|
American Indian Genealogy - Dawes Final Rolls
For genealogists tracing their American Indian roots, the Dawes Final Rolls can provide invaluable help in making a connection. Most tribes now have Final Rolls.
The US government caused many troubles for Indians from the days that colonists landed through the 1800s and the Trail of Tears. By the late 1800s, recompense was demanded. In 1887, the General Allotment Act finally gave citizenship and land rights to all Native Americans. The Dawes Commission created Final Rolls (often called the Dawes Rolls) to help document who exactly was considered a "tribe member" in each known tribe.
For example, the Dawes rolls were collected between 1899 and 1906. These rolls only documented those indians who were forceably removed to Oklahoma Territory by the government. This included the Cherokee, Chicksaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole tribes. Each tribe member was documented and assigned a number.
Therefore, tracing your ancestry to a tribe member listed on one of those rolls in essence documents that you are a proven member of that tribe by blood.
Note that simply proving your ancestors were a member of a given tribe does not guarantee YOU re-admission to that tribe. If you are not in fact living on tribal land now, it means that somewhere along the way, one of your ancestors chose to abandon the tribe. The tribe would have to agree that, even though you are no longer a "real" tribe member, you are granted permission to rejoin them.
Search the Dawes Rolls Online
Main Listing Page
All Genealogy Articles
Note - Lisa Shea wrote this content for the genealogy site at BellaOnline.com - you might still find this content there as well. That's fine :) I gave permission!
Lisa Shea Homepage | Advertising Info | Low Carb Recipes | Sangria Recipes | Travelogues | Game Walkthroughs
All content copyright © 2008 Minerva WebWorks LLC. All rights reserved.
You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.
|
