Indigenous Peoples of the United States Enrollment Records

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American Indian Research

Enrollment Records

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Introduction

Not all Native Americans have been or are members of a tribe. Some lived apart from the main body of their tribe or clan. Some inter-married with non-Indians and no longer associated with their tribe. And some became dis-associated with their tribe for a number of reasons.

The federal government, for purposes of negotiating treaties with the various tribes, wanted to classify all Indians into a tribe, with leaders called chiefs. To do this, it became expedient to “enroll” individual Indians in tribal groups. The initial effort to enroll was carried out by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The following are examples of enrollment records, which sometimes are mistaken as census records:

• Dawes Rolls
• Guion Miller Roll

etc.

When the Indian Reorganization Act was passed in 1934, tribal governments assumed the responsibility for enrolling tribal members and setting the conditions for such enrollment.

See also:

• Dawes Commission Enrollment Records
• Dawes Commission Enrollment Records for Five U.S. Indian Tribes
• Eastern Cherokee or Guion Miller Roll
• The U.S. Eastern Cherokee or Guion Miller Roll

Reference

Bryer, Paula K. Native American Genealogical Sourcebook. "Enrollment Records." pp. 79-80. "The Five Civilized Tribes." pp. 89-110 (Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1995). FS Library 970.1 B991n.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 970.1 B991n.

Hill, Edward E., comp., Guide to Records in the National Archives of the United States Relating to American Indians. "Enrollment Records," pp. 92-97 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Service, 1981). FS Library book 970.1 H551g