Oklahoma Applications for Allotment, Five Civilized Tribes - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
These records cover the years 1899 to 1907.

Record Description
The collection consists of a name index and images of land allotment records for the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory. These records describe the parcels of land and name the tribal member to whom each parcel was allotted. Records are arranged by name of tribe (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole), by membership designation (member by blood, by intermarriage or freedmen), application number and according to age group -- newborn and minor children are listed separately. The pages may be:


 * Handwritten
 * Handwritten on pre-printed forms
 * Typed
 * Printed plot maps

Record Content
The information usually included in the papers includes the following:


 * Tribal roll name
 * Membership category of the individual -- member by blood, by intermarriage or freedmen (newborn and minor children are listed on separate rolls)
 * Age
 * Degree of Indian Blood
 * Tribe or Nation
 * Application number
 * Indian census card number
 * Names of individual’s representative and their relationship to the individual
 * Guardianship and relationship information
 * Number of acres allotted
 * Legal description of the land
 * Date and place of application
 * Details of any improvements to the land parcel

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * Name
 * Tribe
 * Membership category --member by blood, by intermarriage or freedmen

Search the Collection
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. If you only know one name, put in in the box for the first name.

Look at the list of entries created by your search. Compare the information in to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Make a photocopy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the names and relationships as a basis for compiling family groups.
 * Use the name, tribe, and the census number to locate the individual on the census.
 * Use the name, tribe, and membership category to locate the individual in the enrollment records.
 * Use the age listed to determine an approximate birth date.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination.
 * You may need to search for both their Indian name and their English name.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.
 * Individuals had to enrolled tribal members to apply for an allotment.
 * These allotment records do not include applications that were not approved.
 * Newborn and minor children are listed on separate rolls.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search the records of other tribes.
 * Search for records of other membership categories.

Record History
Under the terms of the 1887 Dawes Act, Indian reservations were surveyed and lands held in common by the tribes were allotted in smaller parcels to individual members of the tribe. Individuals had to be enrolled tribal members to apply for an allotment.

Why the Record Was Created
These records were created to provide a final list of those individuals who were approved to receive an allotment of land in Indian Territory (Oklahoma). The lands were usually granted as homesteads.

Record Reliability
The records are usually reliable.

Related Websites

 * National Archives -- Commision to the Five Civilized Tribes (The Dawes Commission)
 * About.com -- The Dawes Rolls
 * National Archives Southwest Region (Ft. Worth)

Related Wiki Articles

 * Dawes Commission Enrollment Records for Five U.S. Indian Tribes
 * Five Civilized Tribes Indian Agency (Oklahoma)
 * Oklahoma Applications for Enrollment of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection
Please add sample citations to this article following the format guidelines in the wiki article listed above.

Examples of citations:


 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023

Sources of This Collection
“Oklahoma, Applications for Allotment, Five Civilized Tribes, 1899-1907”, database, FamilySearch Historical Records from the United States Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes. Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Five Civilized Indian Tribes Land Allotment Records. National Archives and Record Administration, Fort Worth, Texas. FHL microfilm. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.