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Understanding
the Reservation Roll
Indian
Rolls are viewed by many as one of the most
useful resources for researching your Native
American (Indian) Ancestors. However,
until you know where your ancestors resided
the rolls will not be of value to you.
As a general
rule, most of the rolls are based on a
treaty with the Indians. To understand
why the roll was necessary, you will need to
read and understand the treaty. We
have provided a link to all rolls associated
with each treaty.
Reservation Roll ~ 1817
A listing of those applying for a 640
acre tract in the East in lieu of removing
to Arkansas. This was only good during their
lifetime and then the property reverted back
to the state. To fully understand this roll,
please read
Cherokee Treaty of 1817.
The Reservation Roll is of
Cherokee families who lived on the East side
of the Mississippi River who did not wish to
remove to Arkansas. Cherokee
Head-of-Households wishing to remain in the
East on a 640 acre plot of land. If their
application was approved they would become
US Citizens.
If the Head-of-Household
should die, the land would go to their
spouse, or child. If the family were to
remove afterward the land would revert to
the US government. To ensure that all
allotted 'reservations' were properly
settled, the Cherokee applicants would
participate in a Reservation Census in June
of the following year, 1818.
Those Cherokee not applying
to the Reservation Roll were required by the
Cherokee Treaty of 1817 to remove to
Arkansas. Those Cherokee that removed would
also be accounted for in a US Government
Census in June of 1818. The government would
then have a complete census of the Cherokee
people. Most Cherokee that applied for
'reservations' were denied, and required to
remove to Arkansas under the supervision of
a US Government official designated by the
same.
Article 8.
And to each and every head of
any Indian family residing on
the east side of the Mississippi
River, on the lands that are now
or may hereafter be surrendered
to the United States, who may
wish to become citizens of the
United States, the United States
do agree to give a reservation1
of six hundred and forty acres
of land in a square to include
their improvements which are to
be as near the center thereof as
practicable, in which they will
have a life estate with a
reversion in fee simple to their
children reserving to the widow
her dower, the register of whose
names is to be filed in the
office of the Cherokee agent,
which shall be kept open until
the census is taken as
stipulated in the third article
of this treaty. Provided, That
if any of the heads of families,
for whom reservations may be
made, should remove there from,
then, in that case the right to
revert to the United States. And
provided further, That the land
which may be reserved under this
article, be deducted from the
amount which has been ceded
under the first2
and second3
articles of this treaty. |
Footnote: 1.
Reservation, during this period the land
granted to a person was called a
reservation. Today we think of a
reservation as a place that the entire tribe
resides.
Footnote: 2
The chiefs head men, and warriors, of the
whole Cherokee nation do also cede to the
United States all the lands lying north and
west of the following boundary lines, viz:
Beginning at the Indian boundary line that
runs from the north bank of the Tennessee
river, opposite to the mouth of Hywassee
River, at a point on the top of Walden's
ridge, where it divides the waters of the
Tennessee river from those of the Sequatchie
River; thence, along the said ridge
southwardly, to the bank of the Tennessee
River, at a point near to a place called the
Negro Sugar Camp, opposite to the upper end
of the first island above Running Water
town; thence, westwardly, a straight line to
the mouth of Little Sequatchie River;
thence, up said river, to its main fork,
thence, up its northern most fork, to its
source; and thence, due west to the Indian
boundary line.
Footnote: 3
It is also stipulated by the contracting
parties, that a census shall be taken of the
whole Cherokee nation, during the month of
June in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighteen, in the following
manner, viz: That the census of those on the
east side of the Mississippi River, who
declare their intention of remaining, shall
be taken by a commissioner appointed by the
President of the United States, and a
commissioner appointed by the Cherokees on
the Arkansas River; and the census of the
Cherokees on the Arkansas River, and those
removing there, and who, at that time,
declare their intention of removing there,
shall be taken by a commissioner appointed
by the President of the United States, and
one appointed by the Cherokees east of the
Mississippi River.
This is only an
index of applicants, the people listed here
did not in most instances receive the
reservation they requested. We will be
posting the remaining documents surrounding
the Reservation Roll including a list of
actual recipients in the near future.
Search Reservation Roll
Notes About the Book:
Source: Reservation Roll of Cherokee Indians, 1817, Records of the Bureau of
Indian Affairs
This site includes some historical materials that may imply negative
stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place.
These items are presented as part of the historical record and should not be
interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes
implied.
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