Dawes Rolls facts for kids

The Dawes Rolls were official lists of people from the Five Civilized Tribes. These tribes are the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole. The United States government created these lists between 1898 and 1907. They were made by a group called the Dawes Commission.

The main goal of the Dawes Rolls was to divide up tribal lands. Before this, these lands were owned by the whole tribe together. But the US government wanted to change this to individual ownership. This meant each person would own their own piece of land. The rolls helped decide who would get land. They also helped share money from selling extra tribal lands.

The lists also included "Freedmen". These were African Americans who had been enslaved by Native Americans. They and their families were freed after the American Civil War.

When people heard about the land, many non-Native people tried to get on the rolls. They falsely claimed to be Native American. Many of these false claims were from people saying they were Cherokee. Some family stories still exist about people "hiding in the hills" or being "rejected from the rolls." Often, the real reason was that these applicants were not Native American.

How People Were Counted

The Dawes Commission tried to get accurate lists of tribal members. It was a difficult job. In 1898, the US Congress passed the Curtis Act of 1898. This law said a new, final list would be made.

Challenges in Counting

Counting everyone was hard for several reasons. Many Native Americans had been forced to move from their homes. The American Civil War also caused a lot of disruption.

Also, the people doing the counting were not Native American. They introduced a new idea called "Blood Quantum". This was a way to measure how much Native American ancestry someone had. This idea was new to tribal communities. The census takers often guessed this percentage. They based it on how a person looked or their own opinions.

Different Ways People Were Listed

People on the Dawes Rolls were put into different groups:

• Citizen by Blood: These were people who were Native American by birth.
  • New Born Citizen by Blood: Babies born after the rolls started.
  • Minor Citizens by Blood: Children who were not yet adults.
• Citizen by Marriage: People who married a tribal member.
• Freedmen: Former enslaved people and their families.
  • New Born Freedmen: Babies born to Freedmen after the rolls started.
  • Minor Freedmen: Children of Freedmen who were not yet adults.
• Delaware Indians: A separate group adopted by the Cherokee tribe.

Why Some People Were Rejected

More than 250,000 people asked to be put on the rolls. But the Dawes Commission only approved a little over 100,000. Most people were rejected because they were not Native American. They could not prove they had any real connection to a Native community. For example, they couldn't name living relatives or speak the Native language.

The commission was very busy with so many claims. They had to make strict rules. They rejected claims from white people who tried to get citizenship just by marrying a Native person. They also found many claims that were based on lies or fake documents.

The rolls were officially closed on March 5, 1907. A few more people were added later in 1914.

Resisting the Enrollment

Some Native Americans did not want to be counted at first. They did not trust the government. But almost everyone was eventually forced to enroll. If someone refused, they could be arrested. They might even be treated badly or put in prison until they enrolled.

Some famous people who resisted were Muscogee leader Chitto Harjo (also known as Crazy Snake) and Cherokee leader Redbird Smith. But even they were eventually forced to enroll. Some Native Americans hid in places like the Cookson Hills to avoid being counted. Some were later arrested and forced onto the rolls. Others were enrolled by people in their own communities without knowing it. To completely avoid enrollment, a person had to leave their community and live like a non-Native person.

The Rolls Today

The Dawes Rolls are important even today. Native American tribes use them to decide who can be a tribal citizen. New members often need to show they are directly related to someone on these rolls.

There were also some white people on the Dawes Rolls. These were sometimes called "Five-Dollar Indians." Some white people paid government officials to get land. But this was not as common as some people believe. Most white people on the rolls were included because they married a tribal member and had Native American children.

Even though the Dawes Rolls have problems, they are still very important. They help tribes decide who their citizens are. The US government also uses them to determine a person's "blood quantum" for official documents.