Native American Roots
Many families have an oral tradition of an American Indian ancestor. Find out from your relatives as much as you
can: which branch of the family is involved, where did they live, and – especially – what tribe were they part of? List
the names of all persons in this branch of the family who were living around 1900. Then check the enrollment lists.
Were there special census records for Native Americans?
Enrollment lists identify the membership of particular tribes; see www.accessgenealogy.com/native/rolls.htm for a
good index of these lists. Ancestry.com has the “U.S. Indian Schedules 1885-1940,” which were submitted each year
by agents in charge of Indian reservations, mostly in western states. (These are also available as NARA microfilm
publications; see www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/native-americans/.) For Cherokees east of the Mississippi in
th
the early 20 century, the most important list is the (sadly incomplete) Guion-Miller Roll from 1909: see
www.archives.gov/research/arc/native-americans-guion-miller.html. The enrollment list most often consulted by
genealogists is a document known as the “Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes,” commonly called the Dawes Rolls.
The Dawes Rolls: Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole, and Creek, in present-day Oklahoma:
In the late nineteenth century, Congress decided to break some large Indian reservations in Oklahoma into individual
farmsteads. This area was inhabited by members of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole, and Creek
Nations. To claim an allotment of land, a tribal member was required to submit an application to a congressional
commission (chaired by Senator Henry L. Dawes), so anyone of native descent had a strong incentive to apply. The
original applications are at the National Archives, and contain detailed genealogical information. The final rolls
contain the names of more than 101,000 individuals. Note that the Dawes rolls only include persons living in
Oklahoma during the 1898-1914 enrollment period. See www.accessgenealogy.com/native/finalroll.php for an on-line
index to the Dawes Rolls. The final packets, including interviews with applicants, can be accessed (for a fee) at
www.footnote.com, or can be ordered from the National Archives. See www.archives.gov/genealogy/tutorial/dawes.
Other Tribes:
There are 562 federally recognized tribes of American Indians and Alaska Natives, but a few resources include:
Blackfoot
www.blackfeetgenealogy.com is best,
but see also the tribe’s official site:
www.blackfeetnation.com, and see
Choctaw
In addition to the Dawes Rolls, see the 1830
Armstrong Roll and 1855 Cooper Roll at:
www.accessgenealogy.com/native/rolls.htm
www.angelfire.com/ar/waakomimm/genealogy.html. See also www.nanations.com/mschoctaw/.
Cherokee, Eastern Band
Start by searching the 1924 Baker Roll at
www.accessgenealogy.com/native/rolls.htm
The official site is www.cherokee-nc.com.
Crow
www.crowreservation.com and
Cherokee Nation
www.allthingscherokee.com and
Navajo
www.native-languages.org/navajo_culture.htm
and www.angelfire.com/tn/navajohopigen
www.cherokeeresearch.com/historygenealogy.html
Seminole
There are groups of Seminoles in both
Oklahoma and Florida; start with
www.seminolenation-indianterritory.org and
www.nanations.com/seminole/index.htm
Sioux
www.nanations.com/sioux/index.htm and
www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/crow/index www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/sioua
.htm
n/siouanfamilyhist.htm
Ute
Search the 1954 proposed Ute Rolls at
www.accessgenealogy.com/native/ute.php
What if I don’t know which tribe my ancestor was a part of?
Start by learning more about the place where they lived. You might try consulting the book The Indian Tribes of North
America, by John R. Swanton, published by the Smithsonian Institution Press. Other books deal with the geographic
distributions of tribes within individual states, such as The Indians of Texas, by W. W. Newcomb, Jr.
What if I can’t find my ancestor on the enrollment lists?
See the article “Wantabes and Outalucks: Searching for Indian Ancestors in Federal Records,” by Kent Carter, posted
on-line at www.archives.gov/genealogy/heritage/native-american/ancestor-search.html. Carter suggests that you 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, and available from the Government Printing Office. (This is a large book.) Some of the
records described in the Guide have been reproduced on microfilm, so Carter also recommends consulting American
Indians: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications: this catalog is available (for $3.50) from
www.archives.gov/publications/genealogy/microfilm-catalogs.html#indian. Carter outlines a variety of other strategies:
for example, if your ancestor attended a school operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the records maintained by the
school may contain genealogical information. So if your family has given you a strong lead, don’t give up!
FamilySearch Center at the John Parker Library
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