These enrollment or census cards were prepared by the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes (Dawes Commission). The commission enrolled "citizens" of a tribe under the following categories: citizens by blood, citizens by marriage, new born citizens, minor citizens by blood, freedmen (former African-American slaves of Indians, later freed and admitted to tribal citizenship), new born freedmen, and minor freedmen. Delaware adopted by the Cherokee were enrolled as a separate group within the Cherokee. The cards record information provided by individual applications submitted by members of the same family or household, along with notations of actions taken by the commission. Typically they list name, roll number, age, sex, degree of Indian blood, & parents names, as well as, provide references to enrollment on earlier lists. Within each tribe and enrollment category, cards are arranged numerically by "census card" number. This number is listed for each individual on the final rolls of the tribe [microfilm roll number MS 1973]. "D" cards were for persons whose applications were considered doubtful and "R" cards for rejected applications. No indices have been located for these cards.
