Indigenous Peoples of Iowa

Learn about the indigenous people of Iowa, the tribes and bands, agencies, reservations and records.

Information
The name Iowa is derived from an Indian word meaning: "this is the place" or "the beautiful land". To learn how to get started with American Indian research, find research facilities, and American Indian websites see the American Indian Genealogy article.

Early indigenous people of Iowa built thousand of mounds, the mounds may have be for burial, ceremonial, religious and elite residence. Various field offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs --superintendencies, agencies, Indian schools, and others --created records of births, marriages, deaths, adoptions, censuses, schools, land allotments, probates, and other miscellaneous records. Many of these records are available only at the originating office, if that office is still operating. Some of the original records have been transferred to the National Archives or to its regional archives. The FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City has microfilm copies of some of these records.

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

The following list of Native Americans who have lived in Iowa 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.

Reservations
From the mid-1800s, the official policy of the United States government toward the Native Americans 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 - Iowa - 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.


 * Keokuk Reservation (or Keokuk Reserve) -- a small reserve for the Sac and Fox, 1832-1836, following the Black Hawk War, after which they were removed to later reservations.


 * Sac and Fox Reservation-- established in 1867 -- Federal reservation located in Tama County, Iowa, under the jurisdiction of the Sac and Fox Agency. Tribe: Sac and Fox (also known as Mesquakie).


 * Omaha Reservation -- primarily located in the southern part of Thurston County, Nebraska, but a portion extends into Monona County, Iowa. See Indians of Nebraska for additional information.

** Marion Resolution 1852. A petition of Whites in Linn County, Iowa to allow Native Americans to remain. FS Library 989445 Item 10
 * Winnebago Reservation -- mostly located in Thurston County, Nebraska but there is a small segment in Woodbury County, Iowa, just east of the Missouri River. See Indians of Nebraska for additional information.

Agencies
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 were created by these offices.

The following list of agencies that have operated or now exist in Iowa 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.


 * Council Bluffs Subagency
 * Great Lakes Agency
 * Raccoon River Agency
 * Sac and Fox Agency
 * Sac and Fox Field Office
 * Tama Agency
 * Turkey River Subagency 1842-1846
 * Upper Missouri Agency
 * Winnebago Agency

Half-Breed Tract
In the early 1800's, a tract of land was set aside by the federal government in Lee County, Iowa 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 Nebraska, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Indian Health Facilities

 * Sac and Fox Sanatorium
 * Tama Sanitorium

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

Records of the indigenous tribes of Iowa may be found in the National Archives or in the Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Lenexa, Kansas.

Allotment Records
The General Allotment Act was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1887, marking the establishment of the allotment of land to individuals as the official and widespread policy of the federal government toward the Native Americans. Under this policy, land (formerly land held by the tribe or tribal land) was allotted to individuals to be held in trust until they had shown competency to handle their own affairs. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was the trustee.

Individual Native Americans were given a prescribed amount of land on a reservation based upon what land was available and the number of tribal members living on that reservation. Generally, the amount of land allotted was 160 Acres for each head of family, 80 Acres for each single person over eighteen years of age, 80 Acres for each orphan child under eighteen years of age, and 40 Acres for each single person under eighteen years of age. This was dependent upon there being sufficient land available on the existing reservation. If the total acreage on the reservation was insufficient, the amounts of land were pro-rated accordingly.

Not all tribes and reservations were allotted.

Allotted Iowa Tribes


 * Sac and Fox

Records Depositories
The primary records holders are the originating offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and of the respective tribes. Some of those records have been transferred to the National Archives or its Regional Archives. Some original and/or microcopied records have been collected by universities, historical societies, museums, and individuals.

FamilySearch Library
Many native American records have been microfilmed and copies are housed at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. To find American Indian records in the FamilySearch Catalog look in the Subject Search under the name of the tribe, such as:

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For further information on indigenous people in the United States, see:

Iowa History Reference Guide Pages 22–31 list books and articles about the various American Indian tribes, agents, treaties, and the half-breed tract in Iowa.

Use the Keyword Search feature on catalog drop down menu of the FamilySearch Catalog to find more records under::


 * IOWA - NATIVE RACES
 * IOWA, [COUNTY]- NATIVE RACES

Online Links

 * French Expedition Against The Sac And Fox Indians In The Iowa Country by State Historical Society of Iowa - 1914 page 245; addresses the relationship between the French and the Sac and Fox Tribes for the years 1734 -1735.