Cherokee census

Question

Looking for information of anyone with the last name of Brooks or Gent in the Cherokee census or rolls

A1 Reference Branch · Answer

kupken 
 Thank you for posting your question on History Hub! 
 The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) does house the historical records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in Record Group 75; we do not have a consolidated index to our records that identifies all individuals, living or deceased, who have Native heritage. 
 For context, NARA is the repository of the permanently valuable historical records of the U.S. government. We have historical records of the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court and federal court system, and Executive Branch agencies. Records are arranged by the federal agency that created them, not by name, subject, or geographic location. We do not have a consolidated index to our records. Please see About the National Archives of the United States and How Records Are Grouped for more information about our holdings. 
 The Indian Census Rolls, 1885&ndash;1940 (Microfilm M595) in the Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Record Group 75) may be a good place to start. These rolls include individuals and families who maintained a formal connection with federally recognized American Indian tribes, although there is not a census for every tribe for every year. For more information about the records, including ways to access them online, see the National Archives page on Indian Census Rolls. 
 When embarking on Native American genealogy, please note that the records in the custody of NARA often only detail those living on the reservations being administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. If an ancestor was Native American and left the reservation or did not have interaction with the United States Government as such, they may not be recorded in NARA's BIA records and tracing their Native American ancestry may be difficult. 
 For more information on individual families found within our Native American records or for tips on genealogical research, please visit our website: Researching an Individual or Family | National Archives or Start Your Genealogy Research | National Archives 
 The Wallace Rolls are digitized and available online through the National Archives Catalog; see the series titled Wallace Roll of Cherokee Freedmen in Indian Territory . The parent series is also available in the National Archives Catalog; see the item titled Revised Copies of the Wallace Rolls, ca. 1890&ndash;ca. 1896 . 
 For more information on the Wallace Rolls, please visit: Wallace Rolls of Cherokee Freedmen in Indian Territory, ca. 1890&ndash;ca. 1896 The Dawes Rolls, which were finalized in approximately 1914, list enrolled members of the Five Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole). 
 The Dawes Rolls are digitized and available online through the National Archives Catalog; see the series titled Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes, 1899&ndash;1914 . An index to the Dawes Rolls is also available in the National Archives Catalog; see the item titled Index to the Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory . 
 The Baker Rolls are digitized and available online through Ancestry.com (database: U.S., Cherokee Baker Roll and Records, 1924&ndash;1929 ) 
 Ancestry is a subscription-based website that is accessible for free at all NARA research facilities nationwide. Many public libraries also offer free access. We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research! 
 Sincerely, Archives 1 Reference Branch RR1R-24-34795-KC