Navajo Nation: Difference between revisions

The [http://www.archives.gov/research/census/native-americans/1885-1940.html National Archives Microfilm Publication M595] has copies of the the Indian Census Rolls, containing about 692 rolls dealing with a large number of tribes in the United States. It is during this time that Indian Census Roll takers were given instructions to include an individual's Indian and English name. By 1902 instruction was given that families should be given the same surname and that they should translate Indian names into English if they were too difficult to pronounce or remember. If names were too "foolish, cumbersome or uncouth translations which would handicap a self-respecting person should not be tolerated," or derogatory nicknames were dropped and changed.<br><br>When searching Indian Census Rolls, be mindful that they are divided into one of four main agencies (Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern, and some smaller ones), others can be found in other surrounding tribal census records (Apache, Hopi, Ute, Paiute, and etc).<br><br>Online verses Microfilm. Online Indian Census Rolls can be found at [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1059 Ancestry.com] (a pay site), this has all the benefits of searching records from the comfort of home. At this point in time they only have a few Indian Census Rolls available for Navajo records. Searching microfilm at LDS Family History Libraries (free) can be more time consuming, but can provide more information which is left out by on-line sites. On-line sites only include the names of individuals and leave out a wealth of information at the beginning of the census rolls; which includes special instructions and procedures by the census taker and even census maps. <br><br>Here is a sample of what is available for Indian census records:<br>  

*1931 (M595 Roll 100) FHL: 575792  

*1937 (M595 Roll 275) FHL:&nbsp;579685<br>