Genealogy Information

Several collections at Marquette University may help individuals searching for Native American genealogical information. Generally, the most useful are sacramental and church census records, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs census records, high school transcripts, and mission school attendance records, some of which are highlighted here.

For more information about using these collections, please contact the Special Collections and University Archives.

Sacramental and Church Census Records

The following collections contain microfilmed sacramental and church census records.

Kansas: St. Mary's Mission Records, 1851-1871 (no restrictions)

Michigan: Sacred Heart Franciscan Records, church census and sacramental records, 1840-1947, reels 5-6 (no restrictions); reel 8 (restrictions apply).

Montana: Diocese of Helena Records, sacramental records, 1855-2003, reels 1-3 (restrictions apply).

North Dakota: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Pembina, baptismal records, 1856-1862, in the Julius M. Belleau Papers, reel 3 (no restrictions), not available via interlibrary loan

Wisconsin: The Sacred Heart Franciscan Records, sacramental records, reel 28 (no restrictions).

South Dakota, Pine Ridge Reservation: Holy Rosary Mission-Red Cloud Indian School Records, sacramental records, and church census records, 1884-1987 (restrictions apply); not available via interlibrary loan;

Episcopal Church in South Dakota, Pine Ridge Reservation sacramental records, 1879-1908 (microfilm reel 1, Center for Western Studies, Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota) (no restrictions), not available via interlibrary loan

School Records

Restrictions: School records are restricted for 70 years after the date of creation (based on FERPA) and are restricted for family privacy concerns. Non-restricted records may be held by non-educational institutions such as the branch repositories of the United States National Archives.  See https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans

School records often list individual names, dates of school attendance, as well as private family information such as tribal affiliation and degree of Indian blood.  On occasion there may be comments explaining attendance and performance in school.

Tip: If you are seeking information in the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Series 2-1 School Records, first consult Surnames in Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Series 2-1 School Records. Surnames not included are not listed in the records.

The holdings of the Marquette Archives contain school records from these states:

Arizona: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1

California: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1

Idaho: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1

Kansas: Osage Mission School Records

Michigan: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1 and Sacred Heart Franciscan Records, Series 1, reel 9

Minnesota: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1

Montana: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1

New Mexico: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1

North Dakota: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1

Oklahoma: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1

Oregon: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1

South Dakota: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1, Holy Rosary Mission-Red Cloud Indian School Records (Pine Ridge Indian Reservation), Series 2-1 and 2-2, and the St. Francis Mission Records (Rosebud Indian Reservation), Series 2-1 and 2-2

Washington: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1

Wisconsin: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1, and Sacred Heart Franciscan Records, Series 1, reels 15-16 (Menominee Indian Reservation); reel 15 (no restrictions), available via interlibrary loan

Wyoming: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Series 2-1

U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs Census Records

BIA Records are typically held at the United States National Archives. See https://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/bia

South Dakota: There are some Census Rolls in the Holy Rosary Mission-Red Cloud Indian School Records (Pine Ridge Indian Reservation), Series 2-2. These records are restricted. Per agreement with the Oglala Sioux Tribe Enrollment Office, January 26, 1996, certified copies of two forms of personal identity documents must be presented in person for each genealogical request using these records. For further information, contact the Oglala Sioux Tribe Enrollment Office, Pine Ridge, South Dakota 57770, telephone (605) 867-1321.

Red Cloud High School Transcripts

Holy Rosary Mission- Red Cloud School Collection, Series 2-2T:  We do not release transcripts by patron request. Per agreement with Red Cloud High School, all requests for transcripts must be made through the Red Cloud High School Office during regular business hours. For further information, contact Red Cloud High School, 100 Mission Drive, Pine Ridge, South Dakota 57770-2100, telephone (605) 867-5888.

Navigational Resources


Guides to Catholic-Related Records for the United States about Native Americans; contains geographically arranged entries for current repositories and an A-Z master index for  past and present repositories and Catholic and Native American groups; many entries contain records with genealogical value. Note: These records are not held by Marquette University.

Surnames in Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Series 2-1 School Records; contains spelling variations of all surnames with tribal affiliations, state, and box number to the records.

See also Reference Publications, Notable Works on African Americans and Native Americans using the Marquette archival collections and Afraid of Bear to Zuni: Surnames in English of Native American Origin found within Marquette University Archival Collections.

Websites

 

Archival materials from the Raynor Memorial Libraries

Marquette Archives



Ask an Archivist