Records of the Five Southeastern Native American Tribes, Documenting Their History
In the vast archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), two record groups - Record Group 48 and Record Group 75 - hold a critical set of records for researchers seeking to delve into the history of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole Nations in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. These records are known as the Final Dawes Rolls, a comprehensive collection created by the Dawes Commission between 1899 and 1914.
The Dawes Commission, established in 1893, conducted enrollment and allotment for the Five Civilized Tribes without tribal consent, starting from 1898. The Final Dawes Rolls are a testament to this process, including approved and disapproved census rolls. The approved rolls list individuals who were accepted as eligible for tribal membership, while the disapproved rolls list those whose applications were rejected.
The Dawes Commission allotted a share of communal land to the approved members of these tribes, with residency in Indian Territory as a requirement. The allotment process was a significant step in the assimilation of these tribes into mainstream American society, as it aimed to break up communal land holdings and promote individual ownership.
The Final Dawes Rolls are a rich resource for researchers, offering insight into the lives of the individuals enrolled, their tribal affiliations, and their status within the tribes. The rolls are organised by tribe, then by enrollment category, and then numerically by census card number. The enrollment categories include Adopted (A), Citizens by Blood (BB), Citizens by Marriage (IM), Denied/Doubtful (D), Freedmen (F), Freedmen Denied/Doubtful (FD), Freedmen Rejected (FR), and Intermarried White (IW).
For those unable to visit the archives in person, the good news is that the Final Dawes Rolls are digitized and available to research online. The approved rolls can be found in the National Archives Catalog, providing easy access to the records for researchers worldwide. The rolls are also microfilmed as NARA Microfilm Publication T529.
In addition to the Final Dawes Rolls, other related records are also available. These include the Dawes enrollment applications, the Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship Court (CCCC) case files, and the Applications to Change from Freedmen to Citizens by Blood. These records offer further insight into the enrollment process and the individuals involved.
The Dawes Act, passed in 1887, authorised the President to break up reservation land into small allotments for individual tribal members. The Dawes land allotment jackets, found in the series Applications for Allotment, 1899-1907, are a testament to this process, containing applications for land allotments that approved members of the Five Civilized Tribes submitted to the Dawes Commission.
The Dawes allotment maps, printed plat maps of townships that the Dawes Commission annotated to show land allotments of approved members of the Five Civilized Tribes, as well as townsites and railway rights-of-way, offer a visual representation of the land allotment process.
In conclusion, the Final Dawes Rolls are a vital resource for researchers seeking to understand the history of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory. These records provide a wealth of information about the individuals enrolled, the enrollment process, and the land allotment process. With the digitization of these records, they are now more accessible than ever before, making it possible for researchers worldwide to delve into this important chapter of American history.
The historical process of the Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole) was not limited to the Final Dawes Rolls. Related records, such as the Dawes enrollment applications, Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship Court (CCCC) case files, and Applications to Change from Freedmen to Citizens by Blood, offer additional insights into the enrollment process and the individuals involved. Furthermore, the Dawes Act of 1887, which authorized individual tribal land allotments, is also documented in the series Applications for Allotment and through the Dawes allotment maps, providing a more comprehensive view of the assimilation of these tribes into mainstream American society.
