White Earth Indian Agency (Minnesota)

Indian Tribes Associated With This Agency
Chippewa

History
The Chippewa Agency was established in 1851 to serve the Indians in Minnesota, also known as the Chippewa of the Mississippi (as opposed to the Chippewa of Lake Superior, assigned to La Pointe Agency). The Chippewa Agency headquarters was moved to the White Earth Reservation in 1872. In 1873, a separate agency was established for the Red Lake Chippewa.

In 1874, the Leech Lake Agency was established for the Pillager and Lake Winnibigoshish Chippewa residing at Leech Lake and for the Chippewa of the Mississippi living at White Oak Point. The Chippewa Agency then had jurisdiction over the other Chippewa of the Mississippi (including those at Mille Lacs), the Otter Tail Pillager, and the Pembina Chippewa.

In 1878, the Chippewa Agency began to be called the White Earth Agency. In 1879, the Red Lake Agency and the Leech Lake Agency were consolidated into the White Earth Agency.

In 1899, the Leech Lake Agency was reestablished. At that time, Leech Lake had responsibility for the Leech Lake, Cass Lake, Lake Winnibigoshish, White Oak Point, and Red Lake Chippewa. The White Earth Agency had jurisdiction over the White Earth, Gull Lake, Removal and Nonremoval Mille Lac, Removal White Oak Point, Pembina, Removal Fond du Lac, Otter Tail, Removal Leech Lake, and Removal Cass and Winnibigoshish Chippewa. The term "removal" refers to Indians who had moved from lands ceded to the government under the direction of the Chippewa Commission.

The White Earth Agency was abolished and the Indians under their jurisdiction were transferred to the Consolidated Chippewa Agency, 30 June 1922.

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 for the White Earth Agency are in the Great Lakes Regional Archives of the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) in Chicago and in the Central Plains Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Kansas City.

Some of the records of this agency of particular interest to family historians, in the Great Lakes Archives, are:


 * Annuity rolls, 1880-1907
 * Employee rosters, 1883-1909
 * Allotment records, 1892-1915, including a list and some correspondence filed with the Consolidated Chippewa Agency records in this archives.
 * Medical reports, 1895-1916
 * School reports, 1898-1918
 * Death certificates, 1903-1907
 * School census records, 1914-1918
 * Heirship records, 1914

Records of this agency of interest to family historians, in the Central Plains Archives, are:


 * Land records, 1871-1921
 * Allotment records, 1892-1921
 * Register of families, 1901
 * Births, deaths, marriages, 1904-1922
 * School records, 1916-1922

Some of the agency records from these regional archives have been microfilmed and copies are available in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah and through their family history centers. are cataloged in their collection under the Consolidated Chippewa Agency, although almost all of the records are dated prior to the establishment of that agency.

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 White Earth Agency, 1874-1894 and 1896-1900, are on rolls 57-58 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 1885-1888, 1890-1892, and 1894-1922. These rolls have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M595, rolls 649 thru 662. 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.

Microfilm copies of ...Narrative and Statistical Reports... for the Yakima Agency, 1907-1922, are included in National Archives Microcopy M1011, Roll 169, available in the National Archives system and in the collections of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City (their.