United States. Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes. Cherokee Indian Rolls Dealing with the Dawes Commission. National Archives Microfilm Publications, T0529. Washington D.C.; Salt Lake City: National Archives; Genealogical Society of Utah. 1961, 1973, 1981, 1983. (On 300 FHL films beginning with 908371 item 2; computer number 749852.) These records are for the time period 1898 to 1914. To find an ancestor’s name in these records, use the Blankenship book Dawes Roll “Plus” of Cherokee Nation “1898” mentioned above.

If you do not have access to Blankenship’s book, first check volume 2 of:

United States. Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes. The Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory. Washington, D.C.: Govt. Print. Off., 1907?. (FHL book 970.1 Un3c vol. 2; film 962366 item 1; or fiche 6051501; computer number 13279.) Look in the section, “Index to Cherokees by Blood,” beginning on page 238. If the person was born during the special enrollment period beginning 26 April 1906 until 1914, see the “Index to Minor Cherokees by Blood” beginning on page 428. Find the person’s name and roll number.

The Final Rolls of Citizens.... (FHL book 970.1 Un3c vol. 1; film 908371 item 2; or fiche 6051501; computer number 13279.) Find the roll number of the person. You will also find the person’s name, age, sex, percentage of Cherokee blood, and census card number.

Third, find the census card number in Cherokee Indian Rolls Dealing With the Dawes Commission described above. The census card gives such information as father’s name, mother’s name, wife’s maiden name, year of marriage, names of children and their ages, sometimes the affidavits by relatives or friends, and names of persons in the family who are not of Cherokee blood.

Fourth, using the roll number given in volume1 of The Final Rolls of Citizens..., look at the application in the following films:

United States. Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes. Applications for Enrollment of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes. 1898–1914. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1301. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1983. (On 468 FHL films beginning with 1439798; computer number 500219.) The applications may contain birth and marriage information, place of residence, age, and names of children and their birth information.

Guion Miller Rolls, 1906–1910. Between 1906 and 1910, the federal government created another set of records, commonly called the Guion Miller Report. This report lists the genealogy of people who were alive in 1906 and who claimed to be descendants of the eastern Cherokees. These persons were seeking compensation from the government for lands taken from the eastern Cherokees in the 1830s. Applicants had to state their lineage back to an eastern Cherokee living in the 1830s. Applicants who went west before 1835 were not entitled to a share in the settlement, and their names do not appear in the report.

The Guion Miller applications required each claimant to state fully his or her English and Indian names, residence, age, place of birth, name of husband or wife, name of tribe, names of children, and information about parents and grandparents including their English and Indian names, place of birth, residence in 1851, date of death, and a statement as to whether any of them had ever been enrolled before for annuities or other benefits and, if so, with what tribe. Each claimant was to furnish the names of all brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts, including their age and residence. The National Archives and the Family History Library have the complete files of the claimants on microfilm:

United States. Court of Claims. Eastern Cherokee Applications, August 29, 1906–May 26, 1909. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1104. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1981. (On 348 FHL films beginning with 378594; computer number 53662). The general index is found on FHL film 378594 item1. Another copy of the index is:

Blankenship, Bob. Guion Miller Roll “Plus” of Eastern Cherokee, East and West of Mississippi “1909”. Cherokee, N.C.: Cherokee Roots, 1994. (FHL Q book 970.1 B611g; computer number 739674.) This index contains 62,769 names and has two sections: those Cherokees who were accepted for payment of claims, and those not accepted. The book is arranged alphabetically. The first section gives name, Miller number, Miller application number, Dawes number, Dawes enrollment (census card) number, age in 1906, relationship to head of family, percentage of Indian blood, and city and state of residence. The second section contains last name, first name(s) and initial, Miller application number, and state of residence.

Guidebooks. More information about censuses and other records is contained in:

Hoskins, Shirley. Cherokee Blood Newsletter. Post Office Box 22261, Chattanooga, TN 37422. (FHL book 970.3 C424cbn; film 1597913 item 5 [issues 8–18]; computer number 232124.)

Byers, Paula K., ed. Native American Genealogical Sourcebook. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research, 1995. (FHL book 970.1 B99in; computer number 743430.)

Mooney, Thomas G. Exploring Your Cherokee Ancestry: A Basic Genealogical Research Guide. Tahlequah, Okla.: Cherokee National Historical Society, 1990. (FHL book 970.3 C424mt; film 1697368 item5 ; computer number 471730.)

Records of American Indians of North Carolina are listed in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Locality Search under:

NORTH CAROLINA- NATIVE RACES

or a Subject Search under:

INDIANS OF NORTH AMERICA- NORTH CAROLINA

You can also find records in the Subject Search under the name of the tribe or group, such as:

CATAWBA INDIANSCHEROKEE INDIANSMELUNGEONSTUSCARORA INDIANS

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