FINAL ROLLS USED TO ALLOCATE INDIAN LANDS
(Please be aware this post was written in 2003 and published at that time in the Houston Chronicle (Houston, Texas) newspaper. Some of the news in this post, therefore, may not be current. Current and future posts on this blog may revisit and update news on this and other posts on this blog. If you have questions and/or suggestions, please send Mic a note using the comment page -Don’t forget to use the orange “subscribe” button to receive new posts-Thanks, Mic)
Headed by Henry L. Dawes, the Dawes Commission, was established in 1893 by President Grover Cleveland to negotiate with the Five Civilized Tribes the abolishment of their tribal governments.
Once the tribal governments were abolished the commission was to provide for the allotment of over 20 Million acres of land to tribal members and allow the surplus land which laid west of the 96th meridian available for settlement to non-Native Americans.
The Five Civilized Tribes were considered by the US Government to be the Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole and 197 Delaware adopted into the Cherokee tribe.
In order to provide for the equitable allotment of land among the tribes the Dawes Commission was empowered to examine all applications of persons applying for citizenship and determine the right of that applicant to be admitted and enrolled.
Then, as now, and as with any society, there was division among tribal members. Some members accepted the theory of allotment and others resented it. Some refused to participate and did not apply for tribal citizenship. Those not applying and those not presenting an acceptable application were refused citizenship in the tribal nation and did not receive an allotment of land.
The lists created by the Dawes Commission are known as the Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory. These lists were the single basis for one’s eligibility for land allotment. Because of the rigorous application procedures involving proof of blood and tribal affiliation the Final Rolls are also the basis for the official identification of degrees of blood among the Five Civilized Tribes.
The Commission received approximately 250,000 applications for citizenship. Of that number only 101,211 were found acceptable by the commission to share in the properties of the Five Civilized Tribes. About one fourth of the total number of those accepted were considered Full Blood.
The Commission enrolled individuals as citizens of a tribe based on the following categories: Citizens By Blood; Citizens By Marriage- those married to a citizen prior to 1877; New Born Citizens By Blood-those born between 1902 and 1906 whose parents were enrolled or had applications pending; Minor Citizens By Blood- those eligible children born in 1906; Freedmen- former slaves of Native Americans or their descendants; and Minor Freedmen-children of Freedmen who were born after 1902.
Most Final Rolls list citizens by name, age, sex, degree of Indian blood plus their census enrollment card number. The census enrollment card, not a part of the Final Rolls, lists families including father, mother and children as a family group with the same information previously stated.
The Final Rolls are arranged first by tribe, second by citizenship classification and then by census enrollment card number. Thus many persons are listed numerically by enrollment number were accepted at the same time and happen to be listed with family members with whom they lived during the enrolling period.
The Index to the Final Rolls is arranged by tribal affiliation, then by citizenship category and then alphabetically by name. Included with the name is the individual enrollment number of that citizen.
Those researchers interested in obtaining a copy of the rare 1907 United States Government publications, The Final Rolls and The Index to the Final Rolls, will be happy to learn the Genealogical Publishing Company has recently reprinted both books. Combined the two hard bound volumes contain 1269 pages and sell for $130.50, postpaid. They are available from the publisher, GPC, at 1001 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202.
Having an ancestor on the Dawes Roll is the only way to gain citizenship in some of the tribes today, particularly, the Cherokee. As previously noted not all Native Americans of the Five Civilized Tribes chose to be members of their tribal Nation. Descendants of those choosing not to apply or who did not present an acceptable application to the Dawes Commission will have a difficult time proving Native American ancestry.
In cases where an ancestor is not listed on the Final Rolls one may use a number of other rolls, lists and other documents to prove Native American ancestry, but, not tribal citizenship. Houston’s Clayton Library, the National Archives in Fort Worth and the Oklahoma Historical Society are some of the best places to research Native American ancestry.
LEARN GENEALOGY
Offered by Leisure Learning, Trevia Wooster Beverly will teach an introductory course on conducting family history research. Roots of Genealogy-How To Research Your Family Tree will be held from 7 P.M. to 10 P.M. Wednesday November 5 at Leisure Learning’s 2990 Richmond Avenue campus. The following week the class will tour Clayton Genealogical Library and conduct on-site census research.
Registration for this class is $35 which includes a printed class handout. For more information and to register, contact Leisure Learning at 713-529-4414.
