Indigenous Peoples of Colorado

The word Colorado originates from a Spanish word "ruddy" or "red"

Tribes and Bands of Colorado
The following list of tribes is compiled from:


 * Hodge: Frederick Webb. Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Washington D.C. Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of Ethnology. Bulletin # 30 1907.(Family History Library book 970.1 Sm69; film 1320577, Item 1)
 * Swanton, John R. The Indian Tribes of North America. Smithsonian Institution Bureau of Ethnology. Bulletin #145 (Family History Library book 970.1 S24)

Apache, Arapahoe. Bannock, Cheyenne, Comanche, Jicarilla, Kiowa, Kiowa-Apache, Apache-Navajo, Numa, Pueblos, Shoshone, Uinta, Uncompahgre Band, Ute (Southern and Mountain), White River Band

Reservations
As identified in the National Atlas of the United States of America, the following reservation names in bold are current federally-recognized reservations:


 * Southern Ute Reservation Federal, under jurisdiction of Southern Ute Agency, Tribes: Mauache Capote Ute
 * Ute Mountain Reservation Federal, under jurisdiction of Ute Mountain Agency, Tribe: Wiminuche Ute

Reference


 * Isaac, Katherine M., Omni Gazetteer of the United States of American. U.S. Data Sourcebook, Volume 11 Appendices, Bureau of Indian Affairs List of American Indian Reservations, Appendix E, Indian Reservations, Omnigraphics, Inc., 1991. (Family History Library book 973 E5)

Agencies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Agencies were created as an administrative division of the federal government 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 were created by these offices.


 * Consolidated Ute Agency
 * Denver Special Agency 1871-1875
 * Southern Ute Agency, P.O. Box 315, Ignacio, CO 81137
 * Uintah and Ouray Agency
 * Upper Arkansas Agency 1855-1874
 * Upper Platte Agency 1846-1870
 * Ute Mountain Agency, General Delivery, Towoac, CO 81334
 * White River Agency

Reference


 * Hill, Edward E., The Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1880: Historical Sketches, Clearwater Publishing Co., Inc., 1974 (Family History Library book 970.1 H551)

Indian Schools
The Office of Indian Affairs (now the Bureau of Indian Affairs) established a network of schools throughout the United States, beginning with Carlisle Indian School, established in 1879. Some of these schools were day schools, usually focusing on Indian children of a single tribe or reservation. Some were boarding schools which served Indian children from a number of tribes and reservations.

In addition, other groups such as various church denominations established schools specifically focusing on American Indian children. (read more...)


 * Fort Lewis School
 * Grand Junction School
 * Ignacio Boarding School
 * Navajo Spring School
 * Ute Mountain School

Family History Library
For a complete list of available records use the Family History Library Catalog and search by Tribe and Location


 * Central Superintendency Records 1813-1878 (108 films - M856) Family History Library 1st film 1602893
 * Colorado Superintendency 1861-1880

See Also:
Colorado - History for a calendar of events some pertaining to American Indians

Colorado - Military for a list of forts