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Records Concerning American Indians
At some point in the research, the researcher will have identified the tribal affiliation of one's
ancestor(s). Now is the time to begin research in records about American Indians. The Native
American collection at the National Archives includes special censuses, school records, and
allotment records. For more information concerning the special censuses of various tribes, the
National Archives offers:
Microfilm Publication M1791
American Indian Censuses
The Special Census of Indians, 1880.
BIA Offices
If your ancestors had land in trust or went through probate, the BIA field offices in selected areas
throughout the United States may have some records concerning Indian ancestry. However, the
BIA field offices do not maintain current or historic records of all individuals who possess some
degree of Indian blood. The records the BIA holds are current rather than historic tribal
membership enrollment lists. These lists (commonly called "rolls") do not have supporting
documentation (such as birth certificates) for each tribal member listed. The BIA created these
rolls while the BIA maintained tribal membership rolls.
The BIA no longer has extensive involvement in tribal membership.
Current Federal policy and case law limits the involvement of the BIA
in tribal membership matters unless mandated by congressional
legislation, or is required by the tribe's governing document or
otherwise requested by the tribe.
When you contact a BIA field office, be prepared to give the name of the tribe, the name(s) and
birth dates of ancestor(s), and relationships. You must provide specific information otherwise
field offices (and other institutions) probably cannot provide much useful information.
The Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. §552(a) protects the current tribal membership rolls and lists that the
BIA maintains. Submitting a request for genealogical information under the Freedom of
Information Act, 5 U.S.C. §552, is not necessary for records compiled and published by private
institutions or available in census records declassified by the National Archives.
WHAT DO I DO IF I WAS ADOPTED?
The Bureau of Indian Affairs cannot help you with your pursuit with opening sealed adoption
papers. There are organizations that can be found on the Internet that can assist you with
information on what procedures or information may be needed. The BIA does not endorse or
recommend any of them. You will need to obtain legal advice from a lawyer that deals with this
area of the law.
IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO THE WORK YOURSELF
If an individual does not wish to conduct their own research, researchers are available for a fee.
Please write to the Board of Certification of Genealogists or the Association of Professional
Genealogists and request their listings of genealogical researchers for hire. Their addresses are:
Board of Certification of Genealogists
P.O. Box 14291
Washington, D.C. 20044
Association of Professional Genealogists
P.O. Box 40393
Denver, Colorado 80204
Cherokee Indian Ancestry
We have many requests on how to trace your Indian ancestry if it is Cherokee that we have
provided a section for that purpose. The information on How to Locate the Dawes Rolls is
useful to those trying to locate an ancestor that was from one of the five-civilized-tribes which is
made up of Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole, Creek, and Cherokee Indians.
Brief Overview of Cherokee History
About 200 years ago the Cherokee Indians were one tribe, or "Indian Nation" that lived in the
southeast part of what is now the United States. During the 1830's and 1840's, the period covered
by the Indian Removal Act, many Cherokees were moved west to a territory that is now the State
of Oklahoma. A number remained in the southeast and gathered in North Carolina where they
purchased land and continued to live. Others went into the Appalachian Mountains to escape
being moved west and many of their descendants may still live there now.
Today, individuals of Cherokee ancestry fall into the following categories:
(1) Living persons who were listed on the final rolls of the Cherokee Nation of
Oklahoma (Dawes Commission Rolls) that were approved and descendants of
these persons. These final rolls were closed in 1907.
(2) Individuals enrolled as members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee
Indians of North Carolina and their descendants who are eligible for
enrollment with the Band.
(3) Persons on the list of members identified by a resolution dated April 19, 1949,
and certified by the Superintendent of the Five Civilized Tribes Agency and their
descendants who are eligible for enrollment with the United Keetoowah Band of
Cherokee Indian of Oklahoma.
(4) All other persons of Cherokee Indian ancestry.
After about a half century of self-government, a law enacted in 1906 directed that final rolls be
made and that each enrollee be given an allotment of land or paid cash in lieu of an allotment.
The Cherokees formally organized in 1975 with the adoption of a new Constitution that
superseded the 1839 Cherokee Nation Constitution. This new Constitution establishes a
Cherokee Register for the inclusion of any Cherokee for membership purposes in the Cherokee
Nation. Members must be citizens as proven by reference to the Dawes Commission Rolls.
Including in this are the Delaware Cherokees of Article II of the Delaware Agreement dated May
8, 1867, and the Shawnee Cherokees of Article III of the Shawnee Agreement dated June 9,
1869, and/or their descendants.
P.L. 100-472, authorizes through a planning and negotiation process Indian Tribes to administer
and manage programs, activities, function, and services previously managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Pursuant to P.L. 100-472 the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma has entered into a
Self-governance Compact and now provides those services previously provided by the BIA.
Enrollment and allotment records are maintained by the Cherokee Nation. Any question with
regard to the Cherokee Nation should be referred to:
Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
P.O. Box 948
Tahlequah, OK 74465
Phone: (918) 456-0671; Fax: (918) 458-5580
www.cherokee.org
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina is a federally recognized tribe and has
its own requirements for membership. Inquiries as to these requirements or for information
shown in the records may be addressed to the BIA Cherokee Agency, 441 North, 257 Tsali
Blvd., Cherokee, NC 28719, Phone: (828) 497-9131, Fax: (828) 497-6715, or to the tribe at:
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Qualla Boundary, P.O. Box 455
Cherokee, NC 28719
Phone: (828) 497-2771; Fax: (828) 497-7007
ask for the Tribal Enrollment Office
www.cherokee-nc.com
By the Act of August 10, 1946, 60 Stat. 976, Congress recognized the United Keetoowah Band
of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma (UKB) for the purposes of organizing under the Oklahoma
Indian Welfare Act. In 1950, the UKB organized under a Constitution and Bylaws approved by
the Secretary of the Interior. Members of the UKB consist of all persons whose names appear on
the list of members identified by a resolution dated April 19, 1949, and certified by the
Superintendent of the Five Civilized Tribes Agency on November 26, 1949, with the governing
body of the UKB having the power to prescribe rules and regulations governing future
membership. The supreme governing body (UKB Council) consists of nine members who
represent the nine districts of the old Cherokee Nation and four officers who are elected at-large.
Information may be obtained by writing:
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians
P.O. Box 746
Tahlequah, OK 74465
Phone: (918) 431-1818; Fax: (918) 431-1873
http://www.unitedkeetoowahband.org
Information about Indian ancestry of individuals in this category of Cherokees is more difficult
to locate. This is primarily because the federal government has never maintained a list of all the
persons of Cherokee Indian descent, indicating their tribal affiliation, degree of Indian blood or
other data. In order to establish Cherokee ancestry you should use the same methods prescribed
in "Indian Ancestry" and "Genealogical Research" material.
Locating the Dawes Rolls
The Dawes Commission was organized in 1893 to accept applications for tribal enrollment
between 1899 and 1907 from American Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes who resided in the
Indian Territory, which later became the eastern portion of Oklahoma. The Five Civilized Tribes
consist of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole, and Chickasaw Indians.
There are several places to get access to the Dawes rolls to see if your ancestor is listed, here are
three locations.
National Archives & Records Administration
Southwest Region
P.O. Box 6216
Fort Worth, TX 76115
Phone: 817-334-5621
Email: archives@ftworth.nara.gov
URL: www.nara.gov
Oklahoma Historical Society
Archives and Manuscripts Division
2100 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Phone: 405-521-2491
Tulsa City-County Library
400 Civic Center
Tulsa, OK 74103
Phone: 918-596-7977
URL: www.tulsalibrary.org
Collection: www.tulsalibrary.org/collections/genealogy/roll-text.htm
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