Indigenous Peoples of Washington

A wealth of genealogical information is available for the various Indian tribes in Washington. Besides published histories, the Family History Library has microfilm copies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) records of births, marriages, deaths, censuses, schools, land allotments, heirships, and family records. They are available from about 1887 to 1952 from agencies such as the Colville, Puyallup, Taholah, Tylalip, and Yakima. The original documents are at the National Archives—Pacific Northwest Region (Seattle).

An especially useful source is the collection, Family Index Cards, 1938-1950, created by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Portland Area Office (FHL films 1028470 item 4 to 1028471).

Records of American Indians are also listed in the Subject section of the Family History Library Catalog under the names of the agency or tribe. Some of these tribes are the Nez Perce, Yakima, and Chinook.

Web Sites
National Archives: http://www.archives.gov/pacific-alaska/seattle/

Bureau of Indian Affairs: http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/075.html