Superintendencies of Indian Affairs

Superintendents of Indian Affairs for a specific locality existed from approximately 1803 until 1878, when the last Superintendency was abolished. After 1878, agents of the Bureau of Indian Affairs reported directly to the Commissioner's Office in Washington, DC.

A Superintendent of Indian Affairs was an administrator, communicating and overseeing the agents who worked directly with individual tribes. It was the responsibility of the superintendent to see that the agents were following official government policy. Records for Superintendencies exist in the National Archives and copies of many of them are also available in other research facilities.


 * Arizona Superintendency -- Records of the Arizona Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1863-1873, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M734. Copies are also available at the Regional Archives at Laguna Niguel and at the University of Arizona.
 * Central Superintendency -- Records cover 1813-1850, when it was known at the St. Louis Superintendency and 1851-1878, while it operated under the name of the Central Superintendency. The collection of records for this Superintency has been microfilmed by the National Archives under their Microcopy Number M856. Copies are available at the National Archives, and the Kansas City, Fort Worth, and Seattle Regional Archives and at the Kansas State Historical Society.
 * Dakota Superintendency -- Records of the Dakota Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1860-1878, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M1016. Copies are also available at the Denver Regional Archives and at the University of Arizona.
 * Idaho Superintendency -- Records of the Idaho Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1863-1870, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M832. Copies are also available at the Seattle Regional Archives.
 * Michigan Superintendency and Mackinac Agency -- Records of the Michigan Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1814-1882, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M1. Copies are also available at the Chicago and San Francisco Regional Archives.
 * Minnesota Superintendency -- Records of the Minnesota Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1849-1856, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M842. Copies are also availabel at the Chicago Regional Archives.
 * Montana Superintendency -- Records of the Montana Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1867-1873, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M833. Copies are also available at the Denver and Seattle Regional Archives
 * Nevada Superintendency -- Records of the Nevada Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1869-1870, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M837. Copies are also available at the San Francisco REgional Archives.
 * New Mexico Superintendency -- Records of the New Mexico Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1849-1880, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number T21. Copies are also available at the Denver Regional Archives and the University of Arizona.
 * Northern Superintendency -- Records of the Northern Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1851-1876, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M1166.
 * Oregon Superintendency -- Records of the Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1848-1873, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M2. Copies are also available at the Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle Regional Archives.
 * Southern Superintendency -- Records of the Southern Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1853-1870, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M640.
 * St. Louis Superintendency -- This was the forerunner to the Central Superintendency and operated from 1813 to 1850. Records are included in the records of the Central Superintendency (see above). Copies are also available on microfilm at the University of Arizona.
 * Utah Superintendency -- Records of the Utah Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1853-1874, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M834. Copies are also available at the Denver and San Francisco Regional Archives.
 * Washington Superintendency -- Records of the Washington Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1853-1874, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M5. Copies are also available at the Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle Regional Archives.
 * Western Superintendency
 * Wisconsin Superintendency -- Records of the Wisconsin Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1836-1848, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M951. Copies are also available at the Chicago Regional Archives.
 * Wyoming Superintendency -- Records of the Wyoming Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1870, are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed as their Microcopy Number M1016. Copies are also available at the Denver Regional Archives.