How to Register or Get your CDIB Card

This is based on the fact that the person providing the following information was born in 1940, for younger individual you will need additional generations.

Here is a short check list you might want to look over before submitting your papers. It is a guide to help you, help them!!  When I say you need birth, death and marriage certificates these need to be Official state certified records - not copies.

1. Your full name, address, telephone number and birth certificate, and marriage certificate.  (born 1940)

2. Completed application form (downloadable from the BIA website) for CDIB card. Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaska Native Blood (This site is temporally down) -- Adobe Acrobat PDF File - File Size 1,322 Kbs. Adobe Acrobat Reader You may also obtain the form by writing an area office for a copy. 

   1. For Cherokee Nation, From the Cherokee Nation.

   2. For Choctaw, From the Choctaw Nation

   3. For Chickasaw, From the Chickasaw Nation

   4. For Creek, From the Creek Nation

   5. For Seminole, From the Seminole Nation

3. Your parents full name, birth, death, and marriage certificate for both of them.  (You need both, after all they are your parents, so you need both of them to prove who you are, even if the Native American heritage is only on one side.) (born 1915-1921)

   1. Some kind of proof where this family lived for the past 50 years. (This isn't necessary but helpful.)

   2. Review our How to Search and South East Native American Research pages.

   3. Tribal roll records

   4. Final Rolls (They had to be living in Oklahoma in 1914 to be on the Dawes Rolls)

   5. A list of rolls that may be of assistance during this time period. You will need to know which tribe.

      1. Kern Clifton Roll ~ 1897 

      2. Churchill Roll ~ 1908

      3. Guion Miller Roll ~ 1909

      4. Baker Roll ~ 1924 (For Eastern Cherokee, must prove relationship to person on this roll)

   6. Census records, wills, property ownership

4. Your grand parents full name, birth death and marriages certificates for both of them. (born 1890-1895) Now the research becomes harder!!  In many states there was no birth, death and marriage registration prior to 1900.  You can use tribal roll records, census records, probate records, baptism records.  Again you will need to know where these people lived and census records are your best source.  Except for Native Americans, who hid, lied, and avoided the census taker all together.

   1. Final Rolls (Dawes) These will not be of any use to your unless your family was living in Oklahoma between 1898-1914. 

   2. Final Rolls Census packets.  If you know your family was in Oklahoma and you can find them on the Dawes Roll, by all means, send for the census packet.  This packet can contain additional information on your direct ancestor and related ancestors.  It also may tell you no more than you presently know.  Census packet how to order.

   3. A list of rolls that may be of assistance during this time period. You will need to know which tribe.

      1. Index to Final Roll ~ 1889~1914

      2. McKennon Roll ~ 1889

      3. Wallace Roll ~ 1890

5. Your great grandparents full name, birth death and marriage certificates for both. (born 1865-1870)

   1. A list of rolls that may be of assistance during this time period. You will need to know which tribe.

      1. Swetland Roll ~ 1869
         Hester Roll ~ 1883

   2. Census Records, by all means try the census, you never know what you will find.

6. Your great great grandparents, full name, birth, death and marriage certificates for both. (born 1845-1850)

   1. A list of rolls that may be of assistance during this time period. You will need to know which tribe.

      1. Mullay Roll ~ 1848

      2. Chapman Roll ~ 1851

      3. Old Settler Roll ~ 1851

      4. Siler Roll ~ 1852

      5. Drennen Roll ~ 1852

      6. Cooper Roll ~ 1855

   2. Census Records.

7. Your great great great grandparents, full name, birth, death and marriage certificates for both. (born 1825-1830)

   1. A list of rolls that may be of assistance during this time period. You will need to know which tribe.

      1. Reservation Roll ~ 1817

      2. Emigration Roll ~ 1817~1835

   2. Census Records

8. If you are still researching at this point, then you are doing it for your own personal satisfaction, that you are Native American, and there should be more people like you!!  At this point unless your family intermarried with another Native American you are only 1/128, this is not a high enough blood quantum to be excepted by many tribes.

Good luck and let us know if these pages helped you in your research.

Return to Indian GenealogyFree Genealogy | Indian Genealogy