When using the tribal rolls, one must keep in mind their limitations. These records were usually intended to document some payment or other transaction between the government and tribe. Most rolls cover a limited geographic area or a limited group of the tribe. Also remember, the censuses and rolls frequently were associated with either loss of property or rights. If you had intruders in your country coming up and asking a lot of personal questions about your home and finances, and you knew these people couldn't be trusted to not use the information against you, would you answer truthfully, if at all?

Many people are unaware that Cherokee migration west actually started at the close of the Revolutionary War, when a group of Cherokees aligned with the British during the war petitioned the Spanish Governor in New Orleans for permission to settle on Spanish lands west of the Mississippi River. The request was granted, and in 1794 this group (actually a group of Cherokee may have emigrated to the base of the Rockie Mountains as early as 1721 - see History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees for in-depth information on this subject) settled in the St. Francis River Valley in today's southeast Missouri.

The great earthquake of 1811 convinced this Cherokee group that they should not live in this region, so during the winter of 1811 and 1812 they moved to territory between the Arkansas and White Rivers in today's Arkansas. No official rolls were kept on these emigrating Cherokees, but a later roll as a result of the 1828 treaty (see below) states that in 1800 the Cherokee population west of the Mississippi was likely 1000, with about 1000 more emigrating between 1808-1817.

In a treaty with the Cherokees in 1817, in which they gave up certain tracts of land back east, the government officially granted the Cherokee title to their Arkansas lands. Several hundred Cherokees from back east officially emigrated up until 1819 to this new territory as a result of the treaty.

Another treaty with the same type terms was concluded in 1819, but emigration west was curtailed after 1820 when the Secretary of War decided that Cherokees who had enrolled themselves for removal but had not removed, or those who had not enrolled, must emigrate at their own expense. In 1828 another treaty was concluded between the government and Cherokees, which ceded their Arkansas lands for lands in today's Oklahoma.(Keep in mind, this was prior to the disputed 1835 treaty which forced removal and resulted in the tragic Trail of Tears).

By 1835, it is estimated that 1/3 of the nation's Cherokee population lived west of the Mississippi. These settlers became known as the "Old Settler Cherokees." The official migration rolls resulting from these treaties have been transcribed and published by noted historian, author, and tribal authority Jack D. Baker in his work Cherokee Emigration Rolls 1817-1835. These rolls provide the only known list of these particular Cherokees prior to the 1851 Old Settler Census.

The Cherokee Nation after the Trail of Tears was divided into several different categories. Those that left prior to this forced removal, (the Old Settlers), (some of who went into Texas and became known as the Texas Cherokees), the Treaty party, and the Emigrant Cherokees. There were also those who were able to stay in the Old Cherokee Nation and became known as the Eastern Cherokees. So add this on top of the mix blood- full blood problem there was a great deal of strife in the Nation.

Today I will try to explain one of such parties, the Old Settlers and how to go about researching these ancestors. There were a large number of the Cherokees who became known as the Old Settlers because they moved to Indian Territories before the forced removal on the Trail of Tears. Mostly settling in Arkansas, between 1817- 1835. They removed as to get away from the intruding whites on the Cherokee Nation. Not only were they the mixed blood families but the full bloods that left the original Cherokee lands.

The problems back in the East were very bad indeed. Most were afraid of even leaving their homes because they would return and a white family would be moved in. The Cherokees had very little recourse in these matters so for a large number of them, the territories west of the Mississippi looked pretty good. The Cherokees were unable to press suit against the white settlers. If they signed up for removal between 1817-1835, they received from the U S government to each head of the family a good rifle, a blanket, a kettle, 5 pounds of tobacco, and compensation for all improvements abandoned. All members of the family received a blanket. Each head of household moving at least 4 persons with him received $50.They also paid for the cost of removal and substance for one year afterwards.

There was said to be 1,000 Cherokees that had already moved before 1817 but it was not regulated nor payments made by the government. No census was taken by the government of the Old Settlers prior to 1851. In 1835 roughly one third of the Cherokee population had moved to Indian territory including Sequoyah. Some of the earliest Old Settlers were Tal-on-tee- skee and his brother John Jolly. Tal-on-tee-skee was Chief of the Old Settlers also known as the Western Cherokees. He opted to go to Arkansas after he and Doublehead took bribes from the U S government. This is said to be one of the reasons that Major Ridge a cousin and companion to Doublehead assassinated him. After Doublehead’s execution, Tal-on-tee-skee who also was relate LooSely to Doublehead and his brother in law decided he would be better off leaving the Cherokee Nation or face the same faith. Tal-on-tee-skee settled on the White and St. Francis rivers, what is now known as the N E Arkansas in app 1810. The Bowl (Duwali) a half blood son of a Scottish trader who was killed when he was 12 and a full blood, an Usliwai (or Fox) close by. There appearantly had been other times that the Cherokees had been in this area to hunt because earlier the Osage had made complaints about them hunting on their lands.

The U.S. refused to give aid to these Cherokees because the land in Arkansas was not exchanged for land in the East. The Cherokees that remained in the East refused to succeed any more land but relented signing the Treaty of 1817 in which two tracts of land were ceded- one in Northern Tennessee, the other in East Georgia. The Arkansas Cherokees fought to have the U.S. government recognize themselves as a separate but distinct Cherokee Nation. In the Treaty of 1817 the U.S. had provided for a separate census for annuity payments to the Old Settlers, however the U.S. left the lands in Arkansas undefined and refused annuity payments. This was for two reasons. The 1st and main reason was that they were trying to encourage more of the Cherokees to move to Arkansas so the Americans could get more land. The other reason was that the Osage fought the Cherokee encroachment on their tribal lands. This caused many a battle even though the Osage out numbered them, the Cherokees won most of these battles due to the fact that most of the fierce Chickamauga were amongst this group.

The Chickamauga were in the most part full blood warriors who had not adopted the white man ways. They lived traditionally and followed the Old Cherokee customs and laws. Some of the most noted were Dragging Canoe, the Bowl, Blackcoat and Ta-kah-ko-kuh a distinguished Chief and warrior. The matter of the Old Settlers receiving an annuity was not solved until 1828 when a payment was made to the Arkansas Cherokees.

As a general rule, most of the rolls are based on a treaty with the Indians. To understand why the roll was necessary, you will need to read and understand the treaty. We have provided a link to all rolls associated with each treaty. Treaties of the Cherokees

A listing of those applying for a 640 acre tract in the East in lieu of removing to Arkansas. This was only good during their lifetime and then the property reverted back to the state. To fully understand this roll, please read Cherokee Treaty of 1817.

Article 8.

And to each and every head of any Indian family residing on the east side of the Mississippi River, on the lands that are now or may hereafter be surrendered to the United States, who may wish to become citizens of the United States, the United States do agree to give a reservation1 of six hundred and forty acres of land in a square to include their improvements which are to be as near the center thereof as practicable, in which they will have a life estate with a reversion in fee simple to their children reserving to the widow her dower, the register of whose names is to be filed in the office of the Cherokee agent, which shall be kept open until the census is taken as stipulated in the third article of this treaty. Provided, That if any of the heads of families, for whom reservations may be made, should remove there from, then, in that case the right to revert to the United States. And provided further, that the land which may be reserved under this article, be deducted from the amount which has been ceded under the first2 and second3 articles of this treaty.

To Search the Reservation Roll of 1817

Cherokee Roots / Bob Blankenship. 2nd ed. (Cherokee, NC: Author, 1992, 2 v.). Contents: v.1. Eastern Cherokee rolls (includes 1817 Reservation Rolls, 1817-1835 Emigration Roll, 1835 Henderson Roll, 1848 Mullay Roll, 1851 Siler Roll, 1852 Chapman Roll, 1869 Swetland Roll, 1883 Hester Roll, 1908 Churchill Roll, 1909 Guion Miller East, 1924 Baker Roll, Enrollment procedures of Eastern Band. --- v.2. 1851 Old Settler Roll, 1852 Drennen Roll by family name, 1898-1914 Combination Dawes and Guion Miller Rolls, Enrollment procedures of the Cherokee Nation.

Records of the Cherokee Indian Agency in Tennessee 1901-1835 / Marybelle W. Chase (Tulsa, OK). Lists and Registers transcribed from National Archives BIA records.)

The Cherokees: A Critical Bibliography. / Raymond D. Fogelson. (Bloomington, Published for the Newberry Library by Indiana University Press, 1978. Series: Bibliographical series (Newberry Library Center for the History of the American Indian).

The Five Civilized Tribes: A Bibliography / Mary Huffman. (Oklahoma City, OK: Library Resources Division, Oklahoma Historical Society, 1991).

Guide to the Historical Records of Oklahoma / Bradford Koplowitz. (Bowie, M: Heritage Books, 1990).

Oklahoma History: A Bibliography / Mary Huffman, Brian Basore. (Oklahoma City, OK: Library Resources Division, Oklahoma Historical Society, 1991).

Our Native Americans and Their Records of Genealogical Value / E. Kay Kirkham. (Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, 1980-1984.LC 81-128028; 2 v.). Contents: v.1. Federal Government records, Oklahoma Historical Society records, Genealogical Society of Utah listings. --- v.2. {without special title} (Using this book with the National Archives catalog on American Indians, will provide citations for most major sources of records).

Footnote: 1. Reservation, during this period the land granted to a person was called a reservation. Today we think of a reservation as a place that the entire tribe resides.

Footnote: 2 The chiefs head men, and warriors, of the whole Cherokee nation do also cede to the United States all the lands lying north and west of the following boundary lines, viz: Beginning at the Indian boundary line that runs from the north bank of the Tennessee river, opposite to the mouth of Hywassee River, at a point on the top of Walden's ridge, where it divides the waters of the Tennessee river from those of the Sequatchie River; thence, along the said ridge southwardly, to the bank of the Tennessee River, at a point near to a place called the Negro Sugar Camp, opposite to the upper end of the first island above Running Water town; thence, westwardly, a straight line to the mouth of Little Sequatchie River; thence, up said river, to its main fork, thence, up its northen most fork, to its source; and thence, due west to the Indian boundary line.

Footnote: 3 It is also stipulated by the contracting parties, that a census shall be taken of the whole Cherokee nation, during the month of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, in the following manner, viz: That the census of those on the east side of the Mississippi River, who declare their intention of remaining, shall be taken by a commissioner appointed by the President of the United States, and a commissioner appointed by the Cherokees on the Arkansas River; and the census of the Cherokees on the Arkansas River, and those removing there, and who, at that time, declare their intention of removing there, shall be taken by a commissioner appointed by the President of the United States, and one appointed by the Cherokees east of the Mississippi River.