Minnesota, U.S., Indian Allotment Records, 1888-1919

This collection contains allotment records for Native Americans living within the Crookston Land District, Saint Cloud Land District, and Duluth Land District in Minnesota. The records may include names (English, Indian, or both), date of application, age, name of child if applying for a minor, tribe, location and or description of land, and gender.

Historical Background

These records were created pursuant to two laws: the 1887 Dawes Act and the Nelson Act of 1889.

The Indian Allotment Act, often referred to as the Dawes Act, provided for the breaking up of Indian reservations by allotting land in severalty to enrolled tribal members and opening the remainder to settlement. Land "suitable for agricultural and grazing purposes" was to be allotted in tracts of 160 acres to all heads of families, 80 acres to all single persons over 18 and orphan children under 18, and 40 acres to all other children. Some of these registers record the applications of Indians to receive their allotted acreage under this act.

The Nelson Act (after Minnesota Congressman Knute Nelson) called for the Ojibwe Indians to cede all of their reservation land in Minnesota except the Red Lake and White Earth reservations. All Ojibwe except the Red Lake Band were then to be concentrated on the White Earth Reservation and given allotments in severalty. The Red Lake Ojibwe were to receive their allotments on the Red Lake Reservation. An amendment to the act allowed other Indians to take up allotments on their former reservations. Land in excess of that needed to provide allotments for the enrolled tribal members was to be ceded to the government, surveyed, and appraised as agricultural or timber land. The agricultural land was to be opened for entry under the Homestead Act and the timber land was to be offered for sale at public auction with proceeds placed in trust for the Ojibwe. Some of these records include applications of Indians to receive their allotted acreage under the Nelson Act.