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 Miscellaneous Division was established in 1889. It assumed certain duties that had been assigned to the Office of the Assistant Commissioner (to the Office of the Chief Clerk until 1886). At first the Division was responsible only for matters concerning trade with Indians (particularly, traders' licenses) and for office supplies. Within a few years it was also assigned duties concerning the Bureau library, the procurement and distribution of publications, the preparation of the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, expositions and exhibitions, office personnel, the activities of field matrons, and other matters that did not properly belong to one of the other divisions.
The Miscellaneous Division was abolished by an order of the Secretary of the Interior, dated April 16, 1908, providing that all work of the Division not properly belonging to one of the other divisions should be assigned to the Office of the Chief Clerk. By an order of the secretary to the Commissioner, dated April 22, 1908, responsibility for traders' licenses was assigned to the Education Division. That Division also assumed responsibility for the activities of field matrons.
The only records of the Miscellaneous Division now in the National Archives relate to traders' licenses. These records include those that the Miscellaneous Division inherited from the Civilization Division and from the Offices of the Chief Clerk and the Assistant Commissioner. Matters relating to traders' licenses were handled by the Civilization Division from the time it was established in 1846 until it was abolished in 1885. They were then assigned to the Chief Clerk until he was replaced by the Assistant Commissioner in 1886. The Assistant Commissioner retained this responsibility until the Miscellaneous Division was established.
Among the records described in entries 941-947 there is one volume (see entry 947) for the period after the Education Division assumed responsibility for traders' licenses. Since no other separate records of the Education Division concerning traders' licenses have been found and since these records concerning licenses were considered by the Bureau as records of the Miscellaneous Division rather than of the Education Division, they have been so described in this inventory.
In addition to the records described in this section, there is also the set of press copies of letters sent that was maintained by the Division and is now with the general records of the Bureau (see entry 96). These letter books, which concern traders' licenses, were begun in 1885; and until 1889 they were actually the letter books of the Offices of the Chief Clerk and the Assistant Commissioner. After the Miscellaneous Division was abolished, these volumes were continued in the Office of the Chief Clerk until 1912. These later volumes form a separate series that was not transferred to the Mail and Files Section with the other letter books of the Division. They relate almost entirely to office personnel matters (see entry 184).
There are other records concerning traders' licenses in the earlier series of letters sent by the Bureau (entry 84) and in the two series of letters received (entries 79 and 91). Beginning in 1907 most of the records concerning traders were filed under the appropriate classifications of the central classified files of the Bureau (entry 121). There are records concerning traders' claims among the records of the Finance Division and in the Special Files (entries 893 and 894).
[The Miscellaneous Division should not be confused with the Miscellaneous Activities Section (or the Miscellaneous Section as it was sometimes called), which was established in 1931. There are no separate records for this Section among the records of the Bureau now in the National Archives.]
1878-80. 2 in.
Letters -- once a part of the general incoming correspondence of the Bureau (entry
79) -- relating to applications for licenses to trade
and to other matters concerning traders. Enclosures include applications, bonds, and other documents. Most of the letters are from agents; but there are also some from traders, applicants, and others. Arranged in the same manner as the general correspondence of the Bureau: by jurisdiction, thereunder by year, and thereunder by file number. No earlier segregated correspondence has been located. There
are letters concerning traders' licenses among the general correspondence, but many of the registered letters are not included. No segregated correspondence has been located for the period 1881-89 -- the period from the change in filing systems of the Bureau until the actual establishment of the Miscellaneous Division. For correspondence beginning in 1889, see entries
942 and 943. For copies of licenses issued, see entry
946.
1889-1905. 4 ft.
These letters -- once a part of the general incoming correspondence of the Bureau (entry
91) -- are chiefly letters from agents and applicants transmitting applications, bonds, recommendations, and other documents. Included are some letters concerning other matters relating to traders' licenses. Arranged by file number, which was assigned in chronological order by date of receipt of letter. There are few letters received after 1903. For the period 1892-99 many letters and other documents concerning applications for traders' licenses are with the records described in entry
943. Letters before 1889 and after 1905 are among the general incoming correspondence of the Bureau (entry
91); for the period 1878-80 there is separate correspondence (entry
941). For record copies of licenses, see entry 946.
1892-99. 5 ft.
Application forms -- with bonds, recommendations, transmittal letters, and other documents -- for approved applications (mainly renewals). Most of the documents have been withdrawn from the general incoming correspondence of the Bureau (entry
91). The applications are arranged by license number. Other applications and related records, including some for the years 1892-99; are among the records described in entry
942. For record copies of the licenses, see entry 946.
1847-73. 1 vol. 1 in.
A register of licenses that were issued by superintendents and agents and were approved by the Bureau. Entries for individual licenses give name of person licensed, name of tribe for whom licensed, name of field official issuing license, date of issuance of license, date of approval, amount of bond, names of sureties, names of employees, file reference to letter of transmittal, and sometimes other information. Beginning in 1865 a volume and a page reference to the record copy of the license (entry
946) are also given. Arranged for the most part chronologically by date of approval. Included is an 1872-73 schedule arranged by superintendency
and agency. Also included in the volume is an alphabetical index to names of tribes and licensees. Neither earlier registers nor registers for the period 1873-76 have been located. For a register of licenses issued by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs (beginning in
1876), see entry 945. The letters for which there are file references are not usually among the general incoming correspondence of the Bureau (entry
79).
1876-82. 1 vol. 2 in.
A register of licenses issued by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Entries for individual licenses give license number, date of application, name of licensee, name of tribe for whom appointed, date of receipt of application, name of person recommending the applicant, an indication of the action taken, and, until 1879, a file reference to the incoming letter transmitting the application. Arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname of applicant and thereunder chronologically by date of receipt of application. For an earlier register of licenses issued by field officials, see entry
944. For later rosters beginning in 1885, see entry 947. For record copies of licenses, see entry
946. Until 1878 some of the letters transmitting applications are with the general incoming correspondence of the Bureau (entry
79); many of the transmittal letters, however, are missing. Beginning in 1878 transmittal letters are among the records described in entries
941-943.
1865-98. 15 vols. 3 ft.
Record copies of licenses and, for the period 1872-90, also of bonds. The first volume
(1865-September 1872) is handwritten; the other volumes consist of completed forms. The licenses were signed by field officials until 1876 and thereafter by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Arranged for the most part chronologically by date of license. The licenses were numbered in order after the Commissioner began signing them in 1876; the numbers do not appear on these copies, however, until
1881. In the individual volumes there are alphabetical indexes to names of traders and frequently also to names of agencies. For registers and rosters, see entries
945, 946, and 947. For correspondence, applications, bonds, and other records concerning licenses, see entries
941-943. For earlier bonds, see entry 885.
1885-1909. 2 vols. 2 in.
Entries for individual traders give name, residence, agency, dates of licenses, and often other information -- particularly the name of the trader's predecessor and, when applicable, the circumstances of the termination of his business. One volume is for the period 1885-1908 and the other volume is for the period 1908-9. Entries in each volume are arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname of trader and thereunder in rough chronological order by date of first license issued to trader.
Inspectors for the Indian Service were first appointed on July 1, 1873 under a provision of an act of Congress approved February 14, 1873 (17 Stat. 463). Inspections and investigations had formerly been made by special agents, superintendents, Commissioners, and other officials. Until March 25, 1860, inspectors were responsible to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Thereafter they were under the immediate supervision of the Secretary of the Interior.
In 1908 Thomas King, private secretary to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, was placed in charge of inspection matters in the Bureau. In 1909 a formal inspection service, under a Chief Supervisor, was established in the Office of the Commissioner; this service later developed into the Inspection Division. All officers not assigned to a particular agency or school were considered to be inspecting officers. Included were special agents, supervisors of schools, supervisors of construction, irrigation engineers, special officers (for suppression of liquor), traveling auditors, medical supervisors, examiners of inheritance, special physicians, field dentists, clerks and disbursing agents for irrigation districts, foresters, and many other officials.
There were no inspectors actually assigned to the Bureau until 1915. Until then Department inspectors had continued to do Indian work, even though they were no longer assigned to it exclusively. In 1915 there was established an inspection force, with a Chief Inspector and several inspectors assigned to districts. In 1924 these inspectors were transferred to the Office of the Secretary of the Interior to form part of a new Inspection Division for the entire Department. In 1933 this Division was replaced by a Division of Investigations.
There continued to be an Inspection Division in the Bureau of Indian Affairs; but the Washington office had only one employee, Fred H. Daiker. With the reorganization of 1931; the Inspection Division of the Bureau was abolished and inspection matters were assigned to the Coordination Office (actually the Office of the Assistant to the Commissioner for Human Relations). This Office took care of any matters not assigned to one of the divisions. Daiker continued to serve for a time in the Coordination Office as Junior Assistant to the Commissioner for Inspection and Miscellaneous Matters. Although there were later administrative changes, there does not seem to have been any new inspection service established in the Bureau until 1955.
Some of the series described below might be considered as general records of the Bureau relating to inspection matters; it has, however, seemed more meaningful to consider them all as records of the Inspection Division. Although the series of Inspectors' Reports (entry 951) is for the period 1873-80 and several of the smaller series are for a period preceding the establishment of the Inspection Division, they can all be considered as records of a predecessor. The two large series of Special Agent Files (entry 949) and Inspection Reports (entry 953) extend beyond the date the Division was abolished. The later inspection reports, however, consist almost entirely of copies of reports referred from the Division of Investigations of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. There are only a few special agent files dated later than 1932; all of them are for irrigation officers.
Records concerning inspectors and other traveling officers will be found in several other places. Many letters received from inspectors --for the period 1873-80 -- are in the general incoming correspondence of the Bureau (entry 79), Special Cases (entry 102), and other general records. Letters sent to inspectors are in the letter books described in entries 84 and 96. Letters sent to inspectors and many of the letters received from inspectors -- for the period 1880-1907 -- are among the records of the Indian and Indian Territory Divisions of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior; but many reports were referred to the Bureau and are with the incoming letters of the Bureau (entry 91). There are post-1907 records concerning inspectors and other traveling officers among the central classified files of the Bureau (entry 121) and of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. No records of the Division of Investigations of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior have been accessioned by the National Archives.
Inspection work was closely associated with the activities of the other divisions; and related records are often among their records. Many of the persons considered to be inspecting officials were concerned solely with the activities of one of the other divisions. This was particularly true of the Health, Irrigation, Forestry, Probate, Land, Education, and Finance Divisions. Special physicians, for example, were considered to be inspecting officers but were concerned exclusively with activities of the Health Division. Records concerning these officials are often among the records of both the Inspection and the other division concerned as well as in the general records of the Bureau.
1909-10. 1 in.
Included are letters received, copies of letters sent, telegrams, memoranda, mimeographed procedural material, and a shorthand notebook. Many of the records relate to attempts to prevent the sale of liquor, particularly in Minnesota. Arranged in rough chronological order.
1907-48. 102 ft.
Letters received, copies of letters sent, statistical and narrative reports, memoranda, financial records, photographs, mimeographed procedural material, and other kinds of records. The records relate not
only to the activities of special agents but to those of any field officials not assigned to a particular agency or school. These included inspectors, field representatives, supervisors of schools, supervisors of construction, irrigation engineers, special officers (liquor control), examiners of inheritance, traveling auditors, clerks and special disbursing agents for irrigation districts, medical supervisors, special physicians, and field dentists. Included are some records relating to tours of Commissioners of Indian Affairs. The records pertain chiefly to administrative matters such as travel itineraries, work assignments, purchases and supplies, accounts, and the submission of reports. Also included are some records, particularly reports, concerning operations in the areas of irrigation, education, and health activities. The records in this series were assigned file and classification numbers as part of the central classified files of the Bureau (entry
121). Later records on a particular subject were added to the first incoming letter on that subject to form files or dossiers. The files are divided into three chronological parts: (1) for the years 1907-21; (2) for the years 1922-32; and (3) for later years. Within each part the records are arranged alphabetically by surname of official and thereunder by file number. The records in individual files are usually arranged chronologically. For the period after 1932 there are only a few large files for irrigation officers. The files have 1936 and 1939 base letters but include records dated as late as 1948. For related records and for duplicate records (especially for reports), see the central classified files (entry
121); Inspection Reports (entry 953); and the records of the several divisions -- particularly of the Irrigation, Health, Education (Administrative), and Probate Divisions.
1873-80. 1 vol. 2 in.
Comprise a register for the records described in entry 951. Entries for individual reports give report number, name of inspector submitting report, file number, date of receipt, filing action, and subject matter. There are also entries for letters that are not reports but that concern instructions, estimates, accounts, travel, and other administrative matters. Most of these letters, as indicated in the entries, have been removed from the inspector's reports and filed in the general incoming correspondence of the Bureau (entry
79). Arranged by report number, which was assigned in alphabetical order by surname of inspector and thereunder in chronological order by date of receipt. There is an alphabetical index to names and subjects.
1873-80. 3 ft.
Reports of general inspections of agencies and special reports on investigations of charges, claims, changes in personnel at agencies, and other matters. Arranged by number, which was assigned in alphabetical order by surname of inspector and thereunder by date of receipt. The reports were registered in the same order in the abstracts described in entry
950. There are many gaps in the numbers for records (many of
which are not strictly reports) that were transferred to the general incoming correspondence of the Bureau (entry
79) or that were sent to the Secretary of the Interior. Later reports are in the general incoming correspondence (entry
91) and among the incoming correspondence of the Indian Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior.
Feb.-Sept. 1899. 1 vol. 1 in.
Press copies of letters sent, chiefly to the Secretary of the Interior. There are copies of other records as enclosures. One letter, received by McConnell in 1902, has been inserted in the volume. The records are arranged chronologically. There is an alphabetical subject index. No earlier or later volumes have been found among the records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs now in the National Archives.
1908-40. 42 ft.
Reports of inspections made at agencies, schools, hospitals, and other facilities. Reports were made to the Secretary of the Interior, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Director of Investigations for the Department of the Interior, and to other officials by inspectors, special agents, school supervisors, medical supervisors, special physicians, supervisors of construction, district superintendents, field representatives, members of the Board of Indian Commissioners, and other officials. They relate to general conditions at agencies, schools, health conditions and facilities, construction projects, irrigation projects, timber and mill operations, grazing, audits of accounts, investigations of charges made against employees and others, employee efficiency ratings, disputes over ownership of land, tribal enrollment, and many other subjects. They are mainly narrative reports, but often there are enclosures such as affidavits, transcripts of testimony, copies of correspondence, forms (chiefly for employee efficiency ratings), and photographs. The reports are grouped by the following overlapping time periods: 1908-32, 1928-34 (chiefly 1930-33), 1933-36, and 1936-40. The reports for each period, except the period 1933-36, are arranged for the most part alphabetically by name of jurisdiction and thereunder chronologically. There are few reports for the years 1911-16, except some relating to schools in Indian Territory. For the period 1922-29 some of the reports, chiefly duplicates of those filed by jurisdiction, are arranged alphabetically by surname of inspector or other official and thereunder chronologically. For the period 1933-36 the reports are arranged by file number, which was assigned in chronological order by date of receipt; there are no jurisdictional breakdowns. The later reports are almost entirely those of special agents of the Department; they relate chiefly to audits of accounts. Many of the reports are duplicates of ones among the central classified files of the Bureau (entry
121). See also the records of the several divisions -- particularly the Health, Education, and Irrigation Divisions.
1940.
Arranged into four sections numbered I to IV. Consists of a narrative report by Special Agent in Charge Virgil P. Wallace, followed by extensive exhibits. The investigation centered on the loss sustained on a trust held by Mollie Davis, a Creek Indian. A suit was filed on her behalf against the Exchange Trust Company of Tulsa, OK. Most of the exhibits consist of testimony by people who knew Mollie Davis or copies of the company's financial records. The case was closed in October 1940 with a decision in the favor of Davis' estate. (new entry)
1908-10. 4 in.
Letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, and other kinds of records relating to district agents in Oklahoma. These officials were appointed to help with the affairs of minors and restricted allottees. The records relate mainly to applications for appointments and to appointments; but there are also records relating to general regulations for the conduct of agents, to supplies, and to other administrative matters. There are few records concerning actual operations. These records have regular file and classification numbers (see entry
121). They are divided into (1) general records, which are arranged by file number; and (2) files for individual agents, which are arranged alphabetically by surname of agent. The records in individual files are arranged chronologically. There are some 1911 records among those for 1910.
1916. 1 in.
Abstracts for individual reports by Inspector Wade H. Gibbs, giving section of report, file number, name of jurisdiction, recommendation, and action taken by the Bureau upon the recommendation. Arranged alphabetically by name of jurisdiction. The inspection reports are among the central classified files of the Bureau (entry
121).
Feb. 16-24, 1914. 3 in.
This conference was held in Washington, D.C. The transcripts are
arranged chronologically.
A Statistics Section was organized as part of the Library Section of the Office of the Chief Clerk by an order of the Acting Commissioner dated March 8, 1909. Before this date there had been no real statistical unit in the Bureau; but the Miscellaneous Division, which until 1908 had charge of the library and the compilation of the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, may be considered as the predecessor of the Statistics Section. Later in 1909 the Section was transferred to the new Methods Division, where it remained until 1912. It was assigned to the Office of the Second Assistant Commissioner from 1912 to 1914, to the Education Division from 1914 until 1926, and to the Office of the Chief Clerk from 1926 until 1934. In February 1934 an acting Assistant to the Commissioner, later known as the Assistant Finance Officer (and Business Manager) was assigned the duties previously performed by the Chief Clerk. The Statistics Section remained in the Office of the Finance Officer until about 1939, when it was made a division. In 1947 the Statistics Division was abolished. The statistician in charge was then assigned to the Tribal Relations Division.
The Statistics Division processed census rolls, reports of births and deaths, health reports, extension reports, the annual narrative and statistical reports submitted by field officials, and other kinds of reports and statistical data. It also compiled information for the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
There are many statistical records throughout the records of the Bureau now in the National Archives. The records of the Health and Extension Divisions, in particular, include records that at one time were in the custody of the Statistics Division.
1938-49. 7 in.
Memoranda, copies of letters sent, letters received, tables, charts, lists, reports, blank forms, and other records maintained by Statisticians George M. Weber and Charles E. J. Heacock. The records relate to the statistical work of the Division, organization changes, requests for information, and other subjects. Included are records concerning data on individual Indian income (see also entry
963). Arranged roughly by subject.
1911-21. 10 in.
Copies and drafts of letters and telegrams sent, letters received, memoranda, reports, circulars, blank forms, graphs, notes, and other records. They relate to the submission and correction of reports and census rolls, the compilation of the
Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, requests for statistical information, office operations, and other subjects. Arranged in part by subject and in part chronologically. For later correspondence concerning the submission and correction of reports and rolls, see entry
959.
1930-35. 7 ft.
Incoming correspondence and copies of outgoing correspondence with field units relating to the submission and correction of annual statistical and narrative reports; census, birth, and death rolls; birth and death certificates; and medical reports. Included are forms for the correction of medical reports that were sent to superintendents and returned. Arranged alphabetically by name of jurisdiction and thereunder chronologically. For earlier correspondence concerning reports, see entry
958. For the annual reports, see entries 960 and
961; for census rolls, see entry 964; and for medical reports, see the records of the Health Division.
1910-38. 45 ft.
Reports on operations and accomplishments at agencies, schools, hospitals, and other field jurisdictions. These reports were submitted chiefly by superintendents or other persons in charge. Photographs are sometimes included. The reports relate to law and order, education, health, population, land ownership, agriculture and land use, industry, forestry, welfare, social conditions, tribal organization, and other subjects. Included are some reports of the Chief Special Officer concerning liquor control and some reports of supervisors. Arranged alphabetically by name of jurisdiction and thereunder chronologically, with the supervisors' reports at the end of the series. There are a few reports for years before 1910 and after 1938. There are other narrative reports among the records described in entry
963. Earlier reports are not usually among the records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs now in the National Archives; but until 1906 they were printed regularly with the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. For accompanying statistical reports, see entry
961.
1920-35. 80 ft.
Standard forms, submitted by agency superintendents or other persons in charge of field jurisdictions, to accompany the narrative reports described in entry
960. Individual sections of the reports relate to population figures, school enrollment, health, industries, agriculture and livestock, forestry, irrigation, land ownership, employment, Government property, and other subjects. Included are some transmittal letters and other correspondence. For fiscal year 1928 there are weekly and monthly medical reports, which are usually among the records of the Health Division (see entry
774). Arranged alphabetically by name of jurisdiction and thereunder chronologically. There are later statistical reports among the records described in entry
963.
1920-21. 2 in.
Completed forms indicating errors in individual items in the reports described in entry
961. Arranged by year. The forms for 1920 are arranged alphabetically by name of State and thereunder by name of agency.
1933-48. 40 ft.
Included are annual statistical reports, annual narrative reports, other narrative and statistical reports, letters received (chiefly transmittal letters), copies of letters sent, processed procedural and reference material, and copies of publications. The reports -- other than the annual reports -- relate to extension activities, land tenure, individual Indian income, land acreage verification, Federal real estate, population and vital statistics, law and order, surveys conducted by Technical Cooperation - Bureau of Indian Affairs (TC-BIA) of the Soil Conservation Service, verification of spelling of place names, and other subjects. The correspondence relates mainly to the submission and correction of reports and other records. The records are arranged alphabetically by name of field jurisdiction, thereunder by subject or
type of record, and thereunder, when applicable, chronologically For earlier annual reports, see entries
960 and 961. For other correspondence concerning reports, see entries
957-959. See also the reports maintained by other divisions, particularly the Health and Extension Divisions.
1885-1940. 420 ft.
Rolls of Indians, which were usually submitted annually by agents or superintendents as required by an act of Congress of July 4, 1884 (23 Stat. 98). The information concerning individuals varies to some extent; but usually given are the English and/or Indian name, roll number, age or date of birth, sex, and relationship to head of family. Beginning in 1930 there were also given the degree of Indian blood, marital status, ward status, residence, and sometimes other information. During the 1930's complete new rolls were not prepared every year. For certain years there are only supplemental rolls of additions and deductions, usually listing births and deaths. There are a few post-1940 rolls. Arranged alphabetically by name of agency or school and thereunder by year. For jurisdictions with more than one tribe or band there may be several rolls for each year. On the individual rolls family groups are listed together. On the earlier rolls there is often no discernible order in the listing of the families. The later rolls are arranged alphabetically by surname of head of family. Most of the later rolls are on standard forms. A list of the rolls is available for use in the National Archives.
There are other census rolls in other bodies of records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs now in the National Archives. There is a considerable number of rolls among the letters received by the Bureau (entries 79 and 91), including most of the rolls prepared before 1885. There are also rolls among the records of the Land, Civilization, and Finance Divisions; in the records relating to Indian removal; in Special Series A (entry 126); in the Irregularly Shaped Papers (entry 310); and in other series. Included in the records of the Finance Division is the large series of annuity payment rolls (entry 906), which contain much of the same type of information as that in census rolls. Among the records of the Education Division are rolls of school-age children and of children actually enrolled in schools.
1909-11. 4 in.
Prepared mainly to provide data for the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. The tables relate to schools, lands, livestock, per capita payments, Indian income, appropriations and other financial matters, employees, and other subjects. Arranged by year.
1911-21. 1/2 in.
Clippings relating mainly to Indian population. Most of the clippings are for the years 1911-13; many are undated. Arranged in rough chronological order.
The Employees Section, known as the Appointments Section until 1911; was established in the Education Division by an order of the Acting Commissioner dated March 8, 1909. This Section had charge of matters relating solely to field employees of the Bureau. (For records concerning Washington office employees, see the records of the Offices of the Chief Clerk and Assistant Commissioner.) The Employees Section handled matters such as appointments, transfers, separations, promotions and reductions, bonds, oaths, and efficiency ratings.
To the Employees Section were transferred pre-1909 records of the Civilization, Accounts, and Education Divisions concerning employee matters. For many years the Civilization Division had primary responsibility for field personnel. The Medical and Educational Division (1873-81) was assigned certain duties concerning mainly lower ranking employees; none of its records, however, appear to have been transferred to the Employees Section. The Accounts Division, established in 1876, assumed much of the personnel work of the Civilization Division. The Civilization Division was abolished in 1885; and, from then until 1908, the Education Division was responsible for most of the work concerning school employees and the Accounts Division was responsible for the work concerning agency employees. In 1908 general responsibility for work concerning field personnel was assigned to the Education Division.
The Employees Section remained part of the Education Division (renamed the Administrative Division in 1926) until 1931. It was then transferred to the Office of the Assistant to the Commissioner for Human Relations (also known as the Coordination Office). The Assistant also served as personnel officer for the Bureau. After 1936 the exact duties of the several Assistants to the Commissioner became confused; the Employees Section, however, continued to perform its regular duties under the supervision of one of the Assistants. By this time there was a separate Personnel Office in charge of the central office personnel matters. In 1939 the Employees Section was abolished, and the personnel work of the Bureau was centralized in a Personnel Division.
There are other records relating to personnel matters throughout the records of the Bureau now in the National Archives, particularly in the general correspondence series and in the letters sent from the Office of the Commissioner (entry 165). There are many records relating to personnel matters -- particularly concerning officials appointed by the President or the Secretary of the Interior -- among the records of the Appointments Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior and, beginning in 1907; among the central classified files of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior (in Record Group 48).
1833-34, 1836, 1866-68. 1 vol. 2 in.
Individual entries give date on application or recommendation or date of receipt of application or recommendation, name of applicant, title of position sought, name of person recommending applicant (when relevant), and sometimes an indication of the action taken. Arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname of applicant and thereunder chronologically. Some of the applications and recommendations are with the general incoming correspondence of the Bureau (entry
79).
1835-49. 1 vol. 1 in.
Individual entries give date on application or recommendation or date of receipt of application or recommendation, name of applicant, name of person recommending applicant, and sometimes an indication of the action taken and file references. Arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname of applicant and thereunder chronologically. A detached list of 1845 applications, arranged by jurisdiction, has been inserted in the volume. Some of the applications and recommendations are with the general incoming correspondence of the Bureau (entry
79).
1867-1935. 27 vols. 4 ft.
Copies of official bonds of field employees. Arranged chronologically. In the individual volumes there are alphabetical indexes to names of employees. There are earlier bonds among the records of the Finance Division (entry
885).
1866-1909. 4 vols. 10 in.
Copies of commissions sent to persons appointed by the President and the Secretary of the Interior. Some copies of letters sent by the Secretary of the Interior are inserted in the volumes. Arranged for the most part chronologically. In the individual volumes there are alphabetical indexes to names of appointees. There are copies of earlier and some special contemporary commissions among the volumes of Miscellaneous Records (entry
113).
1873-78. 6 vols. 1 ft.
Copies of form letters, sent to agents and superintendents, approving the appointment of persons recommended for positions by the field official. Included are some approvals of resignations and other personnel actions. Explanatory remarks are often added. Arranged chronologically. In the individual volumes there are alphabetical indexes to names of addressees (not appointees). The earliest volume is labeled as "Vol. 2." No "Vol. l" has been found.
1894-1909. 7 vols. 1 ft.
Entries for individual actions give name of appointee, position, school, salary, date and nature of action, and other information. Entries in the individual volumes are arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname of appointee and thereunder chronologically by date of action. In the individual volumes there are alphabetical indexes to names of schools.
1902-5. 4 vols. 7 in.
For selections for appointments made from Civil Service Commission certifications and for temporary appointments authorized by the Commission. Individual entries usually give name of appointee, school, position, salary, dates of actions, and other information. Arranged roughly by request number, which was assigned in order when a request for certification or authorization was made to the Civil Service Commission. The last volume, begun in November 1904, contains entries only for temporary appointments. In the individual volumes there are alphabetical indexes to names of schools and names of appointees.
1848-50. 1 vol. 1 in.
Given for individual superintendents, agents, subagents, interpreters, teachers, farmers, smiths, and other employees are name, position, date of appointment, salary, and sometimes other information concerning mainly termination of employment. There are entries for persons appointed as early as 1833; and there are some notations for 1851. There is one roster for 1848-49, and there is one roster for 1850. The entries in each roster are arranged by superintendency and agency, with some entries for special positions at the end. There is an index to names of jurisdictions.
1853-63. 1 vol. 3/4 in.
Given for individual superintendents, agents, and subagents are name and date of appointment. Entries are arranged by superintendency and agency in a geographical pattern. There is an alphabetical index to names of jurisdictions and tribes. For the main series of rosters of agents and superintendents, see entry
976.
1849-1911. 8 vols. 1 ft.
These rosters list chiefly names of agents, superintendents, and school superintendents; but they also include names of inspectors, special agents, supervisors, Commissioners, and other higher level field employees. Information in the individual volumes varies; but usually given for each employee are name, position, address, date of
commission, dates of actual service, reason for termination of employment, information concerning bonding, name of nominating religious society (during appropriate years), and other data. The first volume
(1849-78); although listing officials appointed as early as 1849, was probably not begun before 1869; it is inaccurate and incomplete for the earlier years. The individual volumes are for varying periods of time, with some overlapping. Entries in the first volume are arranged by superintendency and agency. Entries in the later volumes are arranged alphabetically by name of State or Territory and thereunder by agency or alphabetically by name of agency, with schools listed separately. Most of the volumes include indexes to names of jurisdictions and to names of officials.
1893-96. 3 vols. 2 in.
Indexes to three of the rosters of agency employees (entry 978). Given, for white employees only, are names of employees and page references. Arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname.
September 30, 1831.
Unarranged. A description at the beginning reads, "List of all Officers and other persons employed in the Indian Department, exhibiting their names, where employed, where born, and the amount of compensation allowed to each." Categories of agents listed are Sub Agents, Interpreters, Gun & Blacksmiths, Clerks, Laborers, Agriculturists, and Millers. (new entry)
1916-20.
Arranged into several sub-series. At the beginning are numerous sub-series including lists of Indian officers, of Indians receiving decorations, of Indian nurses, of Indians at work in Washington, DC. Largest by far is a name file arranged alphabetically by name of Indian or name of agency. Cards for individual Indians list the name, rank, and tribe. Beyond that, the information is highly inconsistent. Sometimes included is: age, military unit, whether drafted or enlisted, the camp where enlisted, a date of unknown origin, and casualty information. At times, later information such as post-war whereabouts and accidental deaths is hand written on the cards. Numerous copies of the cards are filed together along with occasional letters and clippings. Cards for agencies provide a summary of how many served and often what became of them upon returning home. This file was used for reference and was added to years after the war ended. Information largely derived from responses to Circular #1625 of 1920 from Entry 998E. Lesser sub-series following are: lists of deaths (including both KIA and those dying soon after the war), lists of those wounded, listings by tribes, an unidentified name list (B-Z only), several miscellaneous lists, and service records of Osages. (new entry)
1853-1909. 38 vols. 7 ft.
For employees at agencies and other field jurisdictions, but not usually including agents and other higher officials. The information concerning individual employees varies; but usually included are name, position, salary, name of tribe for whom appointed, dates of service, age, sex, race, marital status, birthplace, legal residence or State from which appointed, and other data. Some of the volumes contain charts concerning expenditures for irregular labor. The earlier volumes are for varying periods of time; the later ones were used for only one fiscal year. Entries in the early volumes are arranged for the most part by superintendency and agency; entries in the later ones are arranged alphabetically by name of jurisdiction. In the individual volumes there are usually indexes to names of jurisdictions, but not to names of employees. For some separate indexes to names of employees, see entry
977. For an earlier roster, see entry 974. Beginning in 1884 separate rosters were kept for school employees (entry
979). There are also separate rosters for Indian police (entry
982).
1884-1909. 22 vols. 5 ft.
For agency and nonagency schools (both boarding and day schools), but not including schools of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory (see entry
981). Entries for individual employees give name, position, salary, dates of service, sex, age, race, marital status, birthplace, legal residence or State from which appointed, former occupation, and other information. Some employees, under the supervision of schools but not really school employees, are listed in the agency employee rosters (entry
978). There is a roster for each fiscal year; and each volume contains either one or two rosters. The entries in individual rosters are arranged for the most part alphabetically by name of school or name of agency at which school was
located. In the individual volumes there are indexes to names of jurisdictions and usually separate indexes to names of employees. Until 1884 school employees were included in the rosters of agency employees (entry
978). For other rosters for school employees, see entries 980 and
981 and rosters maintained by the individual schools.
1889-90. 1 vol. 1 in.
A roster of individual employees of Indian schools during fiscal year 1890. Given for each employee are name, position, salary, dates of service, sex, age, race, marital status, State from which appointed, and sometimes other information. Arranged alphabetically by name of school or name of agency at which school was located. There are indexes to names of jurisdictions and to names of employees. The information in this roster duplicates for the most part that in the roster for fiscal year 1890 in the main series of rosters of school employees (entry
979).
1899-1909. 4 vols. 1 ft.
For individual employees of schools for the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory. Given are name, position, salary, dates of service, sex, age, race, marital status, legal residence, birthplace, former occupation, date of original appointment, and other information. Included also are listings for employees of the Office of the Superintendent of Schools in Indian Territory and listings for supervisors. Entries in the individual volumes are arranged for the most part by tribe and thereunder by school. The first volume (1899-1904) consists almost entirely of listings for Choctaw schools. In all four volumes there are alphabetical indexes to names of schools, and in the first three volumes there are alphabetical indexes to names of employees. There are no earlier rosters because the schools of the Five Tribes had previously been largely independent of Bureau control.
1878-1909. 16 vols. 2 ft.
The information given concerning individual policemen varies; but it usually includes name, position, salary, degree of blood, tribal affiliation, age, marital status, birthplace, physical measurements, dates of service, and other data. Each volume, except the last one, contains rosters for two consecutive fiscal years, (in a few cases one roster covers two fiscal years.) Arranged chronologically. The entries in individual rosters are arranged for the most part alphabetically by name of agency or school. The volumes are numbered in order; and, although there are gaps in the numbers, no volumes are missing. In the individual volumes there are alphabetical indexes to names of jurisdictions, but not to names of policemen.
1899-1909. 2 vols. 2 in.
Entries for individual employees give name, legal residence, position, salary, dates of service, and other information. One volume is for the period 1899-1904, with references to the appointments of the Commissioners as early as
1893. The second volume is for the period 1899-1909, but mainly for the period after July 1, 1904. Entries in each volume are arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname of employee and thereunder in rough chronological order by date of appointment. New rosters were begun on July 1, 1905, and July 1, 1908.
1908-9. 1 vol. 1 in.
A roster for employees working in certain offices, particularly those of superintendents of irrigation and special allotting agents. Entries for individual employees give name, position, salary, dates of service, birthplace, legal residence, date of original appointment, and other information. Arranged by office (usually designated by name of supervising official) but in no discernible order. There is an alphabetical index to names of supervisors and jurisdictions.
1887-88, 1895-96. 2 vols. 2 in.
These lists give number of employees, names of positions, salaries, and sometimes appropriation authorizations for non-Indian and Indian employees at agencies and other field units (not schools) during fiscal years 1888 and 1896. There are also notations concerning the number of Indians under the agency, the number of Indian police, and authorities for irregular labor and changes in positions and salaries. Arranged by fiscal year and thereunder alphabetically by name of agency, with listings for other units at the end of those for each fiscal year.
1912-40. 11 ft.
Lists of positions authorized in the field service during each fiscal year -- with information concerning salaries, appropriations, and, for the later years, salary grades. The names of incumbent employees are not usually given. For 1938 and 1939 there are also lists for the Washington office, and these include names of employees. The dates given for the series are those of the fiscal years for which the lists were intended. The lists were actually compiled and approved during the year before they were put into effect. Through fiscal year 1933 there are three sets of lists: (1) for agency positions, (2) for school positions, and (3) for miscellaneous positions (chiefly those not limited to any one field jurisdiction). After 1933 the school and agency lists were combined. The lists in each set are arranged chronologically by fiscal year. The agency and school lists are arranged thereunder alphabetically
by name of jurisdiction, and for the years 1938-40 there is also a geographical breakdown. The miscellaneous lists for each year (and Washington office lists for 1938 and 1939) are in no set order. There are lists for fiscal years 1908-11 and other lists in Special Series A (entry
126).
1925-28. 3 in.
Original letters and copies of letters from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Secretary of the Interior, which were returned by the Secretary with his approval of the action recommended. The letters request the creating or abolishing of positions, grade level increases, and other changes in positions. A few memoranda are included. Arranged chronologically.
1926-28. 1 in.
Copies of memoranda prepared by John Harvey, Supervisor of Classification for the Department of the Interior, and often approved by the Secretary of the Interior. Most of the memoranda contain recommendations for changes in the grade levels of established positions or grade levels for new positions. Arranged chronologically. There are some other memoranda prepared by Harvey among the position orders described in entry
987.
1930-36, 1939. 8 ft.
Letters received and copies of letters sent -- with memoranda, organization lists and charts, reports, circulars, clippings, copies of school yearbooks, and other kinds of records. They concern the creating and abolishing of positions, appointments, promotions, transfers, evaluation of employees, staff meetings, quarters for employees, and other subjects. Most of the correspondence is with agency superintendents. The 1930-36 records are separated from the 1939 records. The records for each of these periods are arranged alphabetically by name of jurisdiction (with those for 1939 further broken down by administrative division) and thereunder for the most part chronologically. No records for 1937 and 1938 have been located.
1889-95. 4 vols. 5 in.
Contain abstracts of reports from inspectors and other supervisory officials concerning the competence of school employees. Abstracts in three of the volumes are arranged alphabetically by name of school or by name of agency at which school was located and thereunder in rough chronological order by date of receipt. Abstracts in the other volume are arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname of employee. In the individual volumes there are alphabetical indexes to names of jurisdictions; and in the volume in which the abstracts are arranged by name of employee there is also an alphabetical index to those names. The reports are usually with the general incoming correspondence of the Bureau (entry
91).
1895-1906. 1 vol. 2 in.
An index giving volume and page references for employees for whom
there are efficiency ratings in the volumes described in entry 992. Arranged alphabetically by initial letter and first vowel of surname of employee.
1895-1906. 6 vols. 1 ft.
Compiled from reports submitted by supervisory officials. Individual ratings of employees give name of employee, position, school, name of official making report, date and file number of report, general efficiency rating and ratings on specific qualities, any special lines of fitness and skill, and sometimes other information. Arranged in rough chronological order by date of receipt of first report concerning an employee. When the space allotted for an employee (usually sufficient for several reports) was filled, a new entry was begun in the next available space. In the individual volumes there are alphabetical indexes to names of employees. There is also a separate general index (entry
991). The original reports are usually with the general incoming correspondence of the Bureau (entry
91).
1975-1979.
Arrangement is alphabetical by name of area office. These reports were requested for an OMB review in 1980. The major categories of program reports are Adult Vocational Training (AVT) and Direct Employment (DE). AVT reports list: occupation; numbers entered, completed, & discontinued; numbers employed in & not employed in training occupation; status to date (today); and average cost per placement. DE reports list: occupation; number placed in employment; status to date (today); and average cost per placement. The other major report is the Annual Employment Assistance Report which provides broad statistics for an area office or agency such as number of applications for the various programs and was apparently only started in 1979. This report is broken down by "Origin Offices" and "Destination Offices". For all reports, statistics are furnished for individual agencies as well for the area as a whole and are reported by fiscal year. Narrative reports are often included. For certain areas, additional reports have been attached such as the Navajo's Career Development Annual Report. (new entry)
The Library Section was established in the Office of the Chief Clerk in 1908. Previously the Bureau library had been the responsibility of the Miscellaneous Division; and the former head of that Division was put in charge of the Library Section. The Library Section remained in the Office of the Chief Clerk until that Office was abolished in 1934, and thereafter it was, successively, under the Finance Officer and the Chief Administrative Officer. Certain procedural materials once maintained in the library, particularly orders (entry 128), are described in this inventory with other procedural materials among the general records of the Bureau.
1856-1914. 4 ft.
Printed copies. Arranged by session, house of Congress, type of record, and report or document number. Some of the later reports and documents may have been maintained in the Law Division at one time. There are copies of congressional hearings and acts among the records of the Law and Probate Divisions (entry
651 and 652).
ca. 1912-29. 5 in.
Letters received, copies of letters sent, clippings, and some photographs, leaflets, and copies of articles relating to memorials and monuments dedicated to Indians. Much of the correspondence is for the period December 1922-January 1923; it relates chiefly to a survey
conducted by the library. Arranged alphabetically by name of State in which memorials were located.
1913-17. 5 in.
These clippings concern a variety of subjects; but many of them relate to Cato Sells, Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Arranged for the most part alphabetically by name of newspaper. These clippings are from newspapers with names beginning with the letters A through C and N through Z. There are separate clippings concerning the Colville Reservation and Joseph Choate, President of the Indian Rights Association.
1923-24. 5 ft.
Clippings that were supplied mainly by clipping services. Arranged by the following subject headings: Advisory Committee, Osage, Education, Pima, Oklahoma, Pueblo, Antiquities, Dance, History, Navajo, California, Criticism, New York, and Cherokee. Within each subject heading the clippings are arranged in rough chronological order. For other clippings, see entries
966, 994, 995, 997,
1396, and 1397.
ca. 1934-47. 6 in.
Included with the clippings are some copies of entire newspapers. Arranged in part by subject and in part in rough chronological order.
1958-74.
Unarranged. These files contain clippings of articles from newspapers across the country pertaining to a wide variety of Indian-related topics. Among the major topics covered are judgements in court cases, the American Indian Exposition in Anadarko, OK in 1959, and the November 1972 occupation of bureau headquarters in Washington D.C. by Indian activists. At least some of these clippings were sent in by private citizens. (new entry)
1918-19.
Arranged in chronological order. These boxes contain full issues of this newspaper for the designated period. This time covers the last year and aftermath of World War I, during which Great Britain and the United States were allies. (new entry)
1907-50. 2 ft.
Copies of periodicals and other publications and issuances. Included are copies of The Native American, 1907-29, published by the Phoenix School, and of Indians at Work, 1935-39 (see entry
1005). Arranged in part by name of periodical and in part by subject.
1944.
Arranged roughly by state, but this is not perfectly adhered to. Consists of a single scrapbook. This was the third volume of a series - the whereabouts of the others is unknown. Each clipping has a heading listing the newspaper from which the clipping came and the date. Some clippings indicate they were compiled by the Office of War Information's Division of Press Intelligence. They relate to all aspects of the war effort pertaining to Indians but especially focus on cases of individual Indian soldiers being cited for gallantry or who were casualties. There is some news from the home front and a section on "Women in War". Also included is an Interior Department poster and copies of the Daily Oklahoman from 1939. (new entry)
ca. 1906-65.
Arranged in alphabetical order by subject. This was apparently from the Interior Department library's reference collection on American Indians. "Information File" is stamped on many individual documents. Included are reports, issuances, booklets, speeches, articles, and clippings. The records themselves are culled from many sources besides the BIA and Interior including the National Resources Board, Congress, and non-governmental organizations such as church groups. Subjects are wide-ranging with the most extensive ones being: biographies (of famous Indians), citizenship, education, history, land, medicine, policy & organization, and population. The wide time span reflects changes attitudes and policies towards Indians. (new entry)
1935. 1 vol.
A single report, prepared by USDA Agricultural Economist B. Youngblood with the assistance of staff from the Soil Conservation Service and William Bostrom of the Indian Service. Provides a historical background to the Navajo's dire economic situation and contains numerous statistical tables highlighting the past role and current condition of Indian trading. The statistics are quite detailed, for example, listing the frequency distribution of average percentage markups on goods for sale. The report proposes revisions of trading regulations to curb abuses with the system. The study was triggered by a request from the Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of Agriculture "asking for a study of Navajo trading in relation to Navajo economy and life" and was designed to be preliminary. (new entry)
1946-76.
Arranged chronologically. The speeches were delivered before BIA employees as well as a wide variety of government agencies, private organizations, and Indian tribes. The topics are extremely broad and dealt with the pressing issues of the day. A few speeches were delivered by other officials. There are listing of the speeches at the front of each binder. This collection documents the high profile position of the Commissioner and his role in public relations. (new entry)
ca. 1920-21 and 1945.
Arranged into three sub-series. The first consists of WW II records apparently used for a publication entitled "Indians in the War". The report dealt with various facets of Indian participation in the war and included articles on such topics as Navajo code talkers and Indians at Iwo Jima. The records here are galley proofs of the report. Lists of Indians who were wounded in action, missing in action, prisoners of war, or decorated - all of which appear to be working drafts - are included. The second sub-series is a general file on WW I containing a report on "The Indian's War Activities", statistical sheets, a standardized form used to respond to inquiries, and listings of New York Indians. The third sub-series, by far the largest, consists of standardized forms recording the participation of individual Indians in WWI. They were in response to Circular #1625 issued by the Commissioner in July 1920. These forms were the raw material used to compile the main name index in Entry 977B. (new entry)
1933-76.
Arranged chronologically into two sub-series; one dating from 1933-70 and the other from 1961-76. Press releases were generally given a sequential number until 1971. Throughout the years, though, there were occasionally unnumbered releases. For each year there is a list of press releases, though the format and detail varies across time. The topics covered are broad -ranging from administrative changes to passage of new legislation to the start of new development projects to general information about Indians such as a list of states with Indian-derived names. The releases document the changes in official Indian policy across the decades. Although, there are some press releases from the 1961-70 time frame in both sub-series, the second sub-series has the most comprehensive collection for that era. (new entry)