Enrollment cards for the five civilized tribes, 1898-1914

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Microfilm of original records housed in the Archives Branch of the Federal Archives and Records Center, Fort Worth, Texas.

See related record in the Author/Title catalog: United States. Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes. The final rolls of citizens and freedmen of the five civilized tribes in Indian territory.

See related record in the Author/Title catalog: United States. Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes. Enrollment of the five civilized tribes, 1896-1909.

This microfilm publication reproduces "the enrollment cards that were prepared by the staff of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes between 1898 and 1914"--Introd.

"An act of Congress approved March 3, 1893 authorized the establishment of the Commission to negotiate agreements with the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes providing for the dissolution of the tribal governments and the allotment of land to each tribal member. Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts was appointed Chairman of this Commission on November 1, 1893, after which it has commonly been referred to as the Dawes Commission"--Introd.

"The commission was authorized by an act of Congress approved June 28, 1898 to prepare citizenship (tribal membership) rolls for each tribe. These final rolls were the basis for allotment. Under this act, subsequent acts, and resulting agreements negotiated with each tribe, the Commission received applications for membership covering more than 250,000 people and enrolled more than 101,000. The tribal membership rolls were closed on March 4, 1907, by an act of Congress approved on April 26, 1906, although an additional 312 persons were enrolled under an act approved August 1, 1914"--Introd.

"The Commission enrolled individuals as 'citizens' of a tribe under the following categories: citizens by blood, citizens by marriage, new born citizens by blood (enrolled under an act of Congress approved March 3, 1905), minor citizens by blood (enrolled under an act of Congress approved April 26, 1906), freedmen (former black slaves of Indians, later freed and admitted to tribal citizenship), new born freedmen, and minor freedmen. Delaware Indians adopted by the Cherokee tribe were enrolled as a separate group within the Cherokee. Within each enrollment category, the Commission generally maintained three types of cards: 'Straignt' cards for persons who applications were approved, 'D' cards for persons who applications were considered doubtful and subject to question, and 'R' cards for persons whose applications were rejected. Persons listed on 'D' cards were subsequently transferred to either 'Straight' or 'R' cards depending on the Commission's decisions. All decisions of the Commission were sent to the Secretary of the Interior for final approval"--Introd.

An enrollment card, sometimes referred to by the Commission as a 'census card,' records the information provided by individual applications submitted by members of the same family group or household and includes notation of the actions taken. The information given for each applicant includes name, roll number (individual's number if enrolled), age, sex, degree of Indian blood, relationship to the head of the family group, parent's names, and references to enrollment on earlier rolls used by the Commission for verification of eligibility. The card often includes references to kin-related enrollment cards and notations about births, deaths, changes in marital status, and actions taken by the Commission and the Secretary of the Interior. Within each enrollment category the cards are arranged numerically by a 'field' or 'census card' number, which is separate from the roll number. The index to the final rolls, which is reproduced on roll 1 of this publication, provides the roll number for each person while the final rolls themselves provide the census card numbers for each enrollee. No indexes have been located for the majority of the 'D' and 'R' cards. There are a few Mississippi Choctaw 'Identified' and 'Field cards; as well as some Chickasaw 'Cancelled' that refer to persons never finally enrolled"--Introd.

With: United States. Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes / Seminole Indian rolls dealing with Dawes Commission. United States. Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes / Delaware Indian rolls dealing with Dawes Commission. United States. Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes / Choctaw Indian rolls dealing with Dawes Commission. United States. Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes / Chickasaw Indian rolls dealing with Dawes Commission. United States. Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes / Cherokee Indian rolls dealing with Dawes Commission. United States. Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes / Creek Indian rolls dealing with Dawes Commission.

Index to Dawes Rolls

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