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Genealogy Center Resources |
| Using the Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes |
| Federally Recognized Tribes in Oklahoma |
Indian Research Holdings |
Many people are interested in locating ancestors of American Indian descent. It may be possible to locate American Indian ancestors if they were members of one of the Five Civilized Tribes living in the state of Oklahoma. These tribes developed a relationship with the United States government long before other tribes. Because of this long-standing relationship, tribal records exist for most of the 19th century. These records are available and can be used to discover and document American Indian ancestors.
The five civilized tribes consist of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole tribes. These tribes were removed to Oklahoma in the late 1830's and early 1840's from their homelands in the southeastern United States. (See Map.) Each tribe was given land in what was then known as Indian Territory. (See Map.)
Rolls were taken from the time of arrival in Oklahoma. Some pre-removal rolls exist. Rolls will vary by tribe and date. Information on each roll will also vary depending on the reason the roll was taken. Some rolls are only lists of names.
Between 1898-1906, the Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes were taken to determine individuals who qualified for membership in the tribes. This roll is what is used today to determine tribal enrollment. Staring with the Final Rolls, genealogist can locate ancestors who enrolled as members of one of the five tribes.
To use the Final Rolls, determine the name of an ancestor who was living in Indian Territory between 1898-1906. It is helpful if you know the approximate age of the ancestor at that time. If the ancestor was an adult, it is also helpful to know the name of a husband or wife. If they were children, parents' names will be helpful. This information will help verify the correct family on the rolls. If you are not sure of the age of your ancestor or other names of family members, try first to locate the family on the 1900 federal census for Indian Territory. The census will also tell you where the ancestor was living at the time.
Using the index to the Final Rolls, locate the ancestor's name by tribe. Each tribe is divided into groups. The "blood" section will be members with Indian blood. The "minor" and "newborn" sections are names of children who enrolled. The "by marriage" section will be the names of whites who were married to tribal members and the "freedmen" will be the names of the former slave families who were adopted into the tribes.
Once you have determined the tribe, check the appropriate section for your ancestor. The index will give the ancestor's roll number. Next, go to the rolls using the same tribe and group that were used in the index. The rolls are in numerical order by roll number. Locate your ancestor's roll number. Here you should find the name, age, sex, blood and census card number for your ancestor. The census cards were the enrollment cards that were filled out for each family member who enrolled. Besides names of other family members, census cards contain the name of the father and mother of each individual, the former slave owner's name of the freedmen families, the place of residence of the family and earlier rolls that the family was listed on. These census cards will help connect to earlier rolls of the tribe.
The information on the census card was taken from the application made by each enrollee. Applications exist for both accepted and rejected applicants. These are available at the Genealogy Center. The Genealogy Center has copies of both the Final Rolls, the census cards and applications.
Using the rolls and records created for and by the Five Civilized Tribes can be a great help to genealogists. These sources can be rich in information and can assist researchers in locating and documenting ancestors who were members of the Five Civilized Tribes.