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The Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes or "Dawes Rolls" were taken between the years of 1898 and 1906 for individuals who were eligible for enrollment among the five civilized tribes. The five civilized tribes consisted of the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Seminole. Enrollment was done for people living in Indian Territory within the tribal nations. Early tribal rolls were used to help determine who was eligible for enrollment. The earlier rolls were used to help document age, family relationships, etc. since no birth certificates were available.
Starting Your Research
Before using the rolls, it will be helpful if you know the following information.
1.The name of the person who was living with the tribe in Indian Territory and who was alive during the time of enrollment. (1898-1906)
2.Place where the person lived in Indian Territory.
3.Approximate age of the person.
4.Names of parents, children, spouse, etc.
Arrangement of the Rolls
The rolls consist of three parts; the index, roll books and the census cards. You will need to use all three parts to locate an individual who was placed on the rolls. Categories for enrollment were "by blood", "new born", "minor", "by marriage," and "freedmen". The "by blood" category will include those who had Indian blood. "Newborn" and "minor" will include young children of Indian or freedman parents. "By marriage" will be people (usually white) married to Indians. The abbreviation, "IW" may be used to refer to this group of enrollees. "IW" stands for intermarried whites. "Freedmen" enrollees will be the former slaves of the Indians who were adopted into the tribes. These individuals will not have Indian blood, but were allowed to enroll because they had been adopted into the tribe.
Using the Index
Start with the index to determine the individual's roll number. To use the index, choose the tribe and category within the tribe where the individual should be located. Go to the page where that category begins in the index. The names will be listed there, but they are not in true alphabetical order. Check for the name. When you have located the name, the individual's roll number will be listed across from their name. Record the tribe, category and roll number before moving on to the roll books.
Using the Roll Books
To use the roll books, start at the front and once again locate the tribe and category you used in the index. Find the page number for that section and turn to that page. You will notice that now the names are listed in numerical order by the roll number. Locate the individual's roll number. The name, age, sex, degree of blood and census card number will follow the roll number. Again, record the tribe, category and census card number.
Using the Census Cards
At this point, you will need to consult the census cards which are on microfilm. The information found on the census cards was taken from the individual's actual application for enrollment. To locate the census card, find the microfilm roll that contains the correct tribe, category and census card number for your individual. Roll the microfilm to the census card number. The cards will have a number in the top right hand corner of the card.
For blood citizens, "minors", "newborns" and "by marriage" enrollees, the census card will give parents' names, place of residence, age, family members, etc. For persons listed on "freedmen" cards, two cards exist for each enrollee. Along with the above information, the names of former slave owners will be found on the second card.
Other information included on the census cards deals with the enrollment process. This may include earlier rolls the person was listed on, marriage dates, birth dates, and possibly a death date if someone died before the enrollment was finalized. Reference will be made to new born cards if a child was born during the enrollment process. Other census card numbers may be listed that refer to other family members.
If individuals applied for enrollment who were not qualified for enrollment, they will have an "R" in front of their card number. Example: R358. This means that their application was "rejected" and they were not allowed to enroll.
In an individual made application and other evidence or documentation was required for full enrollment, their cards may have a "D" in front of the number. Example: D358. These applications were considered "doubtful" pending further proof. These doubtful applications were sometimes changed to rejected cards or if sufficient proof was made, the applications were approved for full enrollment. Notes on the "R" and "D" cards will lead you to other cards if the applications were approved or rejected.
Copies of the census cards should be made. This information is what is required for current enrollment in one of the Five Civilized Tribes. Applications for current enrollment must also include documentation for each generation back to the individual who was actually enrolled on the Final Rolls.
Dawes Roll Applications
Microfilm copies of the application files are available in the Genealogy Center. You’ll need to know the tribe and census card number to locate the file. Photocopies of the applications can be made for 10 cents a page.
