Native American Wills and Probate Records 1911-1921 Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs: Including 76 Never Before Published Wills

In accordance with federal statutes enacted in 1910 and 1913 the Law and subsequently the Probate Divisions of the Bureau of Indian Affairs were responsible for determining the heirs of deceased Indian trust allottees. Ultimately Native Americans submitted more than 2500 pages of wills and probate records to the Bureau. These records span the period 1911 to 1921 and with a few exceptions pertain to Indian families living in the Plains and several western states. Researchers will find members of the following tribes represented in this collection: Chippewa Sioux Apache Shawnee Quapaw Assinboin Leach Lake Chippewa Confederated Flathead Ponca Cheyenne Crow Sac & Fox Nez Perce Southern Ute Omaha Osage and more. The work at hand represents seven volumes in a series of Native American sources. As a rule the documents identify the names of the testator residence heirs a description of any real estate transferred in the will names of executors and witnesses and other particulars commonly found in probate records. In all genealogists will find references to about 2000 individuals in these documents every one of whom is referenced in the complete name index at the back.