Five Civilized Tribes Indian Agency (Oklahoma)

Indian Tribes Associated With This Agency
Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole, and some Delaware and Shawnee

Oklahoma Applications for Enrollment of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes - FamilySearch Historical Records

History
The Five Civilized Tribes Agency was created in 1914 by the consolidation of the Union Agency and the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes (Dawes Commission). The Dawes Commission had been appointed in 1893 to exchange tribal lands for individual allotments. The Curtis Act (30 Stat. 495) of 1898 set forth the conditions for enrollment, allotments, jurisdictions of Federal courts, creation of town sites, leasing of mineral rights, etc.

The Five Civilized Tribes Agency had district or field offices in Ardmore, Durant, Holdenville, Okmulgee, Stilwell, Vinita, and Wewoka. Several of these district offices, established in 1908,maintained separate records from the main body of agency records.

The Five Civilized Tribes Agency was absorbed by the Muskogee Area Office in 1948.

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

Many of the historical records of this agency are housed in the National Archives Southwest Region (Ft. Worth), and in the Oklahoma Historical Society in Oklahoma City.

Records in the Fort Worth Archive include:


 * Census rolls dating from 1852 (the early years are very incomplete)
 * Records of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes, including tribal citizenship, enrollment and allotments
 * Case files on allotees and dependents, 1908-1917
 * Probate attorneys' individual case files, 1910-1952, including records of probate attorneys from:


 * Ardmore, 1914-1935
 * Durant, 1914-1940
 * Muskogee, 1916-1927
 * Vinita, 1922-1940
 * Wewoka, 1920-1943


 * Individual case files, 1916-1929
 * Records from the individual district offices at:


 * Ardmore (for Choctaw and Chickasaw), 1908-1947
 * Durant (for Choctaw and Chickasaw), 1908-1948
 * Holdenville, 1934-1946
 * Okmulgee (for Creek), 1925-1952
 * Stilwell, 1936-1947
 * Vinita (for Cherokee), 1927-1951
 * Wewoka (for Seminole), 1916-1951

At Fort Worth, there are also many other administrative and financial records of the agency. In addition, there are school enrollment records and records of pupils and administrative affairs of several schools, including:


 * Mekasukey Academy (Seminole)
 * Arstrong Academy (Choctaw)
 * Wheeler Academy (Choctaw)
 * Euchee Boarding School (Creek)

In the Oklahoma Historical Society, there are many more records of the Five Civilized Tribes, including:


 * Court records, 1847-1898
 * School records, 1867-1912
 * Tribal census rolls, 1883-1890
 * and many other administrative and financial records.