Tulalip Indian Agency (Washington)

Indian Tribes Associated With This Agency
Lummi, Muckleshoot, Port Madison, Swinomish, Tulalip, and others

History
The Tulalip Agency was established in 1861 for Indians living on the eastern side of Puget Sound on the Tulalip, Port Madison, Swinomish (Perry's Island), and Lummi Reservations. The Muckleshoot Indians were assigned to the Puyallup Agency. During the years 1865-1869, a single agent served both the Tulalip and Puyallup Agencies. In 1882, there was a brief consolidation of the Puyallup Agency, the Skokomish Agency and the Tulalip Agency.

When the Cushman Agency and School closed in 1920, the Muckleshoot Indians were returned to the Tulalip Agency. In 1950, the Tulalip Agency and the Taholah Agency were merged to form the Western Washington Agency.

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.

Many records of the Tulalip Agency are in the Pacific Alaska Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Seattle, including:


 * Tribal census rolls, 1890-1929
 * School census records, 1890-1950
 * Records of births and deaths, 1897-1949
 * And many other administrative and financial records

Reports of Inspection of the Field Jurisdictions of the Office of Indian Affairs, 1873-1900 have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of Microcopy Number M1070. The reports for Yakima Agency, 1881-1899, are on roll 53 of that Microcopy set. Copies are available at the National Archives, their Regional Archives, and at the Family History Library and its family history centers (their ).

Annual Indian Census Rolls were taken at this agency for 1885-1939. These rolls have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M595, rolls 582 thru 593. 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 form Indian Census Rolls above


 * Birth and Death records 1924-1931 FHL film 583049 Birth and Death records 1925-1932 FHL film 583050


 * The 1900 federal census included population schedules for the Tulalip Indian Reservation. The census includes the non-Indian employees of the Tulalip Agency, as well as many pages of Indian Population Schedules for the native population of the Reservation. They are recorded as District 252, Tulalip Indian Reservation, in Snohomish County, Washington.
 * Microfilm copies of ...Narrative and Statistical Reports... for the Tulalip Agency, 1907-1936, are included in National Archives Microcopy M1011, Rolls 152-156, available in the National Archives system and in the collections of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City (their . Reports for some years are missing.
 * Allotment and Land Records1883-1932. FHL Film: 1024291-1024294
 * Annuity, survey cards, family records 1925-1946. FHL Film: 1024297
 * Census Records1890-1929. FHL Film 1024295
 * Enrollment Records 1917-1936. FHL Film: 1024296
 * Heirship Records 1911-1950. FHL Film: 1024229-1024231
 * Land and Property 1902-1946. FHL Film: 1024277-1024287
 * School Records 1890-1950. FHL Film: 1024288-1024290
 * Vital Records 1897-1949. FHL Film: 1024232
 * Vital Records 1924-1931. FHL Film 583049