Cowlitz Indian Tribe

United States

Indigenous Peoples of the United States

Indigenous Peoples of Washington

Cowlitz Indian Tribe

Native American Topics
Buffalo Hunt under the Wolf-Skin Mask
Beginning Research
Beginning Your Search Finding Your United States Indigenous Ancestor Starting Native American Research Indigenous Peoples of North America - A Beginner's Guide
Tribes
Tribes of the U.S. Fed Recognized Tribes 5 Civilized Tribes	Tribes by State State Recognized Tribes If the Tribe Is Unknown
Record Types
Allotment Records Annuity Rolls Biography Cemeteries Census Rolls Census Schedules Church Records Correspondence and Reports Court Records Enrollment Records Dawes Rolls Guion Miller Rolls Factories/Trading	Health Records Heirship Records Individual History Card Land and Property Maps Military Records Newpapers Online Records Oral Histories Probate Records Register of Families Removal Records Sanitary Records Schools and Education Records Treaties Vital Records
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Agencies	Area Offices Reservations Superintendencies
Other Topics
Archives/Libraries Citizenship Claims Commissn. Cultural Groups Forts Glossary	Laws and Policies Regions For Further Reading

Guide to Cowlitz Indian Tribe ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and other agency records.

The Cowlitz Tribe is primarily associated with the state of Washington.

Cultural / linguistic group: Salish

Tribal Headquarters

Cowlitz Indian Tribe
1055 9th Ave Suite B
Longview WA 98632
Ph. 1-360-577-8140

• Official Cowlitz Tribal web site

Brief Timeline

1812: Fur traders encountered the tribe

1818: The North West Company (fur) alied with the Iroquois and raided the Cowlitz villages

1820s and 1830s The Hudson Bay Company established forts (Cowlitz Farm and Colitz Prairie)

1830-1850: Epidemics of measles, cholera, smallpox depopulated the tribe

1855: Chehalis River Treaty Council - they would not sign the Treaty

1855-1856: The Cowlitz participated in the Yamima War

1863: U.S. government place their land for sale

1872: Chehalis Reservation established

1887: Mingled with the Upper Chehalis, on Puyallup Reservation

Additional References

Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Cowlitz tribe, with estimations of the population of the tribe at various time periods. Additional details are given in John Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America.

Reservations

Chehalis Reservation

Puyallup Reservation

Records

The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:

• Allotment records
• Annuity rolls
• Census records
• Correspondence
• Health records
• Reports
• School census and records
• Vital records

For Further Reading

For background information to help find American Indian ancestors see For Further Reading.