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."

American Indian Records in Ancestry

Ancestry recently partnered with the Oklahoma Historical Society to add more than 3.2 million new American Indian records to their site.

Some of their new collections include:

• Oklahoma, Indian Land Allotment Sales, 1908-1927
• Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Indian Photos, 1850-1930 
• Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Marriage, Citizenship and Census Records, 1841-1927
• Records Related to Enrollment of Eastern Cherokee by Guion Miller, 1908-1910
• Ratified Indian Treaties and Chiefs, 1722-1869 

These are great new collections to help you find your American Indian ancestors!

Forgotten Patriots

The Glenview Library owns Forgotten Patriots: African American and American Indian Patriots in the Revolutionary War, by Eric G. Grundset. -- 2nd ed. -- National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, c2008.  R929.373 GRU GENEALOGY

This 854 page DAR book is now free online in PDF format with  a 79 page supplement for 2008-2012 covering additions, corrections, and much more bibliographic information.

The 2008 publication identifies over 6,600 names of African American and American Indians who contributed to American Independence. The Supplement includes an additional three years of research revealing additional names of African American and American Indians who contributed to the Revolution.

Chapters discuss the Northern states, the South, miscellaneous naval and military records, foreign allies, and the West Indies.

Appendices include a map of the enslaved population; 1790 Census documenting the color of participants in the American Revolution ; names as clues to finding forgotten patriots ; and the numbers of minority participants in the Revolution.

Do You Have Native American Ancestors?

If you are doing Native American Genealogy, the Department of the Interior provides resources for tracing your Indian ancestry.

Tribes can determine their own membership, so you may have to contact each tribe to find out what the requirements were in your ancestor's day. Requirements are particularly different for Cherokees.

If the Cherokee ancestor chose to assimilate into white culture it will be extremely difficult to document that person. However, if you would like to find out if an Indian ancestor had any relationship with the federal government, you can check the extensive records that were generated during the time of Indian Removal beginning in 1831. These records relate to treaties, trade, land claims, removal to Oklahoma, allotments, military affairs, military service and pensions, trust funds, and other activities.

Eastern Cherokee researchers should check the indexes for the Baker Rolls for these records. Western Cherokee should check the Dawes Rolls. The Miller Rolls are also useful. There are other Native American Rolls which are in print and available at local libraries.

These and other Native American Records are available through the National Archives , which also provides useful educational material such as how to search the census for Native American ancestors.