Cocopah Indian Tribe

Guide to  ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and other agency records.

Various Spellings: Cocopah, Cocopa

The Cocopah Tribe is primarily associated with the states of Arizona and California.

Population: 1776: 3,000; 1990: 550

Tribal Headquarters
Cocopah Indian Tribe County 15th &amp; Ave G Somerton, AZ 85350 Phone: 1.928.627.2102


 * Cocopah Indian Tribe Official Website

History
The Cocopah or Cocopa are Native American people who live in Baja California and Sonora, Mexico, and in Arizona in the United States. The Cocopah language belongs to the Delta-California branch of the Yuman-Cochimí family. In Spanish, the Cocopah are termed Cucapá. Their self-designation is Xawiƚƚ kwñchawaay or "Those Who Live on the River."


 * Cocopah Indian Tribe
 * Cocopah Indian Museum

Brief Timeline

 * 1540: contact with Spanish
 * 1852: Fort Yuma established
 * 1917: Cocopah Reservation

Additional References
Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Cocopah tribe, with estimations of the population of the tribe at various time periods. Additional details are given in John Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America.

Reservations
Cocopah Reservation

Records
Fort Yuma (California, Arizona, Mexico) Yuma, Cocopah Indians 1905, 19115-1929 [NOTE: 1905 includes Indians in Mexico, Arizona, and California. 1906-1914 missing. 1921 includes new allottees, births and deaths. 1922-1925 includes new allottees. 1923-1929 includes Cocopah Indians, 1905-1922 is only Yuma Indians.]

Fort Yuma (California, Arizona) Yuma, Cocopa Indians 1930-1935 [NOTE: 1932-1934 includes supplemental rolls which contain additions, deductions, births, deaths. 1935 is supplemental rolls only containing additions, deductions, births and deaths.]

Search Ancestry.com under the keyword "Cocopah" for a list of people in the U.S. Indian Census Rolls 1885-1940. $ however free access at Family History Centers.

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

Websites

 * Cocopah Indian Tribe Official Website
 * Cocopah Nation Wikipedia
 * Cocopah Tribe of Arizona, Constitution. A copy of the Constitution and By-laws for this tribe is available at the Sandra Day O'Connor Law Library at Arizona State University.

For Further Reading
For background information to help find Native American ancestors see For Further Reading.