United States. Indian Claims Commission

Zitkala is the Indian name for Gertrude Bonnin, 1876-1938.

From the guide to the National Council of American Indians records, 1926-1938, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)

Historical note: The Indian Claims Commission rendered a settlement between the United States Government and the San Carlos Apache Tribe, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, and the Yavapai-Apache Indian Community of Fort McDowell. The settlement involved the title transfer of two tracts of land outside the White Mountain Apache Reservation for compensation of $4,900,000 and $685,000.

From the description of Records of the Indian Claims Commission Dockets No. 22-D and 22-J (photocopies), ca. 1963-1972. (Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division). WorldCat record id: 463627328

Ernest L. Wilkinson (1899-1978), president of BYU from 1951-1971, John W. Cragun (1906-1969), and Robert W. Barker (1919-1987), lawyers in the law firm of Wilkinson, Cragun, Barker, who handled the Indian Claims Commission casses during the 1950's-1980's.

From the description of Papers, ca. 1950-ca. 1980. (Brigham Young University). WorldCat record id: 52439330

Historical note: The Indian Claims Commission was created by Congress in 1946 to adjudicate Indian claims against the United States. The Commission awarded more than a half billion dollars before its expiration in 1978. It also created a vast archive of documents, most of which have significant anthropological and historical research value. The donor worked as an appraiser for Coldwell, Banker and Company, which provided some of the appraisal work.

From the description of Indian Claims Commission reports, ca. 1966-1971. (Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division). WorldCat record id: 78765748

The Indian Claims Commission was established in 1946 to adjudicate Indian claims against the United States. The cases involved two steps: validation of title and valuation of the land. Because by law Indians were not allowed to sell their lands to private American citizens the valuation hearings relied upon subsequent land records to determine land value. For this reason counsel for Indian claimants undertook extensive studies of county land records in the affected areas. One of the cases, The Sac and Fox Tribe of Indians et. al. v. U.S., concerned lands in south central Iowa (cession 262). Hearings for this case were held in 1965. The law firm of Schiff, Hardin & Waite worked with the Sac and Fox Nation on the claim.

From the description of Research files for Sac and Fox Tribe of Indians et al. v. U.S, 1960s (Iowa Sate Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 62065703

Ernest L. Wilkinson (1899-1978), president of BYU from 1951-1971, John W. Cragun (1906-1969), and Robert W. Barker (1919-1987), lawyers in the law firm of Wilkinson, Cragun, Barker, who handled the Indian Claims Commission cases during the 1950's-1980's.

From the description of Papers, ca. 1950-ca. 1980. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 367848433

From the guide to the Wilkinson, Cragun, and Barker Indian Claims Commission records, 1950-1980, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)

John S. Boyden (1906-1980) was a lawyer in Utah. He was the former partner of John Paul Kennedy, and oversaw the legal affairs of the Ute Indian Tribe.

Boyden was born on April 14, 1906, to Walter Mitchell and Ann Thomas Boyden of Coalville, Utah. He married the only daughter of George Gillis and Sara Evans Sweeten and fathered four children.

From the guide to the Ute Indian Tribe papers of John S. Boyden, 1952-1980, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)