Indigenous Peoples of Nebraska

Learn about the indigenous people of Nebraska, tribes and bands, agencies, records, and reservations. The name Nebraska comes from an Oto Indian word meaning "flat water".

Tribes and Bands of Nebraska
The following list of indigenous people who have lived in Nebraska has been compiled from Hodge's Handbook of American Indians... and from Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America. Some may simply be variant spellings for the same tribe.

Many of these tribes or bands lived in or had only minimal association with the area now known as Nebraska. Some of them are only mentioned in treaties as parties to the cession of land in Iowa to the federal government.


 * Arapaho
 * Arikara
 * Cheyenne
 * Comanche
 * Dakota
 * Fox
 * Iowa
 * Kansa or Kaw
 * Kiowa
 * Missouri
 * Omaha
 * Oto
 * Pawnee
 * Ponca
 * Sauk
 * Sioux
 * Winnebago

Agencies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Agencies and subagencies were created as administrative offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its predecessors. Their purpose was (and is) to manage Indian affairs with the tribes, to enforce policies, and to assist in maintaining the peace. The names and location of these agencies may have changed, but their purpose remained basically the same. Many of the records of genealogical value (for the tribe and tribal members) were created by these offices.

The following list of agencies that have operated or now exist in Nebraska has been compiled from Hill's Office of Indian Affairs..., Hill's Guide to Records in the National Archives Relating to American Indians , and others.

A brief history of each agency and an explanation of the availability records are listed on the agency page.


 * Council Bluffs Agency
 * Flandreau Agency
 * Great Nemaha Agency
 * Omaha Agency 1856-1876
 * Otoe Agency
 * Pawnee Agency
 * Ponca Agency
 * Red Cloud Agency 1873-77
 * Rosebud Agency -- actually located in South Dakota, but marginally associated with Nebraska
 * Santee Agency
 * Santee Sioux Agency
 * Spotted Tail Agency -- actually located in South Dakota, but marginally associated with Nebraska
 * Upper Missouri Agency
 * Upper Platte Agency
 * Winnebago Agency, Winnebago, NE 68071
 * Yankton Agency

Records
The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:


 * Allotment records
 * Annuity rolls
 * Census records
 * Correspondence
 * Health records
 * Reports
 * School census and records
 * Vital records

Allotment Records
Allotted Tribes of Nebraska


 * Omaha, Ponca, Santee Sioux, Winnebago

Indian Schools
The Office of Indian Affairs (now the Bureau of Indian Affairs) established a network of schools throughout the United States, beginning with Carlisle Indian School, established in 1879. Some of these schools were day schools, usually focusing on Indian children of a single tribe or reservation. Some were boarding schools which served Indian children from a number of tribes and reservations.

In addition, other groups such as various church denominations established schools specifically focusing on American Indian children. (read more...)

The following list of Indian Schools in Nebraska has been compiled from Hill's Office of Indian Affairs..., Hill's Guide to Records in the National Archives Relating to American Indians , and others.


 * Genoa School
 * Grant Institute
 * Omaha School
 * Santee School
 * St. Augustine Indian Mission School

Half-Breed Tract
In the early 1800s, a tract of land was set aside by the federal government in Nebraska for the descendants of French fur trappers and other Europeans who had inter-married with Native Americans. These individuals were called "half-breeds." Thus the tract of land came to be known as the "Half-Breed Tract." Similar tracts were established in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Another similar tract was reserved in Nemaha County for "half-breeds" of the Oto, Omaha, and Iowa Tribes and for the Yankton and Santee Bands of the Sioux Tribe. The tract was on land belonging to the Otoes and the other tribes paid them for the right to give their descendants land there.

Family History Library
Many Indian records have been microfilmed and copies are housed at the Family History Library catalog. Examples include:


 * Central Superintendency of Indian Affairs M856- 108 films Family History Library 1st film


 * Dakota Superintendency 1861-1970 &amp; 1877-1878 13 films: M1016 1st Family History Library film

Online Resources
Native American Online Genealogy Records  Click this button for links to databases, indexes, or sites that help you find an American Indian ancestor by topic or tribe.

Reservations
From the mid-1800s, the official policy of the United States government toward the American Indian was to confine each tribe to a specific parcel of land called a reservation. Agencies were established on or near each reservation. A government representative, usually called an agent (or superintendent) was assigned to each agency. Their duties included maintaining the peace, making payments to the Native Americans based on the stipulations of the treaties with each tribe, and providing a means of communication between the native population and the federal government.

Sometimes, a single agency had jurisdiction over more than one reservation. And sometimes, if the tribal population and land area required it, an agency may have included sub-agencies.

The boundaries of reservations, over time, have changed. Usually, that means the reservations have been reduced in size. Sometimes, especially during the later policy of "termination," the official status of reservations was ended altogether.

For a current reservation map - Nebraska - Indian Reservations- The National Atlas of the United States of America. Federal Lands and Indian Reservations. by the U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Geological Survey.

The following list of reservations has been compiled from the National Atlas of the United States of America, the Omni Gazetteer of the United States of America , and other sources. Those reservations named in bold are current federally-recognized reservations, with their associated agency and tribe(s). Others have historically been associated with the state or are not currently recognized by the federal government.


 * Niobrara Reservation:
 * Omaha Reservation: Federal, under jurisdiction of Winnebago Agency, Tribe: Omaha
 * Ponca Reservation:
 * Sac and Fox Reservation:
 * Santee Sioux Reservation: Federal, under jurisdiction of Winnebago Agency, Tribe: Santee Sioux
 * Sioux Reservation: for the Oglala Sioux
 * Winnebago Reservation: is a federal reservation, under the jurisdiction of the Winnebago Agency. The primary tribe is the Winnebago. The reservation is mostly located in Thurston County, Nebraska, with a small segment in Woodbury County, Iowa, just east of the Missouri River.

To find American Indian records in the FamilySearch Catalog do a Subject Search and search for the name of the tribe, such as:

Searching the FamilySearch Catalog

 * OMAHA INDIANS


 * WINNEBAGO INDIANS

You can also search by Locality:


 * NEBRASKA - NATIVE RACES


 * NEBRASKA, [COUNTY]- NATIVE RACES

To see a partial list of records the Family History Library has about Indians in Nebraska, .

For Further Reading
See also American Indian For Further Reading.

Nebraska History for calendar of events

Nebraska Military for a list of forts