Oklahoma, Applications for Enrollment to the Five Civilized Tribes - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of digital images of land allotment records for the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory. 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 describe the parcels of land and name the tribal member to whom each parcel was allotted. Records are arranged by name of tribe (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole), by membership designation (member by blood, by intermarriage or freedmen), application number and according to age group -- newborn and minor children are listed separately. FamilySearch is indexing these records now and the index will be published when it is complete.

This index covers the collection titled "Applications for Enrollment of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914" which was created by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. It is housed by the National Archives and Record Administration, Fort Worth, Texas. The NARA publication number for that collection is M1301.

A Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes: Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole, also called the Dawes Commission after its chairman, Senator Dawes, was established by Congress in 1893. Its purpose was to exchange Indian tribal lands in the southeastern United States for new land allotments to individuals in Oklahoma. More than 250,000 people applied to this commission for enrollment and land. Just over 100,000 were approved. The rolls do not include the applications that were rejected, stricken, or judged to be doubtful. Those found eligible for the final rolls were entitled to an allotment of land, usually as a homestead.

These records cover the years 1898 to 1914.

These records were created to provide a final list of those individuals who were enrolled as members of the Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole).

The records are generally reliable.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

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


 * Name of individual applying for enrollment
 * Tribe or Nation
 * Sex
 * Blood degree
 * Census card number
 * Case number
 * Film number
 * Image number

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 case number and film or image 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 also 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 enrollment, 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 that these enrollment records do not include applications that were not approved.

Related Web Sites
National Archives -- Commision to the Five Civilized Tribes (The Dawes Commission)

About.com -- The Dawes Rolls

Southwest Branch of the National Archives in Forth Worth

Related Wiki Articles

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

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
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A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Oklahoma, Applications for Enrollment of the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914." database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 17 April 2012). Andrew Smith, Choctaw Tribe; NARA publication number M1301, NARA number 145; National Archives and Record Administration, Fort Worth, Texas.