Red Lake Indian Agency (Minnesota)

The Red Lake Agency is a currently operating agency. Its supervising office in the Bureau of Indian Affairs is the Minneapolis Area Office.

Indian Tribes Associated With This Agency

 * Red Lake Chippewa and other bands of Chippewa

History
The Red Lake Agency was established in 1873 and operated as an independent agency until 1879. From 1879 to 1898 the Indians assigned to it were administered by the White Earth Agency. From 1899 to 1906 they were administered by the Leech Lake Agency. In 1906, the Red Lake Agency was again established to serve the Red Lake and Pembina Chippewa. In 1920, the Chippewa from the Nett Lake, Grand Portage, and Fond du Lac Reservations were added to the Red Lake Agency. In 1922, the Indians from the three reservations added in 1920 were transferred from the Red Lake Agency to the new Consolidated Chippewa Agency and the Red Lake Agency continued to function independently. In 1954, the Red Lake Agency was merged with the Consolidated Chippewa Agency to form the Minnesota Agency.In 1964, the Red Lake Agency was again established as an independent agency.

Agents and Appointment Dates
Richard M. Pratt (special) June 14, 1873, Asa D. Baker July 1, 1878

Records
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.

Some records of the Red Lake Agency are in the Central Plains Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Kansas City, including


 * Annuity payrolls, 1907-1930
 * Registers of death, 1919-1932
 * Census records, 1935-1937
 * And other administrative records, 1894-1965

Microfilm copies of ...Narrative and Statistical Reports... for the Red Lake Agency, 1907-1938, are included in National Archives Microcopy M1011, rolls 114-115, available in the National Archives system and in the collections of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and their family history centers (their ). Reports for some years are missing.

Annual Indian Census Rolls were taken at this agency for 1907-1917, and 1919 thru 1939. These rolls have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M595, rolls 418-424. Copies of these records are also available at the National Archives, their Regional Archives, and at the Family History Library and its family history centers (their ). These census rolls are also available online at Ancestry.com's subscription web site.

Records Available through the Family History Library

 * Vital Records Birth and Death 1925-1932 FHL film 581416 (this film is part of the census collection above - supplemental records)


 * Annuity Payrolls, 1890-1930. FHL film: 1021943


 * Census of Chippewa Indians, 1925-1938. FHL film: 1204883


 * Relationship Certifications for share disbursement, 1911-1935. FHL film: 1204884


 * School census, 1922-1927, FHL film: 1204883 item 2


 * Vital Records- Marriage Licenses, 1902-1922. FHL film: 104883