Superintendencies of Indian Affairs

Superintendents of Indian Affairs for a specific locality existed from approximately 1803 until 1878, when the last Superintendency was abolished. After 1878, agents of the Bureau of Indian Affairs reported directly to the Commissioner's Office in Washington, DC.

A Superintendent of Indian Affairs was an administrator, communicating and overseeing the agents who worked directly with individual tribes. It was the responsibility of the superintendent to see that the agents were following official government policy. Records for Superintendencies exist in the National Archives and copies of many of them are also available in other research facilities.


 * Arizona Superintendency -- Records of the Arizona Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1863-1873, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M734. Copies are also at the Regional Archives at Laguna Niguel.
 * Central Superintendency -- Records cover 1813-1850, when it was known at the St. Louis Superintendency and 1851-1878, while it operated under the name of the Central Superintendency. The collection of records for this Superintency has been microfilmed by the National Archives under their Microcopy Number M856. Copies are available at the National Archives, and the Kansas City, Fort Worth, and Seattle Regional Archives. Copies are also available at the Kansas State Historical Society.
 * Dakota Superintendency
 * Idaho Superintendency
 * Michigan Superintendency and Mackinac Agency
 * Minnesota Superintendency
 * Montana Superintendency
 * Nevada Superintendency
 * New Mexico Superintendency
 * Northern Superintendency
 * Oregon Superintendency
 * Southern Superintendency
 * St. Louis Superintendency -- This was the forerunner to the Central Superintendency and operated from 1813 to 1850. Records are included in the records of the Central Superintendency (see above).
 * Utah Superintendency
 * Washington Superintendency
 * Western Superintendency
 * Wisconsin Superintendency
 * Wyoming Superintendency