Dawes Commission Case Files

The Dawes Commission was setup by Congress to enroll Native Americans into one of five tribes: Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, or Seminole. During the process of enrollment, Native Americans submitted many personal documents (if available) and received an interview in person, which was then recorded on paper. A determination was eventually made by this commission, using the information submitted, and the Commissioners own prejudices, on whether the applicant had the right to be part of that Nations Tribe. All the information was compiled into a packet of material and assigned a Case Number. Without discussing the injustice of such a move by the American Government, some valuable material is left for Native American researchers inside those packets.

Back to:   Dawes Roll Search

The information found below is relevant to the specific card/case number used to identify each Dawes Packet. This is an index of the census card, and not a complete index of the Dawes Packet. But it should give you an idea of the people who may be mentioned inside the packet.

Dawes Commission Case Files


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39 thoughts on “Dawes Commission Case Files”

  1. Hello, my name is Carla. I am looking for information on Bertha Frances Berry. She was born May 28, 1887 or 1889, in Earlsboro, Oklahoma to George Washington Berry, 48, and Mary Elizabeth Betty Frazier, 30. Bertha married Miles Robert Gifford on July 23, 1902, in Muskogee, Oklahoma. They had nine children, one being my great-grandmother. My great-grandmother, Nova Lee Gifford Hubbs Painter, listed Cherokee on my grandpa’s school registry cards. Bertha died on January 17, 1957, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 69.

    1. What information are you looking for? Bertha Frances Berry was born on May 28, 1888 in Earlsboro, Oklahoma. She died on January 17, 1957 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her Mother, Mary Elizabeth Betty Frazier, was from Missouri and her father, George Washington Berry, was from Illinois.
      You didn’t say which son of Nova’s had the school registry card, but neither of his parents were on the Dawes Rolls and were not Cherokee. They lived in Tahlequah, which is in Cherokee Country. Without seeing this registry card in question, I imagine that it was referring to what county the family resided. I have never had to put my Tribal citizenship on a school registry.

  2. Hi my name is Allison Morgan of Tulsa Oklahoma. I am registered already with the Cherokee nation. I’m just posting because I don’t actually know which of my ancestors is the one listed on the Dawes rolls and I’m wondering in general who my ancestors are. My grandmas name is Carol Ann chance. Maiden name:Carol Ann gadd myy. Her dad’s name is Fred gaddy, and her mother’s name was Anna gaddy, maiden nameAnna tiblow. I was told we are direct descendants of jesse chisolms. Just trying to find out my ancestry,any help would be appreciated.

    1. Charles (Bean) Tiblow is your ancestor on the Dawes roll. He was Cherokee, but was apparently adopted into the Shawnee Tribe. (His wife, Lucy Chisholm, was Shawnee). Their daughter was Anna Tiblow, who married Fred Gaddy. Lucy Chisholm may have been the Granddaughter of Jesse Chisholm, but there is a lot of conflicting information. I couldn’t find any reliable source regarding Lucy’s parentage or her connection to Jesse Chisholm. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation on these matters, so it is best to only trust verifiable or reliable sources.

    2. I will start by saying that there is an enormous amount of misinformation on the descendants of Jesse Chisholm. I have tried to verify what I can. Anna Tilbow was the daughter of Charles Tilbow (1874-1957) and Lucy Chisholm (possibly 1880-1914). Charles Tilbow was absentee Shawnee and adopted into the Cherokee Tribe and is on the Dawes rolls (roll #10362). Charles’ father, Obediah Tiblow, is also on the rolls (roll #10176) Lucy Chisholm is where uncertainty begins. Lucy is on the rolls (roll #30878) According to a report from the Dawes commission, her mother was Sallie Lewis (roll #30876) but her father is not listed. The same report deals with many of the Lewis/Chisholm’s application for citizenship. Parentage for Rosa Chisholm (roughly the same age as Lucy) is said to be Shawnee and Nancy Chisholm. But only Lucy’s mother is listed. An 1892 Indian census lists Sallie Lewis (32) as mother to Lucy Chisholm (11). No father is listed. Later, Sallie Lewis would marry William Chisholm and have a son, John. Who Lucy’s father was is questionable. Many people list Shawnee Chisholm as her father, but that isn’t certain. Shawnee was married to Nancy Lewis, sister to Sallie, and had many children with her. It is possible that Shawnee fathered a daughter with Sallie, before having children with Nancy; but the paper trail is confusing and conflicting. Shawnee Chisholm was the son of Jackson Chisholm. Jackson Chisholm was born in Mexico and was adopted by Jesse Chisholm. Shawnee Chisholm’s mother must have been Muscogee Creek, as he is on the Creek rolls (roll #1433). I can’t say with any certainty that Lucy’s father was Shawnee.

    3. Allison! I am your cousin! My name is Annie! I got my nickname from our great grandmother Anna (Annie) Tiblow. Your grandmother Carol is my Great Aunt. I have very wonderful memories of her. My grandmother was her sister Virginia (Jane) Gaddy-Guice. Please reach out- Andrea Renee Smith on Facebook.

  3. Amlyn Noehe Corbett

    I am looking for ‘Nathan “Mingo Fishing Hawk” Tanner’ born 1786 South Carolina, died, 1837, South Carolina…….Any records on him would be greatly appreciated, however, my REAL search is for his parents:
    Father, ‘Benjamin “Bear King” Tanner, possible Chickasaw, born 1756 South Carolina, died 1837 Marion, Mississippi
    Mother, ‘Tiyo “Dancing Wind” Choctaw’, possible Choctaw, born 1758 Mississippi, died 1831 Indian Territory, United States

    Bear King and Dancing Wind were married 1780, South Carolina, United States.

    I would like to take my ancestry back further, I would like to learn about my GGGG and GGGGGGrandparents lives. You can send me info at rabhencorbett@protonmail.com

  4. I was looking for information on any Ralstons enrolled in the Cherokee Nation. We are registered in the Muscogee Creek Nation under Nancy Ralston (my GGGGrandma). However, I was told my dad and dad’s father were also enrolled in the Cherokee tribe but were forced to choose one tribe for enrollment. They decided on the Creek tribe. How can I find their Cherokee roll numbers? I want to find out the amount of Cherokee blood. All people who would have known are dead, and my dad doesn’t know.

    1. Who are your ancestors who were living around 1900? You look up their names on the Dawes rolls. If you don’t know that, tell me all four of your grandparents names and approximately when and where they were born and I can try to find them. Blood quantum on the Dawes rolls is often inaccurate. They were usually guesses. Any European ancestry before removal was usually not known or counted. If you want to know your blood quantum, I recommend taking a DNA test. That being said, blood quantum is not important.

  5. Hello, can you see if there is a Mike Angel Garcia on the rolls?
    Apache tribe. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah. Died March 8, 1997.
    Both of his parents were born in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
    His mother’s name: Adelaida Garcia
    His father’s name: Anastacio Garcia (may be misspelled as Carcia)
    [this info is from the New Mexico census]
    His father’s birth year was about 1884 and lived on South Blanchard Street in Las Vegas, San Miguel, New Mexico in 1920.
    His father’s race was white.

    Thank you.

  6. Hello
    I am searching for Any information on Irene Totsie Watson, She is my grandmother and passed away a number of years ago.I have no information concerning her or her family except possibly a brother named Man Watson.
    If you have any info please let me know.

    1. I found a Irene Totsie Watson who was born in Louisiana around 1915 and passed in Yakima, WA in 2000. She was married to a Henry McCart. Her Father was from Louisiana and Mother was from Texas. None of these folks were Tribal citizens.

      Not sure if this is the same person, but it’s the best I could do with the limited information.

      1. Irene Totsie Watson
        Im not sure where she was born, Louisiana sounds right, but i Believe that her father was William Bud Watson and her mother was Ella Bell Watson or Lula Belle Watson, Formerly Nash, and a brother possibly named Man. We were always told there was an Indian connection but she didnt know details.
        Any other info you have would be awesome.

    2. Yes, those are the parents I found; William Bud and Ella Nash. There is nothing to suggest Native ancestry. They most definitely were not Tribal citizens. Family lore about Native ancestry is extremely common and usually not true. I’ve no idea how these stories get started. I suggest family members taking DNA tests.

    3. No, DNA tests aren’t acceptable for citizenship to any tribe. But you aren’t eligible for citizenship to any tribe, anyway. If you want to learn if your family lore is true, a DNA test can do that.

  7. Info please for Susan Malissa Amanda Whitley Brasher, wife of Aquila Brasher. Born in 1861, of Cherokee descent.

  8. fancy.dale2@gmail.com

    I know she was born in Newton Kansas to George Scott and Rosa Scott she had seven brothers and married Carl Dewey Davies

    1. I do believe i found my great grandmother on here.. her name is Dora Mccoy, tribe Choctaw, page 139. She is my granddad mother.

    2. Elsie R. Scott is not on the Dawes rolls. The Dawes roll was a census of Tribal citizens in Indian Territory around 1900. She was born in Kansas in 1911. Her parents were from Missouri. There is nothing to suggest any Native ancestry.

    1. What do you know about your Great Grandma? Who was her spouse? Parents? Siblings? About when was she born? Where was she born? Names of her children? Tell me what you know and I will verify.

    2. Julia (Ralston) Hearn

      Nancy Jane Phillips (she was adopted) was married to Joseph Allen Ralston and died in 1907. Her possible birth name was McKellop. Supposedly her brother (Robert McKellop?) branded her arm before they were separated and she was taken away. He found her later by the brand on her arm and told her she was Creek Indian. Her children were: Allen William Ralston, Benjamin Franklin Ralston, Charles Calvin Ralston, John Fredrick Ralston, Mary Elizabeth Shreffner, Mattie Evalena Stanley, Cary Bell Fitzgibbon, Annetta Elnora Harriott.

  9. Looking for descendants of Mashburn (?) Rodgers (Eastern Band of Cherokees-Trail of Tears May 26 1838) from NC–his daughter lived in Butler, GA in the middle of the Creek reservation–Lucinda (Cindy) Rodgers–born approx. 1812-1816– and her son Thomas Jefferson Rodgers. Her children are possibly Creek(Muscogee) and Cherokee.

    1. I am editing this information to read South Carolina not North Carolina–Also Lucinda lived in Reynolds GA. Taylor county GA. 1880 census has her living with Thomas Jefferson and wife Liz Ann Hortman–Essie Childs states Lucinda as “Indian maid” mother of TJ. Mary Ila Bandy

  10. I am looking for Elizabeth Spangler (1765, Alabama). I have hit a dead end on lineage for the Cherokee Nation and was wondering if anyone might have information?
    Another name is Elizabeth Taylor, and Mary Frances “Polly” Baugh.

    Thank you!

  11. trying to find my great grandfather name ernest spohn as far as i know. wife named myrtle spohn. my grandmother says he was a chief back then. i’m adopted so i want to find my family and my heritage

  12. Mary Francis Anderson Potter born 1872 Kully Chaha I T. Died 1944 Oklahoma
    Married Alfred Whitfield Potter born 1868 TN died 1939 Oklahoma
    Next
    Lizzie potter born 1845 TN DIED? Oklahoma

    Etc

  13. Kimberly Carden

    looking for Barto Wildon Linder said he full blood Cherokee, his was adopted by the Linder Family, I think in Oklahoma and was brought to Orangeburg SC where he lived and died.. I’m looking to see if he had siblings, or other family who are also full blood..

  14. I have traced my ancestry and found Indian in my mothers side ….how do i find out what tribe and if her family is on the Dawes Rolls?? I am new at this and completely confused

    1. Fold3.com has some excellent records. It is a paid site. Also Ancestry.com has excellent records. What tribe were they part of.

  15. Richard F. Johnston

    You should go to your grandmother’s tribal website and see which requirements for enrollment you’ll need to follow.

  16. SO, I FOUND MY GREAT GREAT GRANDMOTHERS NAME AND ID CARD NUMBER ON THE ROLLS, BUT THERE IS NO OTHER INFORMATION.
    WHAT SHOULD MY NEXT STEP BE?

  17. My father’s grandmother was Lucia (Lucy) Jenkins . Her Father was William Jenkins. It shows Lucia’s mcr card number as mcr2554. Choctaw Tribe on the Dawes Commission file cases. How can I apply for a roll number under her name? Thanks. Vicki Feuerborn.

    1. Richard F. Johnston

      When researching my family roll numbers, I came across an MCR number – what does this mean? MCR stands for
      Mississippi Choctaw Removed/Rejected and means that at the time the final rolls were closed they were not enrolled. You cannot
      be issued a CDIB card with any roll number containing MCR.

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