Searching in Federal Records

When you have penciled in the names of relatives who were living in 1900 on your family tree chart, you're ready to start searching in Federal records. You might start by browsing through the Guide to Records in the National Archives of the United States Relating to American Indians compiled by Edward E. Hill which is available from the Government Printing Office. The amount of material available is enormous as evidenced by the fact it takes the Guide 412 pages just to give brief descriptions of it. The trick, of course, is to focus on records relating to your ancestor's tribe and time period. Some of the records mentioned in the Guide have been reproduced on microfilm and you should consult American Indians: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications for information about the contents of the film. The Catalog is available from the National Archives, Publications Sales Branch, Washington, D.C. 20408.

Even a casual glance through the Guide will show that there is information about Indians contained in the records of many Federal agencies. Most genealogical searches, however, concentrate on the records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (the BIA). The headquarters of the BIA has been responsible for formulating Federal policy towards Indians. Its records are in the main Archives Building in Washington, D.C. Responsibility for actually implementing that policy and dealing with individual Indians fell on Indian Agents and School Superintendents. Their records are generally in the Field Branches of the National Archives or still in the custody of the BIA. The Fort Worth Branch of the National Archives has records from seven agencies located in Oklahoma (Five Civilized Tribes, Kiowa, Cheyenne and Arapaho, Osage, Shawnee, Pawnee, and Miami or Quapaw) which contain information about more than fifty tribes. A list of the Field Branches and the areas from which they have records can be obtained from the National Archives (NNA), Washington, D.C. 20408.

As a general rule, Indian Agents did not create records with the needs of genealogists in mind. Their main concerns were accounting for every penny they spent and convincing their bosses that they were doing a better job of "civilizing" the Indians than their predecessors had done. Thus, the bulk of most agency files consist of accounting records, narrative reports, and correspondence with BIA headquarters in Washington. When they did record information about an individual Indian it generally related to the payment of money, the allotment of land and its subsequent leasing or sale, and the determination of heirs entitled to inherit a deceased Indian's land or money.

Genealogists must always keep in mind that the agent was only keeping track of people who were recognized as tribal members (either by the Federal government or the tribal government) and who resided with the bulk of the tribe (either on a reservation or within the recognized boundaries of the tribal domain). For the most part, the agent did not maintain records on Indians who moved away and, in effect, ended their affiliation with the tribe. If, for example, your ancestor left the recognized boundaries of the Choctaw Nation and took up farming across the Red River in Texas or went back to Mississippi or Alabama you will probably never find them mentioned in the agent's records. Such people can often be found in the regular Federal population censuses that were taken every ten years, but there will be no indication that they are Indian. In addition, people who remained behind when the bulk of their tribe was moved by the Federal government will probably be "lost" as far as official BIA records are concerned. Unfortunately, many people with legitimate claims to Indian heritage will never be able to "prove" their claim because their ancestor did not stay with the tribe or did not choose to be recorded in official records as an Indian.

Indian Census Records

If you know what tribe your ancestor belonged to, and if your ancestor stayed with the tribe, and if they were recognized by that tribe as a member, and if the agent kept good records, and if those records were not destroyed by a fire or some other calamity, you should start your research with National Archives Microfilm Publication M595 which reproduces "Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940". Agents were required by an act of Congress of July 4, 1884 (23 Stat. 98) to submit these census rolls annually and they generally contain each Indian's name ("English" and/or "Indian"), age or date of birth, sex, and relationship to the head of the family. Beginning in 1930, most rolls include degree of blood and marital status. The Select Catalog provides a list of the contents of each of the 692 rolls of microfilm. Unfortunately, M595 does not include any rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes (Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole) except for an 1885 Choctaw census (which is on roll 623). If you find an ancestor in one of these rolls you are off and running on your trip back in time.

Unfortunately, M595 will only take you back to 1885. What next? Depending on the tribe you are researching, there are probably earlier census or annuity rolls and the Field Branch which has the agent's records can probably give you information about them. In general, the earlier the roll the less data it contains. In many cases, the agent only listed the Indian's name and perhaps the amount of money he or she received. The "roll numbers" from one list seldom have any relation to earlier or latter rolls and will not help you make positive identifications. One source of lists of names that is often overlooked is the Congressional Serial Set which contains documents received by Congress from various sources (primarily agencies of the Executive Branch) and reports published by Congressional committees. Many of these documents relate to claims against the government for Indian depredations or claims by Indians for rights under treaties. Some documents include lists of Indians but seldom provide much genealogical information. Steven L. Johnson's Guide to American Indian Documents in the Congressional Serial Set: 1817-1899 is an essential tool to using these documents.

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