It was important to have an enrollment card as proof that you belong lived or was adopted into one of the 5 Civilized Tribes. Creek Choctaw Chickasaw Cherokee and Seminole. This applied to all who lived in Indian Territory white Chinese and black slaves known as Freedmen. In 1898 The Dawes Commission to the 5 Civilized Tribes was established to enroll individuals as citizens of one of these tribes. When the Dawes Commission was dissolved in 1908 the US Government used the enrollment records of the Dawes Commission to determine eligibility for Land allotments. The Dawes Commission reviewed the enrollment applications and abstracted the information onto cards known as Enrollment Cards. As Indian Territory was governed by the tribal consuls it was up to the Indians to determined who worked and lived in the Territory. It was no need to keep track of the Black man it was the white settlers who was moving into Indian Territory without permission. I checked all five tribes for the surname Muhammad I did not see it listed on the final rolls. Is there another named your ancestors whould have been using in 1898?

[posted 23 Jun 1999]