The records relating to the Dawes Commission concerning enrollment and allotment remain among the most popular records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. These records are used by tribal members and tribal governments to prove tribal lineage. Genealogists use the records to document family history. In this week's newsletter, we'll look at why these records were created and give researchers a few tips on getting started.
Established by Congress in 1893 and named after its first chairman Henry L. Dawes, the Dawes Commission's mission was to divide tribal land into plots which were then divided among the members of the tribe. As part of this process, the Commission either accepted or rejected applicants for tribal membership based on whether the tribal government had previously recognized the applicant as a member of the tribe and other legal requirements. Applicants were
categorized as Citizens by Blood, Citizens by Marriage, Minor Citizens by Blood, New Born Citizens by Blood, Freedmen (African Americans formerly enslaved by tribal members), New Born Freedmen, and Minor Freedmen.
Will my ancestor be found in these records?
These records are only for the period 1898-1914 and they only concern the Five Civilized tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole), Delaware Cherokee, and Mississippi Choctaw tribes living in Oklahoma.
The Dawes Commission in the Catalog
The National Archives Catalog has digitized versions of many records relating to the Dawes Commission. There are 3 groups of records associated with the Dawes Commission, which are illustrated below with records from entertainer Will Rogers and his family:
Applications for Allotment (Land Allotment Jackets), https://catalog.archives.gov/id/559520, currently unavailable in the Catalog, available for free from our partner Familysearch.org
Before you can effectively use the catalog to find a person in the Dawes Final Rolls, you need to know:
Your ancestor's name
Ancestor’s tribe - If you do not know the person's tribe: you can look for clues in the1900 Census. For those American Indians living in tribal areas, there were special schedules in the 1900 Census identifying one's tribe and parent's tribes. For those not living on tribal lands, only color or race was designated.
How do you search?From the Series description in the Catalog - Click the blue button Search within this Series, then place the name in the search box.
The enrollment cards record "family group" information concerning the applicants and actions taken by the Commission and the Secretary of Interior. Data on the card includes: full name of each applicant, relationship to first person on the card, age, sex, blood quantum, previous tribal enrollments, and enrollments of parents. When researching the Enrollment Cards, note four pieces of information:
Tribe
Enrollment category - Citizens by blood (BB), Citizens by marriage (IM), Minors by blood (M), Newborns by blood (NB), Denied/doubtful (D), Rejected (R), Freedmen (African Americans formerly enslaved by tribal members) (F), Newborn Freedmen (FNB), Minor Freedmen (FM), Freedmen Rejected (FR), Freedmen Denied/doubtful (F)
Census Card Number - Located in the upper right hand corner of the card.
Enrollment Number - Located on the left side of the card, only found for approved applicants.
These pieces of information will lead you to the Enrollment Jackets and Land Allotment Jackets.
Step 2: Once you have located your Census Card number, you can then search theCatalogfor records on your individual. In the search box, enter tribe, category and card number.
For example if this was your enrollment card you should search for the information taken from the title of the card:
The Census Card and the Enrollment Jacket for your individual should now be in your search results.
Seasoned researchers and genealogists know that archival records are not always straightforward and the particular record you are looking for may require additional help to find it. We offer these resources if you need help:
If you are seeking additional information or other information related to Native Americans, please visit our Native American Heritage records in the National Archives.
This flowchartcan help you determine if you should use the records of the Dawes Commission.
Have your questions answered by other researchers in the History Hub.
Still have questions about these records? Send your question to the reference staff via theContact Usform. Select Research and Native American Records to have your question directed to the appropriate reference team.
This mission is the correspondence of Mary A. Van Kleeck, Women's Bureau director, with government agencies, members of the War Labor Policies Board and manufacturing companies concerning working conditions of women in industry and labor laws affecting them.
Interested in researching Dawes Rolls or other records of Native Americans? See what questions other History Hub users have already in History Hub’s Native American Records Community!
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![Dawes Enrollment Cards for Cherokee, Citizens by blood (BB), 4747 [Will Rogers]](https://hs-20973928.f.hubspotemail.net/hub/20973928/hubfs/43873_2421401757_0275-00022%20(2).jpg?upscale=true&width=1100&upscale=true&name=43873_2421401757_0275-00022%20(2).jpg)
![Dawes Enrollment Jacket for Cherokee, Cherokee by Blood, Card #4747, page 5, [Will Rogers]](https://hs-20973928.f.hubspotemail.net/hub/20973928/hubfs/0100.jpg?upscale=true&width=436&upscale=true&name=0100.jpg)
