Choctaw Nation

United States

Indigenous Peoples of the United States

Indigenous Peoples of Oklahoma

Choctaw Nation

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Native American Online Genealogy Records

Guide to Choctaw Nation ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and other agency records.

Introduction

Various Spellings: Choctaw, Chactaw, Chaktaw, Chahta

The Choctaw Nation is part of the Shawnee Tribe. The Choctaw Tribe is primarily associated with the states of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. See below for at least a partial lists of groups of Choctaw Indians and the reservations associated with each.

The Choctaw Tribe is one of the Five Civilized Tribes: Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw,and Creek, and Seminole

Choctaw Bands:

Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians The early Mississippi Choctaw were in constant contact with non-Indian culture from the early 1600's. When the Removal Act was passed by Congress in 1830, the Choctaw were offered a choice under the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, provided that any Choctaw who wished to remain in Mississippi to become a United States citizen might do so and would receive land from the State. There were about 20,000 Choctaw Indians in Mississippi and more than one-third chose to stay.

Mount Tabor Indian Community The Treaty of Birds Fort, September 29,1843, and the purchase of land by Benjamin Franklin Thomson in 1844 helped to establish what is known today at Mount Tabor Indian Community. President James K. Polk allowed members of the Old Settler and Ridge Party Cherokee to leave Indian Territory for Texas.

MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians

Choctaw Clans:

Wind, Bear, Deer, Wolf, Panther, Holly Leaf, Bird, Raccoon and Crawfish

Tribal Headquarters

Choctaw Indians - Mississippi Band's Flag.png

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
1802 Chukka Hina / P.O. Box 1210
Durant, OK 74702-1210
Phone: 800-522-6170
Website

History

A Muscogean based tribe, the Choctaw is similar to the Creek Confederation. The Choctaw evolved from multiple smaller tribes that shared similar language and culture. The Choctaw were early allies of the French, Spanish and British during the 18th century. In the 1750's the tribe was involved in a Civil War that decimated whole villages. The division was driven by factions affiliated with the Spanish and the other the French. In the 18th century the Choctaw were generally at war with the Creeks or the Chickasaw Indians. The Choctaw like all of the Muscogean tribes was a matriarchal and clan culture.

• American State Papers: Legislative and Executive of the Congress of the United States online at:FamilySearch Digital Library, cited under the subheading France (1710–1763) in Alabama Land and Property. Volume Seven, on FS Library film 944499 item 2, pages 1–140, has the 1831 Armstrong roll of Choctaws owning farms who were entitled to receive land under the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek of 1830. The volume is indexed. These records are like a census, listing head of family, the number of males over 16, number of males and females under 10, number of acres, and location.

Brief Timeline

1540: De Soto first recorded non-indigenous person to encounter the tribe

1763: with the French surrendered to the British many moved west of Mississippi

1784: Treaty with Spain

1786: Treaty of Hopewell

1792: Treaty talks with Spain and United States

1801: Treaty of Fort Adams

1802: Treaty of Fort Confederation

1803: Treaty of Hoe Buckintoupa

1805: Treaty of Mount Dexter

1816: Treaty of Fort St. Stephens

1818: Reverend Kingsbury established Elliot Mission. Reverend Kingsbury was called the Father of the Choctaw Missions.

1820: Treaty of Doak's Stand; ceded some land

1825: Treaty of Washington City

1825: Tribal population: 21,000 (Mississippi and Alabama) reported by T. C. Mc Kenny- Indian Office

1830: Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, * (Article 14 - removal)

1831-1833: First of Five Civilized Tribes forced from their homeland. Removed to Indian Territory.

• Part of the Tribe 5-6,000 individuals remained in Mississippi and became known as the Mississippi Band of Choctaw who were recognized in 1945.1832-1955 Wheelock Academy at Millerton, served he Indian girls of Southeastern Oklahoma.

1838: First testimonies taken in what is known as the Net Proceeds Case.

1838: Twelve neighborhood schools were in operation, Some of them were Mission stations founded by various church organizations, Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist. Five mission schools operated as part of church work at: Wheelock, Providence, Shawneetown, Red River, Lukfats and Pine Ridge.

1844: Second set of testimonies taken in what is known as the Net Proceeds Case.

1846 Wheelock Mission Church was built.

1855:Treaty with the Chickasaw, gives Chickasaw nation their own land from lands of the Choctaw.

1856: Choctaw Nation created with three districts: Apukshunnubbee District, Moshulatubbee District and Pushmataha District.

1856: Annuity Roll (Census) of the Choctaw and Chickasaw as a result of the treaty of 1855.

1867: Tribal population: 22,500; reported by Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

1875: Testimonies taken to determine heirs for the monies won from the Net Proceeds Case.

1889: Second set of testimonies to determine heirs for the monies from the Net Proceeds Case.

1903: 300 Choctaws left Mississippi for Oklahoma and the Choctaw Nation

1907: Oklahoma became the 46th State

• Choctaw Nation divided into eight counties: Choctaw, Atoka, Haskell, Latimer, Le Flore, Mc Curtain, Pittsburg and Pushmataha.

1910: Tribal population: 14,551 in Oklahoma, and 15,917 in other states

1918: Choctaw Indian Agency in Philadelphia, Mississippi established

1945: Mississippi Band of Choctaw Federally recognized

• 1953: U.S. Congress began a new policy of termination for the Indian tribes. The policy ended the protected trust status of all Indian-owned lands. The BIA began a voluntary urban relocation program. American Indians could move from their rural tribes to a metropolitan area. Many Indians relocated to Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas and Seattle. It is estimated that 750,000 Native American migrated to the cities between 1950-1980.
  

World War I and II: the U.S. Military used members of the Choctaw Nation for secure communications. They became the first code-talkers

Additional References

Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Choctaw 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

Oklahoma: Latimer and Pushmataha counties

Mississippi: Neshoba, Newton, Leake, Scott, Jones, Attala, Kemper, Winston counties

Groups or Parts of the Tribe

Choctaw Nation (Oklahoma)

Jena Band (Louisiana)

Mississippi Band

Records

Records From the Choctaw Nation, (1830-1900) Indian Territory, Oklahoma. Oklahoma Historical Society. (census, Cemetery Records, Church Records, Military and other records). FS Library Film 1666451 (first of 90 microfilm reels)

Joe R. Goss. A Complete Roll of all Choctaw Claimants and their Heirs. Reprint. Originally published: St. Louis, MO: Robt. D. Patterson Stationary Co., 1889. FS Library Book 970.3 C451g

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

Agencies

Choctaw Agency Mississippi

Choctaw Agency Oklahoma

Union Agency

Red River Agency

Cherokee Agency (West)

Superintendencies

Arkansas Superintendency

Western Superintendency

Southern Superintendency

Central Superintendency

Allotment Records

Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians Homestead and Allotment Patents, 1903-1910 film 2107720 items 2-3

Census Records

• 1830 www.accessgenealogy.comalso included in American State papers, Vol 7. This is in most libraries or is located online at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwsp.html
• 1831 Census (Armstrong Roll) Choctaw, records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, RG75 FS Library film 1033993
• 1855 Cooper Roll of Eastern Choctaw www.accessgenealogy.comFamilies living East of the Mississippi River in the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. (roll contains: names of heads of families, place of residence, and numbers of men, women, and children in families)
• 1855 Annuity Roll, first census of all individuals within a household. Actually done in 1856. Located at the Oklahoma Historical Society.
• 1868 Census of Cedar County, Choctaw Nation located within the Choctaw Nation Collection, University of Oklahoma. View online at digital.libraries.ou.edu/whc/nam/manuscript.asp
  
• 1885 Census of the Choctaw Nation. Every name in household is included on this census. This can be viewed in two places online, both for a fee. It is found under the rolls U.S. Indian Census Rolls, and under the category of Union. It is searchable by name (be careful of spelling) on Ancestry.com browsable only on Fold3.com You can also order transcriptions by county from the Bryan County Heritage Association, Bryan, Oklahoma.
• 1893 Census/Annuity Roll (for both Choctaw and Chickasaw) for Leased District monies. Referred to in several Dawes files, I have been unable to locate this film. I have been told it may be in some counties (ie. Haskell)in Oklahoma, but it is not listed in the NARA or the OHS contents.
• The Census of Atoka County, 1885, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory. by James P. Cummings. Mesquite, Texas, 1976. FS Library Book 970.1 Al#86[1]
• There are miscellaneous censuses recorded on three rolls of microfilm from the OHS, included in the inventory for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and also at the Oklahoma Historical Society and Arkansas Historical Commission. All three rolls cover different counties of the Choctaw nation, and have the 1896 census transcribed, and in some cases the original. The other censuses on the rolls vary to undated or dated, and are heads of household only for the most part.
  
• NARA office Fort Worth has microfilm of Muster rolls for various dates prior to 1855.
  
• Indian Census Rolls, Choctaw, 1926-1939 containing births and deaths some marriages. film 574200-574201

Tribe	Agency	Location of Original Records	Post - 1885 Census M595 RG 75 Rolls 693 Roll Number	FHL Film Number
Choctaw	Union Agency - Muskogee Area 1875-80	Washington D.C. and Fort Worth	Roll 685	-
Choctaw Mississippi	Choctaw, Philadelphia, Mississippi, 1926-39	Washington D.C.	Rolls 15, 41-42	FS Library124;Films: 574200-574201

Correspondence

Tribe	Agency	Location of Original Records	Pre-1880 Correspondence M234 RG 75 Rolls 962 Roll Number	FHL Film Number
Choctaw	Choctaw Agency,1824-76	Washington D.C.	Rolls 169-96	1,660,899-926
Choctaw	Jones Academy, Hartshorne, 1901-53	Fort Worth	-	-
Choctaw	Union Agency-Muskogee Area, 1875-80	Washington D.C. and Fort Worth	Rolls 865-77	1,661,595-607
Choctaw, Mississippi	Choctaw, Philadelphia, Miss., 1926-39	Washington D.C.	-	-

Enrollment Records

The FamilySearch Library

Applications and Enrollment of the Commission for the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914. - Dawes Commission

Record	Record Group	NARA #	FHL First Film	Rolls
Applications for Enrollment	75	M1301	1439798	468
Applications, Muskogee Area Office M 1650 (RG75) {{FHL|1405798|item|disp=FS Library film 2445769}} index and applications for four of the Five civilized tribes. Seminole applications not included.	75	M1650	FHL first film 2445769	54
Enrollment of the Five Civilized Tribes	75	Original records in Muskogee, Oklahoma	1022497	-
Enrollment Cards	75	M1186	1490261	93
Index to Letters received by commission	75	M1314	1694814	23

Five Civilized Tribes and the Dawes Commission- Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole (Delaware adopted by Cherokee)

Tribe	Record Group	NARA #	FHL First Film	Rolls
Choctaw Application (M1650) films 2445769-2445777 Final Rolls- first film: 830228 Enrollment-first film: 1022497 Enrollment cards Choctaw-first film: 1490299 Mississippi Choctaw -first film: 1022514-1022522 Application for enrollment (M1301) - first film: 1439798 Mississippi Choctaw - films: 1439879-1439967 Enrollment cards for Mississippi Choctaw-first film: 1490316 Choctaw-Chickasaw (Act of 1902) - first film: 1439969	48	T529	830228	232
Choctaw-Chickasaw - Fort Worth, Texas Applications(M1650) film 2446501 Indexes to dockets and appearance dockets-first film:1730868 General dockets - first film:1730869	48	T529	1730868	2

On Line

• The Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory, 03/04/1907 (National Archives) - arranged by enrollment number; gives age, sex, blood degree, and census card number.

Indexes for the Dawes Rolls and the Enrollment Cards:

• Index to the Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory, 03/04/1907 (National Archives) - arranged alphabetically; gives only enrollment number. (Surname entries are not always in strict alphabetical order)

Searchable indexes:

• Dawes Final Rolls (Oklahoma Historical Society) - gives card number and enrollment number.
• Final Rolls (Accessgenealogy) - gives card number and enrollment number.

• Dawes Commission Enrollment Records

• Dawes files can be viewed online at www.Fold3.com or on www. archive.gov. While archive.org is free, they do not have a search function, it is browse only. There are two parts to each Dawes case. The enrollment card (Dawes Card) and the packet. In many cases the packet will be empty. In cases of some of the rejected files, there are numerous pages, but referenced information may be absent. Accessgenealogy has a transcription of the Dawes cards available to search and a list of final enrollee's listed on the Dawes Records.

Genealogy

Who Was Who Among the Southern Indians: a Genealogical notebook, 1698-1907 by Don Martini FamilySearch Digital Library

History

Alokoli: the Choctaw Country bicentennial book by Choctaw County Bicentennial Commission FS Library book 976.1395 H2a or fiche 6048193

The Choctaws in Oklahoma: From Tribe to Nation, 1856-1970. by Clara Sue Kidwell. FS Library book 970.3 C451kc

Oral History

• Duke Indian Oral History Collection and Index., Duke University Library FS Library film and fiche 1486555
• FamilySearch has the story of Chieftain Greenwood Leflore and the Choctaw Indians of the Mississippi Valley : last chief of Choctaws east of Mississippi river published in 1936.

Land Records

Choctaw certificates of ownership in Boone County, Arkansas. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

The land records for Choctaw lands in Mississippi is found at the National Archives, in Washington, D.C. This collection is indexed by name and includes individuals for whom land was granted out of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek.

Some cases of land that are disputed within Mississippi are located at county courthouses.

Allotments from the Dawes are found in the county the land was located in in Oklahoma.

Military Records

Genealogical Records on the Confederate Indian Troops by Sherman Lee Pompey FS Library book 970.1 P772g fiche 6049323

Union Indian Brigade in the Civil War. by Willey Britton. FS Library book 970.1 B778u

Periodicals

Choctaw Community News, 1969-1973. Film: 965784 item 5 and Film: 965784 item 9

Bishnik, available on the website for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Removal Records

The Indian Removal Act was signed May 26, 1830 by President Andrew Jackson. The Act initiated a policy of removal of American Indians tribes living east of the Mississippi River to land west of the river.

The Choctaw were the first of the Five Civilized Tribes to be removed. Many walked 800 KM Journey to Oklahoma

Many of the Choctaw traveled by steamboat: Talmar, Cleopatra, Walter Scott, Brandywine, and Raindeer

Additional Sources

Additional Sources

DeRosier, Authur H. Jr., The Removal of the Choctaw Indians, Knoxville, University of Tennessee Press, 1970. FS Library book 970.3 C451da and digital version

Debo, Anggie. The Rise and Fall of the Choctaw Republic, University of Oklahoma Press, 1934. FS Library book 970.3 C451d

Burt, Jesse and Robert B. Ferguson. Indians of the Southeast: Then and Now. Nashville, Ablingdon Press, New York.

Nation	Removal Treaty	Years of Emigration	Population Before Removal	Number Emigrated	Deaths	Number stayed in Southeast	Information of Interest
Choctaw Chiefs: Nittakechi, Nituckachee Nail, Peter Pitchlynn, Mushulatubbe, Thomas (Greenwood) LeFlore, and George W. Hawkins, Shuk-ha-nat-cha, Punnubbee, St. Cross Peter P. Pitchlynn,	Dancing Rabbit Creek September 27, 1830 Government Leaders over removal:Col. Childress, Maj. William Armstrong, John Coffee, Capt. J. B. Clark, Lt. Stephen Van Rensselaer Ryan, Capt. Jacob Brown, George S. Gaines, John H. Eaton, Wharton Rector, F.W. Armstrong, David Folsom, Agent Colquhoun	1831-1836 1838; Old and infirm Choctaws (177 members) removed by S. T. Cross 1845; 1,280 Choctaw from Mississippi moved to Indian Territory 1846; 1,000 move came 1847; 1,623 came in eight groups.	19,554 including and 6,000 Black Slaves	12,500	2,000-4,000 (Cholera)	7,000	Relinquished more than 11 million acres in Mississippi exchange for 15 million acres in Indian Territory When the tribe reached Little Rock the Choctaw chief stated to the Arkansas Gazette that the removal was a "trail of tears and death" Some deaths due to Cholera

• 1847 Muster Roll of Big Black River Band (arrived at Fort Coffee)www.accessgenealogy.com
• 1847 Ha Cubbees Band Muster Roll (arrived at Fort Coffee) www.accessgenealogy.com
• There are two books by Monty Olsen (available from Bryant County Heritage Association) on Choctaw emigration muster rolls.
• Betty Wilshire also wrote a book on Choctaw muster rolls. It is available from various vendors.FS Library book 970.3 C451wb
• National Archives (NARA) has the information on emigration/muster rolls and not the Oklahoma Historical society. Check with the NARA to see if the holdings are in Fort Worth, Texas or Washington, D.C.
• The Removal of the Choctaw Indians by Arthur H. DeRosier, Jr FS Library Book 970.3 C451da

School Records

The Choctaw Academy: official correspondence 1825-1841 by Joe R. Goss FS Library book 970.3 C451gj

Trade

Trade during the Spanish period 1781-1798 will be found in the Panton and Leslie papers, located at the University of West Florida. They also have a collection of the Papelas de Cubas, Spanish records of the period.

Records o the Choctaw Trading House, 1803-1824. Office of Indian Affairs. Superintendent of Indian Trade FS Library film 1025085 first of 6 films

Records of the Choctaw Trading Post: St. Stephens, Mississippi Territory by Ben and Jean Strickland. FS Library book 976.1243 U3s vol. 1 and 2

Treaties

• 1781 January 3, at Hopewell
• 1796 June 29, with Creek
• December 17, 1801, at Fort Adams
• 1802 October 17, at Fort Confederation
• 1803
• 1805 November 16, at Mount Dexter
• 1805 October 27, Chickasaw
• 1814 August 9
• 1816 October 24,
• 1820 October 18 near Doaks Stand
• 1825 January 20, at Washington
• 1825 February 12, Creek
• 1828 May 6 - Cherokee
• 1830 September 27, at Dancing Rabbit Creek
• February 14, 1833,
• 1835 August 24, at Camp Holmes, with Comanche
• January 17, 1835 at Doaksville
• 1837- Chickasaw
• 1854 November 4, at Doaksville, with Chickasaw
• 1855 June 22, at Washington, with Chickasaw
• September 13, 1855, at Fort Smith-unratified
• 1865 Cherokee and other Tribes in Indian Territory with Comanche and Kiowa
• 1866 July 4, with Delaware
• August 28, 1866, at Washington

Vital Records

Oklahoma Marriage Records, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory., by Ellen Tiffee and Gloryann Hankins Young. 9 volumes. (Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, 1890. for Counties of McCurtain, Latimer, Hughes (part), LeFlore, Bryan (part), Pittsburg, Choctaw, Atoka, Haskell, Pushmataha, and Coal (part).FS Library Book 976.6 V2t vol. 1-10 Film 1321223 itmes 11-16

Indian Pioneer Papers

In 1936, the Oklahoma Historical Society and University of Oklahoma requested a writer's project grant from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in which interviews would be conducted with early settlers in Oklahoma who had lived on Indian land. More than 100 writers conducted over 11,000 interviews and were asked to "call upon early settlers and (record) the story of the migration to Oklahoma and their early life here." The University of Oklahoma Western History Collection has digitized the Indian Pioneer Papers which consists of approximately 80,000 indexed entries arranged alphabetically by personal name, place name, or subject. An index to the Indian Pioneer Papers may also be found at OkGenWeb Oklahoma Genealogy. A separate index of Indians interviewed, including the Choctaw, may be viewed at: “Indians in the Indian Pioneer Papers” Some of the surnames from the Choctaw tribe found in the collection are: Anderson, Baker, Beam (Stevens), Bond, Homer/Homma (Latimer), Jones (Choate), Kemp, Labor (Airington), Moore, Miashintubbee.FS Library microfiche number: FS Library fiche 6,016,865 (first fiche)

FamilySearch Catalog

The FamilySearch Catalog has over 260 records of interest to the Choctaw

Websites

• Constitution and By-laws of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
• Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Official Website
• Choctaw Native Americans blogspot.com
• Native American Research blogspot.com
• Indian Research blogspot.com
• Choctaw Tribe - Access Genealogy

For Further Reading

• Lennon, Rachal Mills. Tracing Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes; Southeastern Indians Prior to Removal. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2002. FS Library Book 970.1 L548t.

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

References

National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.

Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)