Oklahoma Applications for Allotment, Five Civilized Tribes - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
These records cover the years 1899 to 1907.

Record History
Under the terms of the 1887 Dawes Act, Indian reservations were surveyed and lands held in common by the tribes were allotted in smaller parcels to individual members of the tribe. These records name tribal members to whom parcels of land (allotments) were allotted. Individuals had to enrolled tribal members to apply for an allotment.

The records include degree of Indian blood, description of the land, guardianship and relationship information. Records are arranged by name of tribe (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole), tribal roll name, and application number. The name of the tribal roll indicates the membership category of the individual, i.e., member by blood, by intermarriage or freedmen. Newborn and minor children are listed on separate rolls.

Record Description
This collection consists of individual packets with multiple pages per packet. The pages may be:


 * Handwritten
 * Handwritten on pre-printed forms
 * Typed
 * Printed plot maps

Record Content
The information usually included in the papers includes the following:


 * Name of individual applying for the allotment
 * Age
 * Degree of Indian Blood
 * Tribe or Nation
 * Application number
 * Indian census card number
 * Names of individual’s representative and their relationship to the individual
 * Number of acres allotted
 * Legal description of the land
 * Date and place of application
 * Details of any improvements to the land parcel

How to Use the Record
Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index. Use the locator information in the index (such as the allotment number or packet number) to locate your ancestor’s packet. Compare the information in the packet to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

Tips:


 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination.
 * You may need to search for both their Indian name and their English name.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

When you have located your ancestor’s packet, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

For example:


 * Use the age listed to determine an approximate birth date.
 * Use the Indian census card number to help you locate your ancestor in the Indian census.
 * Any relationships listed may help you to establish family groups.

Remember:


 * Individuals had to enrolled tribal members to apply for an allotment.
 * These allotment records do not include applications that were not approved.

Why the Record Was Created
These records were created to provide a final list of those individuals who were approved to receive an allotment of land in Indian Territory (Oklahoma). The lands were usually granted as homesteads.

Record Reliability
The records are usually reliable.

How Has This Article Helped You?
Click here to send us your story

Related Websites

 * National Archives -- Commision to the Five Civilized Tribes (The Dawes Commission)
 * About.com -- The Dawes Rolls
 * National Archives Southwest Region (Ft. Worth)

Related Wiki Articles

 * Dawes Commission Enrollment Records for Five U.S. Indian Tribes
 * Five Civilized Tribes Indian Agency (Oklahoma)
 * Oklahoma Applications for Enrollment of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Style Guide
For guidelines to use in creating wiki articles that describe collections of images and indexes produced by FamilySearch, see: FamilySearch Wiki:Guidelines for FamilySearch Collections pages.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection
Please add sample citations to this article following the format guidelines in the wiki article listed above.

Examples of citations:


 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023

Sources of This Collection
“Oklahoma, Applications for Allotment, Five Civilized Tribes, 1899-1907”, database, FamilySearch Historical Records from the United States Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes. Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Five Civilized Indian Tribes Land Allotment Records. National Archives and Record Administration, Fort Worth, Texas. FHL microfilm. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.