Please help!

[blackfootme?]

Hi, my name is Jennifer........ok ok I'll get to the point! My parents rarely talked about their heritage. All I know is that my father said he was "Blackfoot". My last name is Tau, which I remember hearing from him years and years ago, that it was shortened as generations went on. I'm very proud of the slightest inkling that I may be Native American, but how can I find out exactly? I talk to my father about 3 times a year and he is usually no help. http://winwinworld.net/SaponiForum/UBB/frown.gif Thank you VERY MUCH for any help you can give me.
J.T.

[Linda]

Do you think he could give you any clues as to what the name Tau used to be? I couldn't figure what it might have been. Have you been able to trace back to whereabouts your family was living?

[blackfootme?]

Well, he dosen't really know much either. He was taken away from his mother when he was a child. He was born in Missouri though and the name Tau was from a 13 letter name which had something to do with rope. Thank you for your interest. I'll keep asking my father in hopes he remembers something.

[Linda]

Any sense if the word for rope was from English, or another language? I looked up the word for rope in Tutelo, but I'm not familiar with the diacritical markings. This may be pronounced something like wanatchaw.