American Indian Register of Vital Statistics

United States American Indian Research  Vital Records

On some reservations, BIA agents, with the help of the agency physician, recorded births and deaths of Indians under their jurisdiction. The format and information contained in these records vary considerably as do the accuracy and completeness with which they were kept.

A few of these registers have found their way into the NARA System, though it is suspected that the majority of these records, still extant, are retained in the agencies.

The Register of Births usually contain the following information:


 * 1) Date
 * 2) Name of Father
 * 3) Name of Mother
 * 4) Name of Child
 * 5) Sex
 * 6) Degree of Blood
 * 7) Tribe
 * 8) Residence

The Register of Deaths usually contains:


 * 1) Date
 * 2) Name
 * 3) Age
 * 4) Sex
 * 5) Degree of Blood
 * 6) Tribe
 * 7) Residence

Some record of vital events are also included in the Vital Records Supplements to Indian Census Rolls and in the Sanitary Records of Sick, Injured, Births, Deaths, etc.