Cherokee rolls
Cherokee rolls
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You may want to begin your search by using the Eastern Cherokee Census Rolls, 1835–1884 (Microfilm M1773). These records are digitized in the Catalog ( https://catalog.archives.gov/ ). Please note that the Eastern Cherokee Census Rolls only document individuals who maintained a formal affiliation with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Please note, that census rolls do not exist for every tribe for every year and only document enrolled members of federally recognized tribes.
If you believe your ancestor was a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, if you have not already checked Ancestry's database "Oklahoma and Indian Territory, U.S., Indian Censuses and Rolls, 1851–1959" it may be beneficial for your research. This database includes Cherokee Nation censuses from the 1880s and 1890s.
For more information on the Indian Census Rolls, please see our website: https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/census/research-indian-census.html
It may also be beneficial for you to check the Dawes Rolls. The Dawes Rolls, and their associated enrollment cards and applications, have been digitized and made available online through the National Archives catalog. ( https://catalog.archives.gov ). Our catalog is free to access from home. Please see the Dawes tutorial on our website ( https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/dawes/tutorial/intro.html ) for more information on using our catalog to find Dawes-related records.
When using the catalog, you could search further by using the “Advanced Search” feature and search for “75” in the Record Group Number/Collection ID field (which signifies the records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs). Please be mindful that there is no simple way to begin nor is there a single list of everyone of Native American Heritage. Records of Native Americans maintained and housed by NARA are generally records of those that live on reservations or are being administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. These records are scattered throughout multiple series, record groups, and even NARA facilities. It is also possible that records may be difficult to trace if your ancestors left the reservation or did not have any interaction with the federal government.
Consequently, tracing Native Americans can be very difficult. Please keep in mind that there are well over 500 tribes today, and those are only the ones that are recognized by the Federal government. The only Federal records that exist are for those people who were part of a recognized tribe, lived together with their tribe, and were under the supervision of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). it is possible that there may not be any records for your ancestor.
We invite you to continue the conversation with community members on History Hub, but should you have follow-up questions for the staff at Archives 1, please email us at archives1reference@nara.gov so that we can assist you further.
We hope this assists you with your research!
Sincerely,
Archives 1 Reference Branch
[RR1R-24-56552-CW]
Thank you for posting your question on History Hub!
You may want to begin your search by using the Eastern Cherokee Census Rolls, 1835–1884 (Microfilm M1773). These records are digitized in the Catalog ( https://catalog.archives.gov/ ). Please note that the Eastern Cherokee Census Rolls only document individuals who maintained a formal affiliation with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Please note, that census rolls do not exist for every tribe for every year and only document enrolled members of federally recognized tribes.
If you believe your ancestor was a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, if you have not already checked Ancestry's database "Oklahoma and Indian Territory, U.S., Indian Censuses and Rolls, 1851–1959" it may be beneficial for your research. This database includes Cherokee Nation censuses from the 1880s and 1890s.
For more information on the Indian Census Rolls, please see our website: https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/census/research-indian-census.html
It may also be beneficial for you to check the Dawes Rolls. The Dawes Rolls, and their associated enrollment cards and applications, have been digitized and made available online through the National Archives catalog. ( https://catalog.archives.gov ). Our catalog is free to access from home. Please see the Dawes tutorial on our website ( https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/dawes/tutorial/intro.html ) for more information on using our catalog to find Dawes-related records.
When using the catalog, you could search further by using the “Advanced Search” feature and search for “75” in the Record Group Number/Collection ID field (which signifies the records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs). Please be mindful that there is no simple way to begin nor is there a single list of everyone of Native American Heritage. Records of Native Americans maintained and housed by NARA are generally records of those that live on reservations or are being administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. These records are scattered throughout multiple series, record groups, and even NARA facilities. It is also possible that records may be difficult to trace if your ancestors left the reservation or did not have any interaction with the federal government.
Consequently, tracing Native Americans can be very difficult. Please keep in mind that there are well over 500 tribes today, and those are only the ones that are recognized by the Federal government. The only Federal records that exist are for those people who were part of a recognized tribe, lived together with their tribe, and were under the supervision of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). it is possible that there may not be any records for your ancestor.
We invite you to continue the conversation with community members on History Hub, but should you have follow-up questions for the staff at Archives 1, please email us at archives1reference@nara.gov so that we can assist you further.
We hope this assists you with your research!
Sincerely,
Archives 1 Reference Branch
[RR1R-24-56552-CW]
