Researching Oklahoma Native
American Records at the
National Archives
made a little bit
easier….
Where can I start my research?
http://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/
5 Main Portals
Census Records
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Records
School Records
Employment Records
Military Service Records
The website is a great starting
point for anyone interested in
Native American research
regardless of tribe or
geographic location.
http://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/
All RG 75—Records of
the Bureau of Indian
Affairs' series, stored
in Fort Worth, have
been described in the
National Archives
Catalog…some at the
folder or item levels.
The National Archives
Catalog
(http://archives.gov/rese
arch/catalog/) is where
NARA's nationwide
holdings are available
on the internet. It
includes records from
the Washington, DC
area, Regional Archives
and Presidential
Libraries.
What Native American Records
are in Fort Worth?
• The National Archives at Fort Worth has the
second largest holdings of Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA) in the National Archives system.
• Our BIA records are primarily from Oklahoma.
• We have a variety of records including census
records, guardianship records, probate records,
office records, and allotment records.
FIVE TRIBES
Muskogee Area Office
• Cherokees, Choctaws, Chickasaws,
Creeks, and Seminoles: The Five
Civilized Tribes
• Today—we will cover just the 5 Tribes
An act of Congress in 1893, authorized the
establishment of a commission to negotiate
agreements with each of the Five Civilized
Tribes that would abolish the tribal
governments and permit the allotment of
land to individual tribal members.
Former Senator Henry L. Dawes of
Massachusetts was appointed chairman of
the commission on November 1, 1893 and it
was commonly referred to thereafter as the
DAWES COMMISSION.
1896 Applications
• The Commission was authorized to add
names to existing tribal rolls—except for
the Seminole.
• The Tribes had the right to dispute claims
and reject enrollment.
• Those who were rejected had the right to
appeal.
What Records Will I Find?
The 1896 process, especially if appealed,
could result in an informational gold
mine
– Testimony
– Vital records submitted as ‘proof’ may
include birth certificates, marriage
licenses, letters, and affidavits
Where will I find the 1896 Applications
Ancestry.com
In the database entitled, “U.S. Native American Applications for Enrollment in
Five Civilized Tribes (overturned), 1896.”
The National Archives Catalog—index only
(https://catalog.archives.gov/id/268520)
Enter Name. The scope and content note will list the application number.
Example of
statement from
the file of
Henrietta
Oakes
Example of
document from
the file of
Rachel
Gardiner
Cherokee or Creek
Appeals
• Northern District Citizenship Case Files
• On Ancestry.com as “U.S., Citizenship Case
Files in Indian Territory, 1896-1897”
These records can include briefs, memorandums, exhibits,
applications, clippings, correspondence, decisions, histories, letters,
opinions, order, proceedings, rolls, and telegrams pertaining to
appeals for requests for enrollment as Cherokees and Creeks under
the act of 1896.
Statement of David C. Bays
who is caring for the children of
N.J. Bays, for whom he is
applying for citizenship.
Dawes Rolls
The 1896 application process was later
ruled null and void. The subsequent Curtis
Act of 1898 required all individuals and
families to apply to the Dawes Commission
even if they had submitted an 1896
Application.
Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship
Court (CCCC)
The Dawes Rolls contain more than 101,000 names from
1898-1914 (primarily from 1899-1906). They can be
searched to discover the enrollee's name, sex, blood
degree, and census card number.
Thewill
census
card find
may provide
information,
You
often
thesegenealogical
cases referenced
and may also contain references to earlier rolls. A
oncensus
census
cards:
“CCCC
75T”by
oran
card was
generally
accompanied
"application jacket".
The13M”
jackets then sometimes contain
“Citizenship
Case
valuable
supporting documentation,
such as birth and
T=
Tishomingo;
M= McAlester
death affidavits, marriage licenses, and correspondence.
There is a land allotment file for each approved
enrollment number.
Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship
Dawes
Census
Cards
Court
(CCCC)
Enrollment cards are arranged into three tiers:
1)Tribe
2)Within each tribe, cards are arranged by the following
categories: Citizens by Blood, Citizens by Marriage, New Born
You will
oftenMinor
find
thesebycases
referenced
Citizens
by Blood,
Citizens
Blood, Intermarried
White
oron
Intermarried,
New Born Freedmen,
censusFreedmen,
cards: “CCCC
75T” or and Minor
Freedmen.
“Citizenship Case 13M”
3)Within each of these categories there are three kinds of cards:
T = Tishomingo;
M=whose
McAlester
Standard
cards for persons
applications were approved;
"D" cards for persons whose applications were doubtful or
denied; and "R" cards for persons whose applications were
rejected. Persons listed on the "D" cards were subsequently
transferred to the approved cards or to the "R" cards depending
on the Commission's decision.
Choctaw-Chickasaw
Citizenship
William Rogers Census Card
Court (CCCC)
You will often find these cases referenced
on census cards: “CCCC 75T” or
“Citizenship Case 13M”
T = Tishomingo; M= McAlester
Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship
Court (CCCC)
You will often find these cases referenced
on census cards: “CCCC 75T” or
“Citizenship Case 13M”
T = Tishomingo; M= McAlester
Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship
Wiley Fullbright Census Card
Court
(CCCC)
You will often find these cases referenced
on census cards: “CCCC 75T” or
“Citizenship Case 13M”
T = Tishomingo; M= McAlester
Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship
Back of Wiley Fullbright Census Card
Court (CCCC)
You will often find these cases referenced
on census cards: “CCCC 75T” or
“Citizenship Case 13M”
T = Tishomingo; M= McAlester
Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship
Court
(CCCC)
Enrollment
Jackets
Documents which may be available in an enrollment jacket
include:
• birth and death affidavits
• marriage licenses
You
will often
find these
cases
referenced
• transcripts
of testimony
taken by
the Commission
• correspondence
relating
to the status
of the
on
census cards:
“CCCC
75T”
orapplication
• decisions and orders
the Dawes Commission
“Citizenship
Caseof13M”
T = Tishomingo; M= McAlester
Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship
Court (CCCC)
Testimony from a
Cherokee Enrollment
Jacket for Jennie King
You will often find these cases referenced
on census cards: “CCCC 75T” or
“Citizenship Case 13M”
T = Tishomingo; M= McAlester
Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship
LandCourt
Allotment
Jackets
(CCCC)
Land Allotment Jackets detail land given to approved
members of the Five Civilized Tribes.
Arranged
enrollment
Census
Card
You
will by
often
findnumber
these(not
cases
referenced
number), these Jackets provide information on the legal
on
census
cards:
“CCCC
75T”onorthe land, etc.
description,
value,
physical
improvements
“Citizenship
13M” plat maps, contested
They can include Case
correspondence,
records, letters
of guardianship,
Tallotment
= Tishomingo;
M=
McAlestertestimony
involving the land, and receipts for allotment certificates of
eligibility for allotment.
Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship
Court (CCCC)
You will often find these cases referenced
on census cards: “CCCC 75T” or
“Citizenship Case 13M”
T = Tishomingo; M= McAlester
Portion of the land
allotment file of
William Rogers.
Choctaw-Chickasaw
Citizenship
Where can I find these records
Court
(CCCC)
online?
• Dawes Census Cards are available in color on
Ancestry.com.
•You
Enrollment
jackets
are on
Fold3.com
and referenced
Ancestry.com.
will often
find
these
cases
on census cards: “CCCC 75T” or
• Land Allotments are on Ancestry.com and
“Citizenship
Case
13M”
Familysearch.com.
T = Tishomingo; M= McAlester
Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship
Court (CCCC)
• Choctaw and Chickasaw cards can cite the
Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship Court. These
records may also contain useful information.
What You Will Find In CCCC Files:
• Briefs, testimony, affidavits, exhibits (i.e.
marriage licenses), memorandum of
arguments submitted by attorneys for the
Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations, and the
opinions of the court.
• Records are available on microfilm—7RA324 (rolls 1-20).
Opinion of the Choctaw
and Chickasaw
Citizenship Court in the
case of Joseph B. Glenn,
et al. v. Choctaw and
Chickasaw Nations.
(NAID 12088405)
Summons in Equity from
the Choctaw and
Chickasaw Citizenship
Court in the case of
Joseph B. Glenn, et al. v.
Choctaw and Chickasaw
Nations. (NAID
12088405)
Don’t Stop with the Internet
Check out these microfilm publications:
1902-1904
1902-1904
1902-1907
1904
1880-1907
1908
1910
1910
1911
n.d.
n.d.
n.d.
Various
Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship Court case files. 7RA324, rolls 1-20.
Letters Sent by Chickasaw Commission. 7RA181, rolls 1-3.
Index to Choctaw-Chickasaw allotment ledgers. 7RA153, rolls 1-2.
Index and townsite fund payroll. 7RA97, roll 1.
Osage Annuity Rolls. 7RA35, 22 rolls.
Payroll. 7RA-100, roll 1.
Equalization payroll. 7RA101, roll 1.
Cherokee Index and Equalization Roll. 7RA82, 4 rolls.
Choctaw Payment Roll and Index. 7RA90, 1 roll.
Choctaw Townsite Fund Payroll and Index. 7RA83, 3 rolls.
Lists of citizens and intruders. 7RA21, roll 2.
Anadarko Area Office, Central Files and Decimal Files. 7RA203, 2
rolls.
Osage Probate Records, 1912-1922; Guardianship Records, 19131922; Letters Sent, 1925-1929. 7RA289, 5 rolls.
Five Tribes Probate
Case Files (NAID
357032)—Index is
available in the
National Archives
Catalog. We also
have probate files
for other tribes in
Oklahoma.
More Records not on the Internet
Check out these other microfilm publications in our holdings
:
OKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S INDIAN MICROFILM
MICROFILM SERIES
TRIBE
ROLL NUMBERS
CAA
CHL
CHN
CIMA
CKN
CRN
CTN
DC
KA
PA
QA
SFSA
SMN
Cheyenne and Arapahoes
Chilocco Indian School
Cherokees
Creek Indian Memorial Association Archives
Chickasaws
Creeks
Choctaws
Dawes Commission
Kiowa Agency
Pawnees
Quapaw
Sac and Fox
Seminoles
1 – 51
1 – 21
1 – 103
1&2
1 – 30
1 – 51
1 – 90
1 – 80
1 – 101
1 – 55
1 – 25
1 – 64
1–6
KEEP IN MIND...
NARA does not know everything
about your family or research topic
Thoroughness of the information
depends on the accuracy of the
census taker or government official
NARA staff can not correct any
federal record
Contact Us:
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 817-551-2051
• 1400 John Burgess Drive, Fort Worth,
TX 76140