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
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

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 FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City and their FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch Library and its FamilySearch centers (their ). These census rolls are also available online at Ancestry.com's subscription web site.

Records Available through the FamilySearch Library

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


 * Annuity Payrolls, 1890-1930. FS Library film: 1021943


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


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


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


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