Colorado Superintendency of Indian Affairs

United States American Indian Research  Bureau of Indian Affairs  Superintendencies  Colorado

History
The Colorado Superintendency of Indian Affairs was established in 1861. After the Superintendency was abolished in 1870, after which the agents reported directly to the Office of Indian Affairs in Washington, DC. Correspondence continued to be filed under "Colorado" until the filing system was changed in 1881, however.

Records for Superintendencies exist in the National Archives and copies of many of them are also available in other research facilities.

Tribes
Ute (Grand River, Uinta, Yampa, Tabaquache or Uncompahgre, Wiminuche, Capote and Moache), Cheyenne and Arapho

Governors and Ex Officio Superintendents
William Gilpin March 25, 1861, John Evans March 26, 1862,

A. Cameron Hunt May 10, 1867, and Edward M. McCook April 17, 1869

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 (for the tribe and tribal members) were created by and maintained by the agencies.


 * Conejos - Los Pinos Agency
 * Denver Special Agency
 * Middle Park - White River Agency
 * Southern Ute Agency
 * Upper Arkansas Agency

Records
Letters received by the Office of Indian Affairs from the Colorado Superintendency, 1861-1880, have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M234. Copies are available at the National Archives and at the and its FamilySearch centers on their microfilm roll numbers 1660927 thru 1660944.