The Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes

The Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory are invaluable for researching ancestors from the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek, Choctaw and Seminole tribes.

In 1893, President Cleveland created a commission to negotiate land treaties with the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Seminole tribes. The tribes agreed to abolish their governments and recognize Federal laws in return for allotments of land. Individual members had to apply with the Commission to be deemed eligible for tribal land.

Between 1898 and 1907, the Federal government received approximately 250,000 applications but the Commission only approved 101,000 names to be added to the Final Rolls. About one-fourth of these individuals were full blood.

The Final Rolls were published in 1907 and list applicants' tribe, name, age, sex, and degree of blood. These documents are important sources for genealogy research in the "Five Civilized Tribes."