Seminole

Surnames Boyd to Byars

This document contains genealogical statements regarding various individuals and families of Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Mississippi Choctaw descent who sought recognition and enrollment in tribal rolls. The records, primarily from 1909 reports, detail claimants’ ancestry, enrollment issues, and tribal affiliations. Many individuals were denied enrollment due to factional disputes, legal technicalities, or failure to apply within deadlines. The document includes references to official reports and affidavits, offering insights into the complexities of Native American citizenship and land rights during the early 20th century.

Surnames Camp to Cummins

This document contains genealogical statements regarding various individuals and families of Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Mississippi Choctaw descent who sought recognition and enrollment in tribal rolls. The records, primarily from 1909 reports, detail claimants’ ancestry, enrollment issues, and tribal affiliations. Many individuals were denied enrollment due to factional disputes, legal technicalities, or failure to apply within deadlines. The document includes references to official reports and affidavits, offering insights into the complexities of Native American citizenship and land rights during the early 20th century.

Surnames Abbott to Austin

This document contains genealogical statements regarding various individuals and families of Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Mississippi Choctaw descent who sought recognition and enrollment in tribal rolls. The records, primarily from 1909 reports, detail claimants’ ancestry, enrollment issues, and tribal affiliations. Many individuals were denied enrollment due to factional disputes, legal technicalities, or failure to apply within deadlines. The document includes references to official reports and affidavits, offering insights into the complexities of Native American citizenship and land rights during the early 20th century.

Report of Secretary Ballinger, February 1910

This letter from the Department of the Interior, dated February 12, 1910, addresses concerns about the enrollment process of the Five Civilized Tribes—Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole. It discusses the legislative history governing the tribal rolls, issues related to the March 4, 1907, enrollment deadline, and complaints regarding rejected applications. The letter outlines various proposals to reopen the rolls or reconsider specific cases but ultimately advises against a general reopening, recommending only limited revisions for certain groups, including minors, orphans, and those whose applications were delayed.

Report of W. C. Pollock, January 15, 1912

This document is a report by W. C. Pollock, dated January 15, 1912, concerning the enrollment of citizens and freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes. Pollock was tasked with investigating claims that eligible individuals were omitted from the final rolls. The report, addressed to the Secretary of the Interior, outlines the methods used to identify such individuals, including collaboration with the Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes, field investigations, and examinations of relevant records. It highlights the challenges and findings, listing those who might have been wrongly excluded, and suggests provisions for adding omitted names to the rolls.

Report of J. George Wright, Proposing to Extend the Act of February 6, 1901

This letter, dated November 3, 1909, from the Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes in Muskogee, Oklahoma, addresses a proposed bill by Senator Clapp seeking to extend the provisions of a 1901 law to Choctaw and Chickasaw citizens. The Commissioner outlines concerns about reopening the enrollment process, citing past fraudulent claims and the inefficiency of prior legal proceedings. He opposes the bill but suggests limited legislative action to enroll 52 individuals whose applications were wrongfully omitted. The letter also references broader enrollment disputes, including rejected applications and pending legal cases, particularly among Choctaw and Chickasaw freedmen.

Report Relating to the Enrollment of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes

This report, compiled by Joseph W. Howell on March 3, 1909, addresses the complex process of enrolling citizens and freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in accordance with various acts of Congress and treaties. Submitted to the Secretary of the Interior, the report meticulously evaluates the claims of individuals asserting rights to land and monetary benefits associated with tribal distributions. Howell discusses the historical and legal challenges that arose during and after the enrollment process, which officially concluded on March 4, 1907. The report sheds light on the intricate legal and administrative issues encountered, revealing the difficulties in accurately identifying rightful beneficiaries amidst widespread legal and political debates. Howell’s detailed account emphasizes the importance of this work, outlining both the procedural undertakings and the broader implications for the tribes and their members, suggesting further actions to address unresolved issues and ensure equitable treatment of all claimants.

Report of Secretary Adams, July 17, 1912

The document is a report from the Department of the Interior, dated July 17, 1912, addressed to Hon. John H. Stephens, Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs. It discusses H.R. 22334, a bill concerning the enrollment of certain persons omitted from the final rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes by March 4, 1907. The report details three classes of persons with claims to enrollment, references previous reports by the department, and comments on sections of the bill related to the sale of unallotted lands and the distribution of tribal funds. It is signed by First Assistant Secretary Samuel Adams and approved by Secretary Walter L. Fisher.

Political and Social Conditions which followed Removal to the Indian Territory

Subsequent Effect Of Same Upon Citizenship Matters The removal of a whole nation from one portion of the country to a remote region difficult of access during the period of 20 year which preceded the Civil War and the reestablishment of that nation after such removal, necessarily had a demoralizing effect upon the institutions and governments of the people affected. This result was accentuated by the fact that the work of removal was accomplished by the Government of the United States, not at any one time, not within the period agreed upon in the treaty. but” throughout a long period … Read more

The Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma

Há-tchoo-túc-knee, Snapping Turtle, a Half-breed, George Catlin, 1834

This manuscript has been extracted from Congressional records relating to relief of specific individuals of the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma. If one of your ancestors was rejected or added to the rolls of any of the five civilized tribes in Oklahoma, you should peruse the information here. It contains a lot of case work involving specific Native Americans and those that attempted to prove themselves as part of the five civilized tribes in Oklahoma.

Half Indian blood and Incompetent

The following are cases of claimants who never made application for enrollment within the time fixed by law, but who are of half Indian blood or more and incompetent to look after their own interests. The attention of the department was directed to these cases as indicated herein.

Facts Covering Meritorious Cases

This list includes individuals, primarily full-blood Native Americans, who appeared before Judge Pollock in relation to meritorious claims concerning their rights, likely tied to land ownership or tribal citizenship. The names encompass adults and minors, many of whom are members of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations. These individuals were expected to be included in a report submitted to a congressional committee, reflecting their legal status and potential eligibility for land or other benefits under relevant treaties and laws.

List 1, Seminoles

List of persons apparently entitled to enrollment in the Seminole Nation, but whose names were omitted because no application was made or by reason of mistake or oversight. Shows the names of 8 persons, all children, living March 4. 1905, the date fixed by the act approved March 3, 1905 (33 Stat. 1048, 1071), authorizing the enrollment of Seminole children.

Conditions which Arose During the Course of the Enrollment Work

At the conclusion of the enrollment work on March 4, 1907, the process was far from complete, resulting in significant confusion and ongoing litigation. The Department of the Interior faced a complex situation, as it had to balance the enrollment of citizens and freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes with numerous other responsibilities, such as allotting tribal lands, resolving land contests, segregating town sites, and managing rights of way for infrastructure projects. These tasks, combined with the necessity of creating and enforcing regulations, significantly constrained the time available for enrollment work. Additionally, the administrative and legal challenges, coupled with the pressures from various stakeholders, highlighted the impracticality of the March 4 deadline and its resultant injustices.

Conditions In Indian Territory Prior to the Making of the Rolls

This text discusses the legal and historical aspects of land titles held by the Five Civilized Tribes, particularly the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations, after their forced removal to Indian Territory. It examines treaties, such as the 1820 and 1830 agreements, which influenced land ownership rights. The document outlines claims by individuals of Choctaw and Chickasaw descent regarding their rights to land, the legal interpretations of these claims, and congressional involvement. Additionally, it highlights the difficulties of removal, tribal policies toward returning members, and later legal decisions impacting tribal land ownership.

Acts of Special Character

The Choctaw and Chickasaw Agreement, ratified in 1902, significantly impacted tribal enrollment processes, particularly by restricting new applications after a set deadline. It also established the Choctaw and Chickasaw Citizenship Court to review prior enrollment decisions, leading to the controversial Riddle case, which nullified many previous rulings. Similarly, the Cherokee Agreement of 1902 maintained enrollment limitations and faced legal disputes over application deadlines and roll confirmations.

Seminole Indian Tribe

The term semanóle, or isti simanóle, signifies separatist or runaway, and as a tribal name points to the Indians who left the Creek, especially the Lower Creek settlements, for Florida, to live, hunt and fish there in entire independence. The term does not mean wild, savage, as frequently stated; if applied now in this sense to animals, it is because of its original meaning, “what has become a runaway”: pínua simanóle wild turkey (cf. pín-apúiga domesticated turkey), tchu-áta semanóli, antelope, literally, “goat turned runaway, wild,” from tchu-áta, ítchu háta goat, lit., “bleating deer.” The present Seminoles of Florida call themselves … Read more

Seminole Indian History

The history of the Seminole is very well known in outline, and much has been written regarding our famous Seminole War; yet it is evident that much remains to be said, on the Indian side at least, before we can have a clear understanding of the Seminole society and Seminole history. The name, as is well known, is applied by the Creeks to people who remove from populous towns and live by themselves, and it is commonly stated that the Seminole consisted of “runaways” and outlaws from the Creek Nation proper. A careful study of their history, however, shows this … Read more