American Indian Vital Records Supplements in Census Rolls

Beginning in 1925, special supplements were added to the annual Indian Census Rolls taken by field agents of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Agents were required to take a census once a year, and correct and certify the roll for each annuity payment, by adding the births and subtracting the deaths.

One of these supplements bore the title “Births Occurring Between the Dates of July 1, 1924 and June 30, 1925 to Parents Enrolled at Jurisdiction.” The column headings for this record were as follows:


 * 1) 1925 Census Roll Number
 * 2) Name a. Surname b. Given
 * 3) Date of Birth a. Year b. Month c. Day
 * 4) Live Births
 * 5) Stillbirths
 * 6) Sex
 * 7) Tribe
 * 8) Degree of Blood a. Father b. Mother c. Child
 * 9) Cause of Death
 * 10) Residence a. At jurisdiction where enrolled (yes or no) b. At another jurisdiction i. Jurisdiction ii. State c. Elsewhere (off Reservation) i. Post Office ii. State

This supplement was completed annually with the census roll. The headings remained the same each year through its discontinuance in 1939, with the exception that the dates were updated each year.

Another supplement to the census rolls of 1925 recorded “Deaths Occurring Between the Dates of July 1, 1924 and June 20, 1925 of Indians Enrolled at Jurisdiction.” The column headings for this supplement were: 1. Number on last Census Roll a. Year b. Number 2. Name a. Surname b. Given 3. Date of death a. Year b. Month c. Day 4. Age at death 5. Sex 6. Tribe 7. Ward (yes or no) 8. Degree of Blood 9. Cause of Death 10. Residence a. At jurisdiction where enrolled (yes or no) b. At another jurisdiction i. Jurisdiction ii. State c. Elsewhere (off Reservation) i. Post Office ii. State

The dates on these supplements were also updated annually.