Lesson Two

INDIAN CENSUSES, REGISTERS AND ROLLS

Most treaties required some type of payment, settlement or annuity. Before these payments could be made it was necessary to determine the persons entitled to receive the money or annuity. Some of these censuses or rolls contain a wealth of information, while others are head of family only (similar to the early U.S. Federal census). Remember that these are Indian census and rolls and whites are not counted. For example, if you are researching families of the Mackinac band and check the 1870 roll for page 14 you will find a list of mostly women as head of family with their children - no men. These women are not widowed, they are married to white men.

Durant Roll

The 1910 annuity roll is a listing of 5,644 persons, belonging to the Sault Ste. Marie, Mackinac, Grand Traverse and Grand River bands who were eligible to receive payment. In order to determine who could receive payment a census was taken by Special Agent Horace B. Durant of all persons living on 4 March 1907, who were descendants of the persons enumerated on the 1870 roll. Durant Roll Introduction.

Durant made a page (called a field note) for each head of household listed in the 1870 roll and interviewed everyone he could find to fill in the status of the person, spouse, children and grandchildren. The field notes include name, age, residence, relationship, and sometimes information about persons who were later considered ineligible to appear on what was called the Durant Roll. There is also some correspondence attached to the field notes of some individuals.

The Durant Roll lists 7395 persons, plus a supplemental roll of 236 children born after 4 March 1907 and prior to 1 August 1909. This is nearly 2,000 more people than listed on the 1910 annuity roll. The Durant Roll gives name, age, number, relationship, residence, remarks and a reference number that matches the line number and page of the ancestor listed on the 1870 roll. Check marks in front of a person's name signify one of two things. Red check are mixed-bloods and their descendants, while a blue check mark means the person is receiving funds from another tribe. Unfortunately the microfilm copy of this roll does not show the color of the checks, and the book copy (see below) does not mention the check marks at all. 

Capt. James H. Long, U.S. Army, acting agent for the Bureau of Indian Affairs compiled the 1870 roll of the Sault Ste. Marie, Mackinac, Grand Traverse and Grand River bands. Each entry gives the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, line number, page number and band.

Links to Durant Roll transcriptions by Larry M. Wyckoff  - part 1 - the 1870 roll, part 2 - field note index, part 3 - Durant Roll indexed, part  4 - supplemental roll indexed, part 5 - payment roll, part 6 - reports and correspondence.

Both the 1870 and Durant Rolls are also covered in the book "Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan, 1870-1909, by Raymond C. Lantz, published by Heritage Books, Inc.

Earlier Ottawa and Chippewa Rolls

Another book of Michigan rolls is "Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan, 1855-1868"  by Raymond C. Lantz, published by Heritage Books, Inc.

The 1868 annuity roll for the Ottawa and Chippewa tribe within the Michigan Indian Agency, taken 21 Dec 1868 for the payment of money under the treaty signed 31 Jul 1855. Information given is the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number. Included in Lantz book above.

The 1865 annuity roll of the Grand River Ottawas in Michigan, taken 30 Dec 1865 for payment of money under a treaty signed 31 Jul 1855 . Given is the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number. Included in Lantz book above. 1865 Annuity Roll transcribed by Larry M. Wyckoff

The 1865 annuity roll of the Chippewas of Saginaw, Swan Creek and Black River, taken 28 Dec 1865 for payment of money under a treaty signed 2 Aug 1855. Information given is the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number. Included in Lantz book above.

The 1864 annuity roll for the Grand River Ottawas in Michigan, taken 21 Dec 1864, for payment under the treaty of 31 Jul 1855 This roll gives the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number. Included in Lantz book above.

1861 annuity roll transcribed by Larry M. Wyckoff

The 1859 annuity roll for the Grand River Ottawas in Michigan, taken 29 Oct 1857, for payment of monies under the treaty signed 31 Jul 1855. Gives the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number. Included in Lantz book above.

The 1858 annuity roll for the Chippewa of Swan Creek and Black River under the Sac & Fox Agency and Mackinac Agency for the payment of monies under a treaty signed in 1807 This roll gives the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number. Included in Lantz book above.

1858 annuity roll transcribed by Larry M. Wyckoff

The 1857 annuity roll was taken 17 Oct 1857, of the Chippewa of Swan Creek and Black River under the Sac & Fox Agency and Mackinac Agency for the payment of monies under a treaty signed in 1807. Information given is the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number. Included in Lantz book above.

The 1857 annuity roll of the Chippewa of Sault Ste. Marie, taken 9 Oct 1857, for payment of money under a treaty signed 2 Aug 1855. This roll gives the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number.
Included in Lantz book above.

The 1857 annuity roll of the Grand River Ottawas in Michigan was taken 29 Oct 1857, for payment of money under a treaty signed 31 Jul 1855 . Information given is the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number. Included in Lantz book above.

The 1855 annuity roll was taken 31 Oct 1855 for the payment of money under the treaty of 28 Mar 1836. This roll gives the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number. It covers the Ottawa and Chippewa within the Michigan Indian Agency. Included in Lantz book above.

1855 Allotment of Lands transcribed by Larry M. Wyckoff

1843 Payroll found in the Durant Roll correspondence.

The census of Indians within the Superintendency of Michigan in 1842 gives the name of head of family, number of men, women and children, and amount of annuity. The total number of people counted is 7,343

1843-1866 Pokagon Potawatomi

1842 Treaty of La Point, Wisconsin Territory with the Chippewa of the Mississippi and Lake Superior

1842 Ance's Band


1842 Mackinac Band

In 1839 there was an annuity payment made by Henry Schoolcraft, U.S. Indian Agent to the Chippewa and Ottawa within the Michlimackinac Agency. This roll gives the name of head of family, number of men, women and children, and amount of annuity. There was also an 1839 Mixed-blood census for payments to persons in Michigan and Wisconsin.

1839 Mixed Blood Chippewa of Lake Superior

1839 Mackinac, Bois Blanc and Round Island


1839 Shawbwayway's Band

1839 Carp River

1837 Grand River Ottawa 

1836 Ance Band Annuity Roll

The 28 Mar 1836 treaty provided for a cash payment to be given to the mixed-blood relatives of the Ottawa and Chippewa actually ceding the land and residing at Sault Ste. Marie, Mackinac, St. Ignace and the Grand Valley. Provided are blood quantum, tribal affiliation, family relationships, status with the tribe. The resulting census register lists 583 mixed-blood persons. The census does not include persons living in the area who are not relatives of the Ottawa and Chippewa signing the treaty, or the relatives who reside outside the area ceded or those mixed-blood who were considered members of the tribes and eligible to receive a cash payment as an Indian.  

1836 Mixed-blood register transcribed by Larry M. Wyckoff

1836 at FamilySearch.org



SAGINAW CHIPPEWA ROLLS

1868 Gruett Rollat Clarke Historical Library

1864 Chippewas of Saginaw transcribed by Larry M. Wyckoff 

1854 Annuity Roll transcribed by Larry M. Wyckoff

Annuity Rolls for 1857, 1858, 1859, 1861, 1864, 1865, 1866 and 1867 - Clarke Historical Library

POTAWATOMI ROLLS

1917 Annuity Payment Roll of  scattered bands of Potawatomi of Wisconsin and Michigan, transcribed by Larry M. Wyckoff.

1915 Census of Scattered Bands of Potawatomi of Wisconsin and Michigan at FamilySearch.org

In 1890 Phineas Pam-to-pee and 1,371 other people petitioned the government. The petition contained the person's name, names of spouse and children, and place of residence. 1890 Potawatomi Claim

Because of the petition and the judgment a census of Potawatomi eligible to collect payment was necessary. This resulted in the census of 1895 taken by John W. Cadman, U.S. Indian Inspector, and the Shelby roll of 1896. This was followed by the 1904 census taken 21 Oct 1904 by Special U.S. Indian Agent S.L. Taggart as a result of the Indian Appropriation Act of 21 Apr 1904. 1904Taggert Roll

The book "Potawatomi Indians of Michigan 1843-1904 Including some Ottawa and Chippewa, 1843-1866 and Potawatomi of Indiana, 1869 and 1885" by Raymond C. Lantz, published by Heritage Books, Inc contains the 1904 Taggert roll and the 1895 Cadman roll as well as the following:

The 1884 thru 1889 annuity rolls for the Potawatomi of Huron, containing the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number. These were taken 21 Mar 1889; May 1888; Feb 1887; 11 May 1886; 1 May 1885; and 29 Apr 1884

The 1877 thru 1883 annuity rolls for the Potawatomi of Huron, contain name, relationship, age, sex, current roll number, amount of payment and remarks. These were taken 26 Apr & 4 May 1883; 25 Apr 1882; 24 Nov 1880; 25 Nov 1879; 26 Nov 1878 and 4 Dec 1877.

The 1874 thru 1876 annuity rolls for the Potawatomi of Huron, containing names, number of men, number of women, number of children, amount of payment, current roll number and remarks, taken 13 Dec 1876; 30 Nov 1875 and 25 Feb 1875 (taken for 1874).

The 1869 3rd quarter annuity roll of the Potawatomi of Indiana and Michigan, taken 31 Jul 1869. This roll gives the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number.

The 1861 4th quarter annuity roll of the Potawatomi of Huron taken on 31 Dec 1861, for payment of monies under the treaty of 17 Nov 1807. This roll gives the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number.

The 1843 thru 1866 annuity rolls for the Ottawa, Chippewa and Potawatomi of Michigan, Mackinac Agency were taken on the dates below, for payment of money under a treaty signed 29 Jul 1829 and the supplimental treaty of 26 Sep 1833. Information given is the name of the head of family, number of males, number of females, number of children, amount of payment, and current roll number. Dates taken were: 1866 - 21 Nov 1866; 1865 - 30 Dec 1865; 1864 - 21 Dec 1864; 1863 - 26 Dec 1863; 1862 - 26 Dec 1862; 1861 - 31 Dec 1861; 1860 - 13 Dec 1860; 1859 - 14 Feb 1860; 1858 - 31 Dec 1858; 1857 - 21 Jan 1858; 1856 - 10 Dec 1856; 1855 - 11 Dec 1855; 1854 - 26 Dec 1854; 1853 - 19 Jan 1853; 1852 - 26 Oct 1852; 1851 - 4 Nov 1851; 1850 - 18 Dec 1850; 1849 - 29 Oct 1849; 1848 - 28 Nov 1858; 1847 - 27 Nov 1847; 1846 - 21 Nov 1846; 1845 - 17 Oct 1845; 1844 - 25 Oct 1844; 1843 - 2 Nov 1843.

1833-1840 Potawatomi Removal Muster Rolls transcribed by Larry M. Wyckoff.

1833 Potawatomi Annuity Roll transcribed by Larry M. Wyckoff




Bay Mills School - 1909-1911, 1913-1915, at FamilySearch.org

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