Selection of registers from reservations across the west, as held at the National Archives at Denver.
From the 1880s through the 1920s, Office of Indian Affairs jurisdictions, both reservation agencies and off reservation boarding schools alike, maintained volumes of employees in these bound register books, today found within Record Group 75; Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The 5-929 form listed in the “Regulations of the Indian Office. Effective April 1, 1904”
WHAT IS IN THEM?
The left side of the two page form, showing the blocks for date, name of individual, gender, age, race, current and previous positions, birthplace, current residence, and agency where employed. Please note; not all fields were filled out, what was depended on the agency and who was maintained in the record. (Records of Employees, 1883–1924)
The right side of the two page form, showing tribes the agency administered, various dates pertaining to the employment, compensation, type of employment, and column for general remarks, often used for reasons for resignation. (Records of Employees, 1883–1924)
HOW ARE THEY ORGANIZED?
Entries are first arranged chronologically, though starting year varies by jurisdiction. The types of employees are then broken up. For reservation agencies, the regular staffers are listed first by seniority, which corresponds with level of pay, then broken up further by white and Native. Then special groups are listed out: day and boarding school employees, reservation police, and judges. Around 1920, near the end of the volumes, this organization was largely abandoned and agencies simply listed everyone by year. In some, irregular staffers–those not in permanent positions who were hired temporarily–are also listed. Volumes kept at off-reservation schools used the exact same volume, noting school name at top instead of agency, and simply listed every staffer together in order of seniority.
Example of agency police and day school employees at Fort Belknap Agency, 1913. (Registers of Employees, 1878–1925)
Example from an off reservation boarding school, the Fort Shaw Indian School, in 1892. (Rosters of Employees, 1892–1910)
WHAT CAME AFTER?
Unfortunately, nothing as concise came after these volumes were phased out in the 1920’s. While some agencies continued to keep employee rosters along with other records, such as applications, efficiency reports, and leave requests, many did not, so such rosters would need to be compiled from other records.
WHERE ARE THEY FOUND?
These volumes are found at National Archives facilities across the country, depending upon which state the reservation or school was located. If uncertain which National Archives location holds the records for a particular recession, this page can be of use.
While the volumes discussed so far were kept at field jurisdictions, the Office of Indian Affairs headquarters kept even earlier ledgers dating back to 1853. Organized largely by date, and thereunder by superintendency, these volumes held at the National Archives in Washington DC include Rosters of Agency Employees, 1853–1909 and Rosters of Field Officials, 1869–1911.
