Compiled by Edward E. Hill, 1965
The National Archives in Washington, D. C., holds much of the original Bureau of Indian Affairs records for Indians. These original records must be viewed in person at the National Archives.
Introduction ... Table of Contents ... Appendix I-III
... Index: A-Em ... Em-Mo
... Mo-Z
Entries: 1-74 ... 75-120 ... 121-197 ... 198-284 ... 285-355 ... 356-443 ... 444-521 ... 522-576 ... 577-643 ... 644-711 ... 712-784 ... 785-860 ... 861-940 ... 941-998 ... 999-1040 ... 1041-1112 ... 1113-1182 ... 1183-1243 ... 1244-1362 ... 1363-1401
The Division of Extension and Industry was established on December 5, 1930, as a successor to the Industries Section of the Administrative Division (formerly the Education Division). At first it was known as the Division of Agricultural Extension and Industry, and it was often called simply the Extension Division. Beginning about 1948 there was a series of changes in its name. Its activities since 1955 have been part of those of the Branch of Land Operations.
The Division was organized to render assistance to Indians in solving home and economic problems. It gave instruction and guidance by means of classes, demonstrations, visits, and work supervision. The Division promoted 4-H Club activities for young people; and it cooperated in experimental work. It also had charge of the extension of credit to Indians. In 1941 the Rehabilitation Division (in charge of WPA projects) was merged with the Extension Division.
Among the objectives of the Division were improvement in quality and quantity of crops and livestock, soil improvement, weed control, improved farm management, and better marketing methods. During the war its major concern was to increase food production. In the home extension area, it was concerned mainly with food conservation, nutrition, clothing, sanitation, and living expense budgets.
A Director of Extension and Industry (for many years, A. C. Cooley) was in charge of the Division. Agricultural Extension Agents or regular agency superintendents were in charge of extension work at the individual agencies. There were also Home Extension Agents, Farm Agents, farmers, stockmen, dairymen, and other field employees.
There are other records concerning Indian extension activities among the central classified files of the Bureau (entry 121); among the records of the Rehabilitation Division; and in Record Croup 33, Records of the Federal Extension Service.
1932-39. 8 vols. 1 ft.
Typed copies of reports submitted by the Director of Extension and Industry to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. They contain narrative statements, statistical tables, and photographs. Arranged chronologically.
1932-34. 1/2 in.
Letters sent from the Salt Lake City office to the Washington office, sometimes enclosing copies of letters received from field workers and copies of letters sent to field workers concerning the submission and correction of reports. Arranged chronologically. Similar letters are with the reports (entries
788-791).
1933-50.
Arranged in alphabetical order by name of agency or reservation with general records and an index at the beginning. Content and volume vary considerably across agencies with records for the Navajo, Pine Ridge, and Wind River reservations being the most extensive. Much of this series was withdrawn from the Central Classified Files, especially the (916) and (919) decimal codes. Indexes listing CCF files for certain agencies are attached. The major topics are: farming, stock raising, housekeeping, and home extension. Common are annual narrative reports prepared by extension agents regarding the progress of programs on reservations. TC-BIA "Reconnaissance Surveys" are another recurring document, prepared by the Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service. (See Entry 797F for a more comprehensive collection of these surveys). Records relating to fairs held on reservations, excerpts from "supervisor's report on jurisdiction visits", and copies of tribal minutes and resolutions related to extension activities are included. There are also detailed reports on particular projects such as the Pine River Project under the Consolidate Ute agency. Maps and photographs supplement the textual records. (new entry)
1942-48. 1/2 in.
Chiefly office memoranda. Included are some correspondence, minutes of staff meetings, and other records concerning coordination of activities, credit extension procedures, the Doane Agricultural
Service, and other pertinent subjects. Arranged by subject and thereunder chronologically.
1930-34. 12 ft.
Annual, monthly, and weekly narrative and statistical reports from field officials concerning extension work, with incoming and outgoing correspondence concerning the submission and correction of reports. There are also some annual work programs. Many photographs and sometimes other items are included with the reports. There are some reports and correspondence for 1928, 1929, and 1935. Arranged alphabetically by name of agency or other jurisdiction. For the most part the annual reports are separated from the monthly and weekly reports, and each type of report is arranged in rough chronological order. The correspondence is scattered among the reports. For later reports (including the 1934 annual reports), see entries
789-791. For other similar correspondence, see entry 786. There are also other reports with the central classified files of the Bureau (entry
121).
1934-43. 5 ft.
Statistical and narrative reports from field officials concerning extension work, mainly for 1934, and work programs, mainly for 1935. Many photographs, including negatives, are attached. There are also transmittal letters and sometimes other correspondence. There are a few records dated earlier than 1934. Arranged alphabetically by name of agency or other jurisdiction. For earlier annual reports, see entry
788. There are also annual reports with the central classified files of the Bureau (entry
121).
Mar. 1937-Jan. 1938. 4 in.
Consist of standard forms with notations of daily activities, narrative statements, and statistical information. Arranged alphabetically by name of agency and thereunder chronologically. Except for the Tongue River Agency, there are no reports for agencies with names beginning with the letters L-Z.
1938. 2 ft.
Combined statistical and narrative reports submitted by extension workers at agencies and schools. Included are some transmittal letters and lists of delinquent reports. The reports are arranged alphabetically by name of jurisdiction and thereunder for the most part chronologically.
1933-34. 2 ft.
Included are final survey reports submitted by agency superintendents, weekly progress reports, reports on Indians owning no land,
maps, letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, and circulars. The purpose of the survey, which was conducted with Civil Works Administration funds, was to collect information concerning population, education, employment, relief assistance, family income, housing facilities, food and clothing, land, agricultural produce, livestock, farming equipment, and other aspects of the Indians' social and economic conditions. There are some records relating to a later survey conducted by the National Resources Board (see entry
793). Arranged alphabetically by name of agency, with some general records at the beginning of the series.
1934-35. 1 ft.
Reports, completed forms, letters received, copies of letters sent, worksheets, and other records relating to a survey made by the Indian Land Unit of the National Resources Board. The survey was conducted to assist in planning a land acquisition program for Indians. The records give information concerning population, income needed for an adequate standard of living, wages earned by Indians, potential annual production of reservations, present use of lands, unentered surplus land, estimated cost of land system, and other pertinent matters. The information concerns both enrolled and unenrolled Indians. Arranged alphabetically by name of State and thereunder alphabetically by name of agency. See also the records of the earlier social and economic survey (entry
792).
1932. 1 in.
Completed forms, submitted by agency superintendents, indicating the kinds and amounts of noxious weeds on Indian reservations. Included is a tabulation of the results of the survey, dated February 2, 1934.
194l. 2 in.
Completed forms, submitted by agency officials, indicating the kinds and amounts of noxious weeds on Indian reservations. Included are letters of transmittal and some maps and copies of letters sent. Arranged by State.
1939. 1 in.
A narrative report prepared by Agricultural Extension Agent Ralph
Gelvin. Included are photographs, maps, tables, and mimeographed
copies of the tribal constitution and charter.
1939-42, 1950-53. 2 in.
Copies of letters sent, memoranda, mimeographed procedural and reference material, sample forms, drafts of regulations, and other records. The 1950-53 records relate chiefly to the obtaining and
distributing of copies of processed materials. There are some copies of processed items dated earlier than
1939. Arranged for the most part by subject or kind of record and thereunder chronologically. For many other records concerning Alaskan reindeer, see the records of the Alaska Division.
1939-51.
Arranged in alphabetical order by name of agency with miscellaneous records at the beginning. This is essentially an accretion to Entry 786A with the content being somewhat more recent. There is a collection of photographs relating to the cattle industry (possibly fragments from another series). Also included are "Food for Freedom" pamphlets relating to Indian agricultural production for the war effort. The pamphlets date from January 1942 to October 1946. There are also annual reports of extension activities. Unique to this series are reports entitled "Bar Charts Showing Results of Extension Work". These were generally submitted in 1947 for various agencies across a multi-year time frame. (new entry)
1933-43.
Arranged in rough chronological order. Consists of correspondence, memoranda, and reports of the Interdepartmental Rio Grande Committee (later Board). It was created in January 1937 jointly by the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture in order "to give permanent relief to the native rural population of the Upper Rio Grande watershed and correct the destructive misuse of the lands in the area". Earlier records of the Rio Grande Advisory Committee, predecessor to the Board, are included. There are collections of minutes of the Board's meetings. Some files focus on a specific project initiated by the Board, e.g. "Land Acquisition - Tewa Basin" or "Flood Control - Elephant Butte". There are also records on proposed legislation, petitions signed by Indians against certain policies, publications of the National Resources Planning Board, participation in state and county planning, etc. Significant is a summary, dated December 1941, of the Board's recommendations and actions. There are few records present for 1942-43 reflecting the prominence of war activities. (new entry)
ca. 1933-50.
Unarranged. A collection of statistical reports, memoranda, and correspondence related to soil conservation activities on the Navajo reservation. Beyond soil conservation, the reports deal with the related issue of over-all economic development among the Navajos and reducing their reliance on livestock raising. Numerous plans and initiatives were suggested and assessments made in that regard. Included are memoranda of understanding reflecting the cooperation between the BIA and the Soil Conservation Service. The correspondence is largely between headquarters and field officials based in Window Rock, AZ. There is also some correspondence from citizens asking for assistance on erosion control problems. Also included is a report by various non-governmental organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, that highlight the Navajo's economic problems and critique BIA policy. (new entry)
1933-46.
Unarranged. Consists principally of surveys of reservations conducted by the BIA and the TC-BIA unit of the Soil Conservation Service. There are both "Reports of Physical Surveys" that focus on more technical matters such as agricultural land and range land soil quality (primarily in Nevada) and others that focus on the socioeconomic conditions of tribes. Included is a "Report on Status of Surveys" which summarizes the progress of the TC-BIA program through the fall of 1937. There is also a file of correspondence "relating to agreements covering work by the Soil Conservation Service on Indian lands" from 1933-36; letters relating to Soil and Moisture Conservation Operations maintained by Walter Woehlke of the BIA; miscellaneous records relating to New Mexican land controversies; and a proposed conservation plan for the Teddy Roosevelt Indian School Farm. [The somewhat disorganized nature of this and related series is partly explained by a memo from Commissioner Provinse that ordered the gathering of all TC-BIA and related SCS records that had become dispersed under the custody of SMCO.] (new entry)
1933-55.
Essentially unarranged, with similar subjects grouped together. Correspondence files of the Chief of the Soil Conservation Branch, Evan Flory, from the late 1940s to 1951 are included. Also included are: summary data from 1949-50 on Soil and Moisture Conservation activities; the Southwest Field Committee's report for Senator Kerr; files of correspondence, memoranda, and reports for various officials; reports relating to fact-finding trips; and reservation or agency-specific files. These latter especially contain detailed statistics, maps, and photographs with a broad time frame. At the end, perhaps out of place, are two 1941 proposals for transfering the functions of the Soil Conservation Service under Reorganization Plan Number 4. (new entry)
1936-39.
Arranged roughly into three sub-series, thereunder alphabetically. The first sub-series, by far the largest, consists of Reconnaissance Surveys which were concise, preliminary investigations, containing recommendations, to determine the kind and intensity of future technical surveys. Only reservations in the Far West are represented. The second consists of varied reports, sometimes from several states, all bound together. For example: the binder for California and Arizona contains a report on range and erosion, Reconnaissance Surveys, and socioeconomic reports among others. There are also wildlife surveys and a few "Range Management Plans" complete with maps, charts, and photographs. The third sub-series consists of Human Dependency and Economic Surveys. These were lengthy, more narrative, and focused on socioeconomic issues. This series includes a more comprehensive set of TC-BIA Reconnaissance Surveys than in is found in Entry 786A. (new entry)
ca. 1942-46.
Arranged into two sub-series. This indexed a reference collection maintained at the SMCO Division's office. Although compiled in the 1940s, the content goes back to the 1920s. The first sub-series is arranged alphabetically by name of agency or reservation. Each typewritten card provides information on either a publication or on tribal constitutions, by-laws, or corporate charters. All cards list the agency and reservation or other subdivision at the upper right. For cards focusing on publications, at the upper left are: full title, author (generally a federal agency but sometimes an individual), year released, and serial or file number (if any). A synopsis of the publication follows which is so detailed that the back of the card is sometimes used. For cards focusing on tribal information, at the upper left is listed the title and when ratified. The synopsis here lists the articles of the constitution or the chapters of the charter. The second sub-series, much smaller, is arranged alphabetically by name of state or topic such as hydrology or stockwater development. The cards furnish essentially the same information as the first sub-series. There is a somewhat inaccurate checklist of agencies at the beginning. (new entry)
1944-57.
Arranged in rough chronological order. The series is largely extracted from the Central Classified Files, especially decimal file (031) - "Annual Reports". For the years 1944 to 1950 they are usually filed in binders based on regions with the exception of loose reports from the Eastern Cherokees and Mississippi Choctaws. Common in the 1940s are the annual program estimates, consisting largely of Form SC 201 "Request for Approval of Program". There is very little narrative content with these, the correspondence centers on approval of the forwarded forms by Chief of SMCO. Common to all annual reports from the 1940s is Form SC 401 "Annual Report of Soil and Moisture Conservation Activities and Practices" which gave detailed statistics on accomplishments and costs. At the front of each file is a Form SC 401 for the region as a whole. Within the files are narrative reports for agencies or reservations along with transferring correspondence. All facets of SMC activities are covered, including range management, irrigation, reforestation, fish and wildlife, and noxious weed control. The reports are supplemented by maps, charts, newspaper clippings, and photographs. At the front of each are signed concurrences by BIA experts, the superintendent, and head of the tribal council. Starting in 1951 the format changes - reports are under separate cover for each reservation, with an aggregate reports for each area office. After 1949, Forms 201 and 401 are less common, the reports become more narrative with more photographs included. Records for 1957 are incomplete. (new entry)
1946-50.
Arranged in rough chronological order. Series includes: lists of proposed projects along with brief descriptions; post-war public work requests with estimates and justifications; Forms SC 402 "Summary of Expenditures and Unliquidated Obligations By Project Areas" submitted by the various regions; revisions to budgets; and funding requests for SMCO projects sent from the field. Many of these bear annotations, apparently they were working papers of Evan Flory, chief of the Branch of Soil Conservation. There is a separate file detailing the budgetary situation on the Navajo-Hopi reservation. Significant amounts of budget-related correspondence are found throughout. Although the bulk of the records are from the early post-war period, there are also budget increase summaries and tables from the early 1940s. (new entry)
1944-55.
Arranged alphabetically by name of agency or reservation. The bulk of the series consists of 10-Year Post-War Reservation Plans sometimes supplemented by information on the plan's soil and moisture conservation aspects. For example, the file for Grande Ronde-Siletz contains a schedule of SMCO projects listing costs for 1946-50. For the Five Civilized Tribes, attached to the plans is the report "Personnel Needed for 10-Year SMCO Program on Five Tribes" as well as extensive correspondence. On occasion, an SMCO Narrative Section is included. The reservations in the Portland Area most consistently feature supplementary SMCO information. However, for many only the 10-Year Plans are present. For a complete collection of 10-Year Plans see A-1 Entry 1014J. (new entry)
1957-72.
Arranged into two sub-series, thereunder chronologically. There are Soil and Moisture Conservation Annual Reports for 1957, 1958, and 1963 from all area offices and reservations with SMC programs. These mirror the reports in Entry 797H. These consist almost exclusively of Form 401 or Form 5-302 which were highly-detailed statistical reports. There is little narrative content. The second sub-series comprises Annual Narrative Reports only for the Papago (1968-72) and Salt River (1970-72) Reservations. These reports focus on land use and conservation and include such topics as: brush control; water control detention and diversion dams; livestock water development projects such as catchment basins, earthen reservoirs, and wells; range re-seeding; and livestock management. These report contain include numerous photographs. There is also a special report on the Ak-Chin tribal enterprise. (new entry)
The Alaska Division of the Office of Education was established in 1885 by authority of section 13 of an act approved May 17, 1884 (23 Stat. 24), which directed the Secretary of the Interior to provide education for the children of Alaska. On April 11, 1885, the Commissioner of Education appointed Sheldon Jackson of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions as General Agent for Education in Alaska. The Division consisted of a section in the central office in Washington, D.C., and a field office in Seattle, Wash. The Washington office was headed by an Alaskan Assistant, who administered the policies formulated by the Commissioner of Education and approved by the Secretary of the Interior. The Seattle office was headed by a Superintendent of Education of Natives of Alaska, who supervised field activities through an educational unit. Six school districts were established, each in charge of a District Superintendent of Schools. At first, use was made of buildings already existing in Alaska for educational purposes; later, combined schools and teachers' dwellings were constructed.
Medical relief among Alaskan natives began about 1915, and by the early 1920's there were five hospitals. The medical service was carried on with the advice and assistance of the United States Public Health Service. It first operated under control of the Seattle field office. On July 1, 1930, the educational and medical relief functions were transferred from Seattle to Juneau, being placed, respectively, under a Director of Education and a Director of the Alaska Medical Service. Thereafter the Seattle office performed largely routine administrative functions.
By March 14, 1931; when Secretary's Order 494 transferred the Alaska Division from the Office of Education to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Division's activities had expanded beyond education and medical care into the field of economic assistance. This was made necessary by depletion of the seal herds and whale fisheries, which had reduced the natives to bitter want. In 1891 Sheldon Jackson led an expedition to Siberia for the purpose of importing the first Siberian reindeer and herders. This was followed by other such expeditions, each financed by small congressional appropriations. The reindeer provided food, clothing, and a source of income from the sale of hides and meat. Responsibility for the herds was shifted several times and, in 1937, it was returned to the Alaska Division and an Alaska Reindeer Service was established.
Other economic and social assistance followed. The Alaska Trust Fund was established for the convenience of Alaskan natives and Federal employees, for whom it performed the equivalent of banking services -- including the extension of credit. This fund was administered by a Treasurer and Trustee in the Seattle office but was discontinued on February 1, 1930. An Annette Islands fund was also set up by authority of an amendment to Secretary's Order 494 (see above). Under provisions of the Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984), loans were made to natives to pay for their education in the trades and vocations. Later on three vocational schools were set up in the Territory. The rights of citizenship were extended to the natives. The incorporation of their towns permitted them for the first time to engage in corporate business. They organized cooperative stores in which they sold their furs, ivory, whalebone, and art goods. The sale of tribal timber and the granting of fishing and trapping rights provided additional income.
Some of the series of records described below were maintained for a brief period after the Alaska Division was transferred to the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1931. Among these records are general correspondence, press and other copies of letters sent, community activity reports, annual school reports, budget estimates, and construction contracts. Thereafter more and more of the Division's records were filed as part of the classified correspondence of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (see entry 121). For correspondence of the Commissioner of Education before 1931 see Record Group 12, Records of the Office of Education.
Correspondence of the Division
1877-98. 1 in.
Loose press copies of letters sent chiefly by Commissioners John Eaton and William T. Harris, whose role in supporting the importation of the reindeer is interestingly documented. Some letters concern certain phases of Alaskan education and Federal legislation affecting the District of Alaska. Arranged chronologically.
1887-1908. 63 vols. 7 ft.
Press copies of letters concerning all phases of the Division's work. Most of the letters to the end of February 1907 were written by Sheldon Jackson, U.S. General Agent for Education in Alaska. Beginning March 1, 1907, some are signed by Elmer Ellsworth Brown, Commissioner of Education, and some by Harlan Updegraff, Chief of the Division. Included in the volumes are a few administrative and special reports. Arranged chronologically. Each volume is indexed by name of addressee.
1907-8. 1 vol. 1 in.
These press copies of outgoing letters request allotments to finance new activities or to build new school buildings in Alaska; submit new annual budgets for the Office of Education; discuss or request changes of policy; propose new legislation or modification of existing laws; deal with personnel matters; or merely give information. Arranged chronologically.Indexed alphabetically by name of addressee and subject of letter.
1897-1901. 1 vol. 1 in.
This volume, labeled "Alaska / Historical / Metlakahtla," contains a miscellany of press-copied materials. Included are a chronology of missions in Alaska, 1896-1900; Sheldon Jackson's report to the Secretary of War on an expedition to Lapland to purchase 500 reindeer (n.d.) statements on conditions in Metlakahtla; materials on carrying mails in Alaska, including some on the use of reindeer for that purpose; a letter of Sheldon Jackson, dated December
31, 1897; concerning agricultural and horticultural possibilities in the vicinity of the Yukon River; and part I of a work by Conrad Siem, "Notes Made in Chowchu-Land [Siberia]" in 1896. The contents of the volume are listed inside the front cover.
1898-1903. 3 vols. 3 in.
Press copies. Some of the letters concern housekeeping matters. More important are copies of letters sent by the Commissioner of Education and Sheldon Jackson, General Agent for Education in Alaska. Arranged chronologically.
1935-37. 7 in.
Relate to work of the school and medical services in Alaska. Included are a few copies of letters sent by the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Arranged chronologically.
1883-1907. 26 ft.
Addressed mainly to the Commissioner of Education and his Alaskan Assistant. Most important are the letters from the Secretary of the Interior dealing with policy matters. There are many letters from Sheldon Jackson, General Agent for Education in Alaska. Included are reports from the schools and reindeer stations, from district superintendents of schools, from the Governor of Alaska and other Alaska District officials, and from correspondents interested in the education, health, and welfare of the native and white populations of Alaska. Arranged chronologically.
1910-30. 15 ft.
Consist of three groups of 3" x 5" cards: (1) 1910-26, arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent; (2) 1912-30, arranged alphabetically by place or subject; and (3) 1925-30, arranged by subject, place, or name. In each of these groups the cards show name of
correspondent and date and subject of letter. Many of them also contain a classification number taken from the classification scheme of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. These cards index the correspondence described immediately below (entry
806).
1908-35. 96 ft.
Concerns all of the Division's main functions including its relations with the field establishment. The series consists of letters and telegrams received and copies of letters and telegrams sent, together with reports and many other kinds of enclosures. Arranged by calendar year for 1908 and 1909; thereafter by fiscal year, and thereunder by main and subsidiary subjects varying somewhat from year to year. Card indexes to correspondence for most years are described in entry
805.
1897-1931. 4 ft.
Letters and telegrams received, with many enclosed reports, and copies of letters and telegrams sent. This correspondence was apparently withdrawn from the general correspondence file described in entry 806 and maintained as a separate file. It documents an extended and many-sided controversy between the U.S. Government, as represented by various officials of the Department of the Interior (including the Secretary and the Commissioner of Education), and William Duncan, a lay missionary of the Church of England. Duncan, who first colonized the natives of Metlakahtla, induced them to migrate to Annette Island, Alaska, in 1887, there to found a new community. During Duncan's long domination of the natives, which extended to all phases of their lives, one major cause of friction between them lay in the field of education. When Duncan refused to meet their demands for changes in the school system, they petitioned the Secretary of the Interior to establish a Government school in place of the one maintained by the missionary. The Office of Education came into the conflict when it more or less backed the position of the natives, thus broadening the controversy. Duncan succeeded for a time in resisting all attempts to curtail his power over the colony. Some of the correspondence relates to economic aspects of the controversy, including management of various tribal enterprises such as a salmon cannery, a hydroelectric plant, mining claims, and a sawmill. A few letters concern tribal land titles. The records are grouped according to different aspects of the controversy and thereunder are arranged for the most part chronologically. There is also some material concerning Metlakahtla in the general correspondence (entry
806). See also Preliminary Inventory 150, "The Sir Henry S. Wellcome Papers in the Federal Records Center, Seattle, Washington."
1922-32. 2 in.
Letters received and copies of letters sent by the Chief of the
Alaska Division and the Commissioner of Education; quarterly reports
and financial statements on the condition of the fund; investigative reports; records concerning the accounts of individual depositors; and correspondence concerning the liquidation phase. Much of the correspondence is with the Treasurer and Trustee of the fund in the Seattle office. Arranged chronologically. There is also information concerning the fund in the general correspondence (entry
806).
Budget and Accounting Records
1934-36. 3 in.
Show the reasons for requesting additional funds and document some incidental history of activities or functions. Arranged in rough chronological order.
1891-1904. 2 vols. 1 in.
The first of these informally kept accounting notebooks shows a
total of $2,156 contributed to the fund by individuals during 1891-92. The second volume, for the period 1894-1904, shows the amount of the
appropriation for each year and the expenditures charged against it. Entries were made in chronological order.
1907-22. 10 vols. 2 ft.
Consist of: (1) Appropriation Ledgers (6 volumes); (2) Records of Disbursements
(1 volume); (3) Record of Authorizations (2 volumes); and (4) Voucher Record (1 volume). The appropriation accounts, 1907-18, are under such major headings as ''Reindeer for Alaska," "Medical Relief for Alaska," and "Education of Natives of Alaska." They contain such information as authorization number, date, voucher number, name, amount authorized, and balance. The record of disbursements, 1909-22, shows, on the left page, disbursement information and, on the right page, classifications and amounts of the expenditures, with totals. The record of authorizations, 1910-17, shows, under major functional areas (Reindeer Service, Medical Relief, and the like), the amounts encumbered each quarter at various locations or by individuals, and total authorizations, expenditures, and balances. The voucher record, 1914-17, lists detailed information on each voucher. Under the various sections in these volumes, the entries are mainly chronological.
1918-19.
These files contain information on financial matters, such as salaries, bills, and travel vouchers. Employees in the Alaskan Education Division traveled extensively as part of their duties. There is also a list of employees and their pay rates. (new entry)
1894-1905. 1 in.
These "agreements" were between Sheldon Jackson, General Agent for Education in Alaska, or his representative, and individuals, missionary societies, and other contracting parties. The principal herders, propagators, and breakers of the reindeer were Laplanders employed mainly
to teach their knowledge and skills to the Eskimos.Some of the contracts involved loans of small herds to missions. Arranged by contract numbers,
1-47.
1930-32.3 in.
Copies of contracts, bids, specifications, and other contract-related papers. They concern mainly the construction of school and hospital facilities. Arranged alphabetically by name of contractor.
Reports and Statistical Records
1912-13, 1916-17. 2 ft.
This series consists chiefly of Form No. 8-910, "Annual Statistical
Reports of the Herd at _________, Alaska, for the Year ending June 30,
19 "; Form 8-911, "Record of Herders, Apprentices, and Owners"; and Form 8-951, "Financial Statements Showing Receipts and Expenditures." Form 8-910 includes data on owners of deer, number of adults and fawns, and increases and decreases in the herds. Form 8-911 contains detailed information concerning owners, herders, and apprentices; it also describes the reindeer herds, including the earmark used to identify each; and includes statistics concerning various phases of herd production and use of the reindeer for hauling, transportation, and other purposes. Form 8-951 shows -- opposite names of owners -- number of deer in herd, receipts from sales of animal products and services of herders, and amounts expended. Arranged by year and thereunder alphabetically by place or station, with the three kinds of reports from each location and for each year filed together.
1925-28. 1/4 in.
These charts include statistics on pupils enrolled, attendance, disciplinary actions, days taught, subjects taught, and outside activities. There is a chart for each district, with statistics thereon by locations of schools. One of these charts summarizes data for all districts. Arranged in three groups by school years 1925-26, 1926-27, and 1927-28; thereunder by district; and thereunder by school.
1922-23. 1 booklet. Negligible.
The graph summarizes enrollment data for the 1922-23 school year. The tables show school attendance figures by month and year; salaries paid to teachers and medical personnel; and descriptive and valuation data on buildings in Alaska that were owned by the Office of Education on June 22, 1923.
1933-37. 2 ft.
Consist of two kinds of reports, accompanied by letters of transmittal to the Washington office. One of these, an annual report to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, contains some general statistics, individual records of pupils, enrollment statistics, information on various pedagogical activities and qualifications of teachers, a financial statement, and a narrative report of the teacher concerning outstanding events of the school year. The second report contains such information as name, age, tribe, degree of Indian blood, and agency or reservation for each pupil; statistics on school attendance; and trades and "industries" taught. Certain recapitulative data are also included. There are both types of reports for some schools. The overall arrangement is by year and thereunder alphabetically by location of school. For other reports of Alaskan schools, see entry
818.
1937-40. 2 ft.
Standard forms like those used for other Indian schools (see entry 745). They contain information concerning school attendance and pupils dropped from the school rolls. Annual school census reports (entry 742) and reports of auxiliary activities are frequently included. Arranged by fiscal year, thereunder alphabetically by location of school, and thereunder chronologically. For annual school reports, see entry
817.
1939. 2 in.
These quarterly reports were prepared and submitted by teachers of native schools. They show number and purposes of community meetings and adult classes; kinds of recreational or other activities engaged in; health, social service, and Indian work; and total hours spent on each. Arranged by location.
July 1938-Feb. 1941.
Arrangement is alphabetical by name of village. Information is mostly statistical with a few photographs. The information provided includes: vital statistics giving age and gender breakdown and degree of native blood, housing assets, livestock owned, crops grown, fish caught, arts and crafts, personal property, and personal assets. Although the statistics are broken down by family, the families are not identified by name. The first pages of each report, which, according to the index, were generally of a narrative nature dealing with the village's historical background have been removed. The whereabouts of these early pages are unknown. These records are available on microfilm publication M1854, Roll 12. (new entry)
Miscellaneous Records
1888-1926. 9 in.
Consists chiefly of descriptive lists, pictures, and other records concerning divisional and departmental exhibits at fairs and expositions; laws, regulations, and codes affecting the School, Medical, and Reindeer Services; printed copies of congressional bills and acts; newspaper clippings on Alaskan subjects; circular letters and sample forms; and reports, statistical data, and other records on health subjects. Arranged by subject.
1897-1908. 2 vols. 3 in.
Newspaper clippings, mounted in scrapbooks, relating to many different aspects of Alaska but particularly to the importation of reindeer. Arranged chronologically.
1906-34. 4 in.
Printed orders that concern withdrawal of land from or its restoration to the public domain. Some of them are accompanied by printed maps
of the areas affected. Included is a small quantity of correspondence that has some value for background information on the orders. Arranged for the most part by number of Executive order.
1909-24.
Arrangement of these files is alphabetical by name in two series. The candidates were mostly applying for positions with the Alaska School Service with a small number applying for the Alaska Medical Service. The files contain applications, letters of recommendation, assessments of qualifications, official appointment forms, oaths of office, other appointment documents, and sometimes a photograph of the applicant. (new entry)
ca. 1933-46.
Unarranged. Most files relate to a controversy regarding native vs. non-native control over the reindeer enterprise in Alaska and efforts to get the general reindeer superintendent of the BIA reinstated. The importation of reindeer for domestication purposes occurred in Alaska from 1892 to 1902 in order to provide natives with food and clothing. In 1929, the administration of the reindeer enterprise was transferred from the Board of Education of the Governor of Alaska to the Alaska Division of the Department of the Interior. A few files relate to a 1940 program whereby the government purchased reindeer from non-natives and turned them over to the natives. Other records of the Alaska Division included are: circulars of the Juneau Office of the Indian Field Service; the "Alaska Development Plan" of the Alaska Planning Council dated January 1941; a "Six Year Integrated Program for the Department of the Interior in Alaska, 1951-1956"; a chronological outline relating to several proposed native reservations; and letter from the Assistant Attorney General to the U.S. Attorney for Alaska regarding allegations of discrimination against natives. (new entry)
1946.
Unarranged. This series contains files of testimonies of Alaskan Natives pertaining to territorial, hunting, and fishing rights. Transfering correspondence accompanies these testimonies. They were used in a 1946 report to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs by Dr. Walter R. Goldschmidt, (a U.S.D.A. anthropologist) and Theodore H. Haas (BIA Chief Counsel) entitled "Possessory Rights of the Natives of Southeastern Alaska". A copy of this report along with several drafts and duplicates of chapters are included. Two published "Hearings on Claims of Natives of the Towns of Hydaburg, Klawock, and Kate, Alaska", which took place in the Department of the Interior in 1944, are also included. The hearings, very legalistic in manner, cover many of the same topics as the Haas-Goldschmidt report. (new entry)
1894-1932. 1 ft.
A file collected and maintained by the Alaska Division, consisting chiefly of negatives and prints sent in by the local officials in Alaska or visiting officials of the Office of Education. Most of them portray or relate in some way to phases of work carried on by the School, Medical, and Reindeer Services and are the work of amateur photographers. The subjects include schools and other buildings, water and land scenes, local and visiting officials, teachers, pupils, and aspects of native life. Of interest is a small packet of portraits of Sheldon Jackson. Many prints carry a penciled label giving the time the photograph was taken, the place, and sometimes names of people. Glass and film negatives comprise about three inches of the total and for these there are no matching prints. Negatives and prints are grouped together according to source, subject, or place.
Field Office Records
Except for the records of Sheldon Jackson described in entry 824, there appear to be no separate field records of the Alaska Division among the records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Dr. Jackson was simultaneously General Agent for Education in Alaska and Secretary of the Alaska Territorial Board of Education, and his time was divided between work in the field and administrative duties in Washington.
1886-89. 7 in.
Comprises four small, leather portfolios containing records concerning school business, accumulated chiefly by Dr. Jackson in his capacity as General Agent for Education in Alaska. These records consist of letters, school reports, and teachers' reports; vouchers, requisitions, invoices, and inventories of school supplies and property; and copies of contracts. The school reports and correspondence were received from Afognak, Anvik, Haines, Klawack, Killisnoo, Tuxican, and an unidentified location on the Yukon River. The series is arranged roughly by location of school and thereunder chronologically.
The records described in this section were actually created by several divisions that have been concerned with financial matters. For most purposes it is more useful to consider these records as belonging to a single unit rather than to attempt to divide them according to the changing administrative organization of the Bureau. The designation "Finance Division" was the most enduring.
The Finance Division was established in 1846 when formal divisions were first organized in the Bureau. It was responsible for administrative examination of accounts, appropriations, remittances, stock investments, settlement of claims, and generally for all matters involving the expenditure of money for or on account of Indians.
In 1876 an Accounts Division was established to examine the cash and property accounts of agents and other disbursing officers. The Finance Division retained responsibility for appropriation ledgers, contracts, purchases, transportation of supplies and persons, remittances of funds, settlement of claims, and trust funds. By this time, however, most of the work concerning trust funds was handled in the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. The Accounts Division assumed a number of duties not directly relating to accounts, particularly those relating to agency personnel. There are almost no records, however, relating to nonfinancial matters among the records of the Accounts Division, which are now with the records of the Finance Division.
The Finance Division was abolished on March 14, 1908. The Financial Clerk, who had been head of the Division, was placed in charge of a newly created Purchase Division (or Purchasing Division). This Division was responsible for contracts, open market purchases, and transportation. To the Accounts Division were transferred the former responsibilities of the Finance Division relating to bookkeeping and to the settlement of claims (except those for the transportation of supplies).
During the reorganizations of 1908 and 1909 the duties of the Accounts Division connected with nonfinancial matters were transferred to other divisions. On September 21, 1909; the name of the Accounts Division was changed to the Finance Division. It was divided into three sections: Bookkeeping, Accounts, and Claims.
On March 8, 1909, the Purchase Division was reduced to a section in the Education Division. On November 21, 1910, the Construction Section of the Education Division, which was responsible for preparing plans and specifications for new construction and for repairs, was consolidated with the Purchase Section; and on April 25, 1911; the name of the Purchase Section was changed to Supplies Section. In 1914 a separate Purchase Division was again established. It comprised three sections: Contracts, Supplies, and Transportation. The Construction Section remained in the Education Division.
There were no significant changes in the organization of the Finance and Purchase Divisions from 1914 until 1931. By an order of March 9, 1931, the position of Chief Finance Officer (later Finance Officer) was established. He was made responsible for all fiscal and financial matters, including the preparation of the annual budget. He supervised the Division of Accounting and Bookkeeping (merely a new designation for the Finance Division), the Purchase Division, and the Construction Section. Within a few months the Division of Accounting and Bookkeeping was renamed the Fiscal Division. The Purchase Division was abolished on January 4, 1932, when purchasing activities for the Bureau were transferred to a new Purchasing Office in the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. In 1939 the Construction Section was made a separate division.
For years after 1939 -- except for the annuity payment rolls (entry 906) -- there are few financial records among the records of the Bureau now in the National Archives. After the reorganization of 1940, the position of Finance Officer was replaced by that of Chief Administrative Officer. As head of the Branch of Administration, he supervised the work of the Fiscal Division, the newly created Budget Division, and some other divisions. In 1949 the Fiscal and Budget Divisions were combined to become the Branch of Budget and Finance; this Branch is still in operation. Also established in 1949 was the Branch of Property and Supply.
In this inventory the records of the Finance Division and related divisions have been described by subject areas or types of records rather than by administrative organization. There is little correspondence among these records; most of it is with the general correspondence of the Bureau. Accounts are fragmentary. The Auditors of the Treasury (and later the General Accounting Office) were relied upon to preserve the accounts. There are records relating to financial matters among the records of all divisions of the Bureau.
1900-1909. 1 vol. 1 in.
Slater was Chief of the Finance Division until 1908 when he became Chief of the Purchase Division. This book consists of press copies of reports to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, letters sent, and memoranda prepared by Slater. Some of the letters are informal and personal. Arranged chronologically. There is an alphabetical index to names of addressees and subjects.
1834-38. 1 vol. 1/2 in.
Entries for individual letters give name of writer, date of letter,
file number, and subject. Arranged in rough chronological order and
numbered consecutively. There are some estimates and other financial
statements in the back of the volume.
1900-1906. 1 vol.
Arrangement is in chronological order. The letters in this volume pertain to a wide variety of financial matters including payments of warrants and purchases of supplies. Some letters to the Secretary from the Indian Inspector for Indian Territory are included. An index arranged alphabetically by first letter of entry is located at the beginning. The letters are in press copy format and some are barely legible. On the left side of most letters is a reference to the numbered correspondence of the Indian Territory Division. (new entry)
1844-46. 1/4 in.
Porter was disbursing agent for the central office of the Bureau. Most of the letters are from the Treasury Department. Arranged chronologically.
1881-84. 1 vol. l in.
Press copies of instructions sent to newly appointed or newly assigned agents and to the agents whom they were to succeed. The instructions relate chiefly to the submission of bonds, the transfer of cash and property, and the rendering of accounts. Arranged chronologically. There is an alphabetical index to names of addressees. The letters in this volume are not usually in the main series of press copies of letters sent by the Bureau (entry
96).
1870-75, 1891-99. 1 vol. 2 in.
Chiefly abstracts of reports to the Secretary of the Interior. Each abstract gives date and subject matter of report, and volume and page reference in the Division's press copy books (see entry
96). The abstracts are divided into three sections: one section for reports concerning special appropriations, 1870-75, arranged chronologically; and two general sections for reports for the periods 1870-75 (with a few later entries) and 1891-99, respectively, arranged alphabetically by subject or by name of agency or person and thereunder chronologically.
1890-1918. 2 in.
Circulars relating mainly to accounts issued by the Bureau. Included are some Treasury Department circulars, Executive orders, orders of the Secretary of the Interior, rules and regulations, copies of acts of Congress, and sample forms. Two of the Bureau circulars were issued before 1890. The circulars are arranged chronologically. Many of the circulars are not with the general series of circulars of the Bureau (entries
131 and 132).
1906-8. 1 vol. 2 in.
Consists of copies of circulars, decisions of the Comptroller of
the Treasury, letters sent, orders of the Secretary of the Interior
and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and other records concerning financial policies and procedures. Arranged in rough chronological order. There is an alphabetical subject index.
1952-1967. 11 vols.
Arrangement is in general chronological order. These were sent out to the numerous field units of the bureau. Examples of subjects covered in these memoranda are payroll forms, designation of deputy disbursing agents and certifying officers, installation of revised accounting system, copies of drafts on Manual of Accounts, and prompt payment of bills. The memoranda are kept in binders and a listing of the memoranda by subject and date are kept at the beginning of each binder. (new entry)
ca. 1949-1968.
Arrangement is by letter and supplement number. Examples of subjects covered in letters are modifications in accounting procedures, submission of statement of depositary account and report of checks drawn by disbursing officers, requirements for preparation of forms, withdrawals and credits between appropriations, and accounting for limitations and working fund subsidiary accounts. Some letters are hand-annotated with notes on when they were rescinded or when they were mailed to the field A listing of letters by number in each file is kept at the beginning of each respective file. (new entry)
1949-52.
Arrangement is in chronological order. Included are orders 548, 554, 547 and Budget-Treasury Regulations 1 & 3. Examples of subjects of these documents are allotment ledger accounts and reporting procedures, objective classification reports, procedures for control of obligations under apportionments, and monthly budget status reports. A listing of these memorandas and orders is to be found in the beginning of the first folder. (new entry)
1954-61.
Arrangement is by subject. The files include a retirement manual and a life insurance manual from the US Civil Service Commission, transmittal sheets of manual changes, Departmental memos on retirement and on insurance, and Bureau memos retirement and on insurance. (new entry)
1962-65.
Arrangement is in chronological order. The forms record detailed budgetary data on appropriations and apportionments for all aspects of bureau activity. Bureau forms 1-4 are included for all major categories of activity. Apportionments are usually listed on an obligation basis (SF-132) and occasionally on an accrual basis (SF-142). Also included is SF-225 which is a report on obligations. SF-225 is only present for the period June 1964-May 1965. (new entry)
ca. 1951-66.
These files contain the pages of a BIA Budget Manual. Samples of properly filled out forms comprise a substantial segment of the manual Also included are numerous transmittal sheets containing revisions and updates to the manual. (new entry)
ca. 1857-82. 5 in.
Included are reports, correspondence, memoranda, abstracts of testimony, and lists concerning investigations of accounts of field officials, operation of agencies, and other matters. There are records relating to Jacob Forney, Utah Superintendent; James L. Collins, New Mexico Superintendent; George W. Ingalls, Special Agent in Southwestern Nevada; and S. S. Stanton, Wagonmaster; the Whetstone and Red Cloud Agencies; and the Pine Ridge Agency. Arranged by subject of investigation. For other records of investigations, including that of Forney, see the Special Files (entry
98).
1895-1914. 2 ft.
Included are letters received, copies of letters sent, reports, memoranda, legal documents, transcripts of testimony, abstracts, lists, financial statements, shorthand notebooks, records referred from field offices and private sources, abstracts of county records, and photographic and typed copies of records. They relate mainly to charges of frauds in sales of Kickapoo allotments in Oklahoma and to distribution of funds to individual Indians. Many of the documents were compiled for use in congressional investigations and in trials. Arranged in part by subject and in part by kind of record. Many of the records are numbered as exhibits. A large number of them were withdrawn from the main series of letters received by the Bureau (entry
91) and from Special Cases (entry 102). Many of the records have been published (S. Doc. 215, 60th Cong., 1st sess.). For accounts of Special Assistant Agent Martin J. Bentley, a principal figure in the land transactions, see entry
834.
1897-1902. 8 in.
Statements, abstracts, and vouchers submitted by Bentley, who was assigned to the Mexican Kickapoo Indians in Oklahoma. He was implicated later in charges of fraudulent purchases of Kickapoo allotments. Arranged in rough chronological order.
1827-31. 1 vol. 2 in.
A record of financial transactions of the Bureau -- entered under two headings, Appropriations and Sundries. Arranged for the most part chronologically. Entries for each of the two headings are sometimes grouped together.
1833-53. 7 vols. 10 in.
Consist of accounts of appropriation items, accounts with banks, and some other accounts. The individual volumes cover varying periods of time, sometimes overlapping. Most of them appear to be ledgers maintained by individual disbursing officers in the Bureau. Each ledger is arranged by accounts, which are sometimes grouped into broad subject areas. There is an alphabetical subject index in each volume. For the main series of appropriation ledgers begun in 1837, see entry
837.
1837-1921. 96 vols. 23 ft.
These ledgers were used to account for individual items in congressional appropriations. Their form and arrangement varied over the years. For the period from 1837 until 1856 each volume contains the accounts for a number of fiscal years; and it is arranged either by fiscal year and thereunder by account or by account and thereunder chronologically. Beginning in 1856 more than one volume was in use at the same time. Different volumes were gradually set up for different classes of appropriation items. The classes used were Treaties and Supports, Schools and School Buildings, Indian Moneys-Proceeds of Labor, Trust Funds and Interest Funds, Reimbursable Appropriations, and Miscellaneous. In some cases two classes were combined in a single volume. All except the most recent volumes are numbered in order; some volumes, however, were divided when rebound. There are 96 volumes with the present bindings. Accounts in the individual volumes are arranged for the most part alphabetically by name of tribe or jurisdiction and thereunder the individual accounts are arranged chronologically. There are alphabetical subject indexes in most of the volumes. For appropriation warrants, which give a chronological record of appropriations, see entry
856. For other appropriation ledgers, see entry 836; and for other types of ledgers, see entries
838-845. The General Accounting Office has appropriation ledgers after 1921.
1869-94. 8 vols. 1 ft.
These ledgers should probably be designated as "journals"; but they were known as ledgers in the Bureau. They balance receipts and disbursements of the Bureau and are arranged chronologically, with no breakdowns such as those in the appropriation ledgers (entry
837) or in other series of ledgers.
1866-1930. 1 vol. 3 in.
Contains records of appropriations and reimbursements. Many of
the accounts are for irrigation work or for surveying and allotting. The years given above refer to dates noted in entries; the volume was
actually begun much later than 1866. Accounts are arranged for the
most part alphabetically by subject and thereunder chronologically. There is an alphabetical subject index in the volume. Individual entries often include volume and page references to the main series of appropriation ledgers (entry
837).
1917-24. 2 vols. 4 in.
These ledgers were used to record expenditures under appropriations for irrigation, surveying and allotting, determining heirs, support of schools, support of Indians, proceeds of labor, and other expenditures in the field.Individual accounts balance credits and debits from Treasury cash, disbursing officers' cash, allotments, encumbrances, and unavailable funds. One volume is for closed accounts and one is for current accounts. Accounts in each volume are arranged by class of appropriation. For the main series of appropriation ledgers, see entry
837.
1911-18. 4 vols. 1 ft.
Ledgers recording status of appropriation accounts arranged in different ways: by type of appropriation, alphabetically by title of appropriation item, or alphabetically by name of State concerned. For main series of appropriation ledgers, see entry
837.
1909-11. 1 vol. 2 in.
A ledger recording credits and debits to general accounts during fiscal years 1910 and
1911. Arranged by type of appropriation and thereunder for the most part in alphabetical order. For more detailed ledgers, see the main series of appropriation ledgers (entry
837) and the liability registers (entry 843).
1909-16. 39 vols. 10 ft.
Ledgers recording individual authorizations for disbursements. The form was changed several times; but, in general, amounts authorized to be expended are entered under the proper appropriation item. Arranged by fiscal year and thereunder alphabetically by name of agency or other jurisdiction. Accounts for each year not relating to any one jurisdiction are together and are arranged alphabetically by subject or by name of person or office. For most of the years the entries for each agency are arranged by appropriation item and thereunder chronologically; but for fiscal year 1910 the entries are arranged chronologically, with columns for the different appropriation items. For some of the years there are "controlling accounts," in which all the transactions for a jurisdiction are entered in chronological order with references to the appropriation account, in which more detailed information is given. Some of the registers are missing; and none of the
sets of registers for fiscal years 1913-16 are complete. For a general appropriation liability ledger for fiscal years 1910 and 1911, see entry
842.
1919-22. 1 vol. 2 in.
In this ledger (labeled as a cost ledger) different kinds of expenses of jurisdictions are balanced against their receipts for fiscal years 1920-22, shoving gains or losses in financial positions. Arranged alphabetically by name of jurisdiction and thereunder by month.
1921-36. 16 vols. and unbound papers. 14 ft.
Ledgers used to account for apportionment of individual disbursements and of disbursements over periods of time (chiefly months and quarters) according to the purpose of the expenditure. Amounts of disbursements are charged against items such as salaries, transportation, buildings, purchases of different kinds of goods, annuity payments, and trust fund payments. Through fiscal year 1930 the entries are arranged by fiscal year, thereunder alphabetically by name of agency or other jurisdiction, thereunder by appropriation item, and thereunder chronologically. Accounts for irrigation and for surveying and allotting and accounts for expenditures not relating to any one jurisdiction are entered after the regular accounts for jurisdictions for each fiscal year. Beginning in fiscal year 1931 a coded form was adopted on which all entries for an individual jurisdiction were entered in chronological order and there were no breakdowns by appropriation item.
1917-31. 1 vol. and unbound papers. 11 in.
Annual statements with the same headings as those in the cost
ledgers (entry 845). Arranged by fiscal year and thereunder by type
of statement.
1920-25. 1/2 in.
Show amounts expended under the following headings: Agencies and Indians, Boarding and Day Schools, Contract Schools, Allotment and Survey, Irrigation, Per Capita Payments and Pro Rata Shares, Attorneys, Miscellaneous, and Total. Arranged by fiscal year, thereunder alphabetically by name of State, and thereunder by name of jurisdiction.
1965-1966.
Arrangement is by activity but in no discernible order. Detailed appropriations are listed for each type of activity (e.g. forestry, irrigation, housing, law & order) and broken down by area office. However, for no activity are all area offices represented. These appropriations are listed on standardized operating statements. Cost reports on computer paper are included for most activities. Most records cover fiscal year 1966 but a few summaries of operating expenses for 1956-66 are found at the beginning of the series. (new entry)
1817-19. 1 vol. 1 in.
Entries for individual requisitions give date, number, name of person in whose favor the requisition was to be issued, purpose, and amount. Included are some estimates for 1830 and 1831. Arranged chronologically. There is a separate section for requisitions for annuity payments.
1832-35. 1/2 in.
Handwritten letters from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the Second Auditor of the Treasury to the Secretary of War requesting him to draw up requisitions for funds. Included are a few requisitions. The letters are arranged chronologically.
1834-52. 4 vols. 2 in.
Receipts for monthly salaries received by employees in the central office of the Bureau. Arranged chronologically. There are payrolls, beginning in July 1853, among the records of the Finance Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior.
1837-53. 1 vol. 1 in.
A very incomplete preliminary chronological record of transactions concerning stocks held for Indians, 1837-43, and a chronological record of expenditures for contingencies (chiefly purchases of supplies and payments for services) in the Washington office, 1841-53. For a more adequate chronological record of stock transactions, see the journals of Indian trust funds (entry
927).
1837-45, 1855-56, 1858-60, 1877. 4 in.
Copies of statements of funds remitted to field officials, with some recapitulations. Most of the 1837-45 statements are recorded in the volumes of Miscellaneous Records (entry
113). Statements for 1855 are for the Southern Superintendency only and those for 1838-60 are for a special agent to the Miami of Indiana. For 1856 there is only one summary statement for funds for annuity payments. Arranged in chronological order. For the main series of statements, see entry
854.
1872-76. 3 vols. 3/4 in.
Indexes to names of persons, jurisdictions, and tribes in three of the volumes of statements described in entry
854 (for fiscal years 1873, 1875, and 1876). Arranged by fiscal year and thereunder alphabetically by initial letter of surname of person or by name of jurisdiction or tribe.
1870-1908. 40 vols. 6 ft.
Handwritten copies through 1905 and thereafter press copies. The statements include appropriation headings under which funds were to be accounted, names of tribes concerned, purposes of expenditures, amounts, and totals. There are also file references to related records and notations of dates of checks sent. The statements are arranged chronologically. There are alphabetical indexes to names of
officials and jurisdictions in most of the volumes and to names of tribes in some of the volumes. There are also notations on the forms of preceding and succeeding statements for the same official. For separate indexes for fiscal years 1873, 1875, and 1876, see entry
853. For earlier statements, see the volumes of Miscellaneous Records (entry
113) and the records described in entry 852.
1843-63. 1 in.
Copies of warrants from the Secretary of the Treasury to the Comptrollers of the Treasury and to the Register of the Treasury for funds appropriated for the Indian Service, mainly for interest on trust funds and other expenses necessary to fulfill obligations. Included are some financial statements, schedules, and copies of congressional acts. The warrants are arranged chronologically by date of approval. For the main series of appropriation warrants, see entry
856.
1861-1934. 13 vols. 4 ft.
Copies of notices from the Secretary of the Treasury to the Comptrollers and to the Register (later the Chief of the Division of Bookkeeping and Warrants) of the Treasury Department, requesting that the necessary bookkeeping entries be made to credit congressional appropriations for the Indian Service. For the period up to 1908 there are handwritten copies, which usually omit much of the standard terminology. Thereafter there are official copies signed by the Chief of the Division of Bookkeeping and Warrants. The warrants are arranged chronologically. For some earlier warrants and a few duplicates, see entry
855. For appropriation ledgers to which there are cross-references to individual items noted on the 1861-1908 warrants, see entry
837.
1847-54. 4 in.
Abstracts of disbursements, accounts current, vouchers, and some other records of William Devereux and James J. Miller. Arranged in rough chronological order.
1832, 1836-42, 1850-53. 4 in.
Signed by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs or a disbursing agent. The checks are arranged by name of disbursing official; thereunder they are arranged, in part, by name of bank on which the checks were drawn and thereunder chronologically and, in part, in rough chronological order.
1838-41, 1845-47.2 vols. 1 in.
Shown on each stub are date, check number, amount, name of bank on which drawn, name of payee, and account charged or purpose of expenditure. Arranged chronologically.
1867-69. 8 in.
Certified receipts of Indians for money received from the proceeds of the land sale. Included are a few financial statements and abstracts. Payments to each Indian were made -- in from one to three installments -- by the agent of the Delaware Agency. Vouchers for all payments to each Indian are together, arranged by number assigned to the voucher for the first payment. For second and third payments, "b" and "c" were added, respectively, to the voucher number (for example, 21, 21b, and 21c).