  1. As an odar, I have no standing to participate in this interesting conference; however, I hope that the organizers will give some credit to “Martin ye Armenian,” the first Armenian known to have come to America, specifically, to the Virginia Colony in 1619. He went back to England after trying to establish a silk industry and is not known to have left any progeny. Perhaps he can be adopted as a kind of historical patron of the conference. That is, unless you are reaching back as far as Japheth.

  2. I congratulate George on having a conference on Tracing Family Roots. My mother whom came from the Provence of Erzerum from the Village of Goteh now renamed Keutur & close to Mamakhatun was the only survivor from her Village. She claimed that when the whole village was sent on that death march, the only person not in the village that day was her brother. We have no records on her parents, grand parents or relatives. Since George has dug up previous roots on other people, perhaps he can find info. on my mother whose name was Satenig Guilbenkian, married to a Vartanian, whom they had two children whom were killed or starved to death on their death march while they were being killed one by one. My mother also said that as bad as the Turks were, the Kurds were just as bad to have the Armenians eliminated. She got saved by Misionaires while passing their residence & after the war was sent to Istanbul & ended coming to America where she met my father Tateoss Durgerian in 1920 & remarried. We wonder if George can dig up some info. on my mothers past. Stephan Dulgarian

    • {My mother also said that as bad as the Turks were, the Kurds were just as bad to have the Armenians eliminated.}

      Perhaps, the only difference being that Turks would torture and mutilate the Armenians before killing, while Kurds would kill at one stroke…

  3. My father was adopted in 1927 , he looked for his real parents all his life but no use. Will we be able to find that kind of information.

  4. A very interesting and worthwhile conference indeed. Wish the organizers and participants a huge success. I am the son of a Genocide survivor and this topic makes a lot of sense and deserves to be supported by Armenians all around the world.
    Haig Misakyan, P.Eng.
    Toronto, Canada

  5. i tried to trace my grandmother and grandfather who wear from harpoot with no luck rahan hintlian her maiden name who married my grand farther bagdarsar norsigian my grandmother she done the work of a doctor and also stitched the gold linning on priest robes she also developed a salve that many bought th turks cut open there stomachs while they were alive looking for gold

  6. Hello, I am planning a trip to Greece in september 2018 and would like to include Cyprus in my itinerary. My great-grandfather Melkon Shahinian was from a family of landowners. He emigrated here in the early 1900’s from Cyprus to escape the Turks and to start a new life in New Britian, CT for his young family. I did find online the WWI registration of two of his sons in the Armenian Project online.

    I would appreciate any guidance on where to start – not sure if there is anyone left on the island – I know some family have emigrated to Egypt.
    Regards
    Susan Franklin
    susankfranklin@yahoo.com
    508-561-2479

  7. Karen Andrews
    My Grand-Mother was Armenian born and came to Eygpt with her Father and Mother and a sister. Exiled. Now this is tricky, my Grand-Father who was based in Cairo a Mounted calvary who met my Grand_Mother and he (red taped) changed everything about her, including her name. I would dearly love to find out about my Armenian Ancestors, but, I don’t know how to do this.

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