Pension Records of Navajo Indian Scouts

Hello Mr. Clarke,

Some pension files for Navajo Indian Scouts who served after the Civil War have been digitized. Searching "scout" within the series "Case Files of Indian Wars Pension Applications, 1892 - 1926" will bring up all of the Indian Scouts files in that series that have been digitized. Some of the files have titles that denote that the applicant was a Navajo Indian Scout, and you may find it useful to click through to some of the other files to see if there are additional Navajo Indian Scouts as tribal affiliation is not always part of the file title. [Edit: Not all of the Indian Scouts files in this series have been digitized yet.]

It's also possible that there are additional pension files for Navajo Indian Scouts in other series, so you might want to email archives1reference@nara.gov to inquire.

Dear Mr. Clarke,

Thank you for posting your request to History Hub!

Besides the Case Files, National Archives at Washington, DC - Textual Reference (RDT1) also has custody of the record series Records Supporting Claims for Service During the Indian Wars, 1892 - 1931. Question about these records can be referred to archives1reference@nara.gov.

In addition, National Archives at Riverside, California has two series that might be pertinent to your research. Indian Scout Pension Files, ca. 1929 - 1939 contains files for Native Americans who applied through the Phoenix Indian School and Indian Scout Muster Rolls, ca. 1927 - ca. 1927 was compiled to verify scouts' service for eligibility for pensions. It is not clear from the Catalog descriptions of these series which tribes are represented in these records. Questions about these series can be referred to National Archives at Riverside (RW-RS) via their email address riverside.archives@nara.gov.

The National Archives has a number of topic pages and articles on our website that provide information about researching Native American military service such as Military Service Records and Indian Scouts, Companies, and Code Talkers.  An article “Lead the Way: Researching U.S. Army Indian Scouts, 1866–1914” contains a very thorough overview of records in the National Archives relating to Indian Scouts, to include pension files.

Finally, the Navajo Nation Museum might have documentation relating to the service and pensions of Navajo Scouts.  For more information call 928-871-7941, or write the museum at: P.O. Box 1840, Window Rock, AZ 86515.

We hope this information is helpful.  Best of luck in your research!