The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for managing and conserving over 245 million acres of public land. The BLM plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of public lands and managing mineral resources, wildlife habitats, and cultural sites. One aspect of the BLM's work that is especially significant for Native Americans is its land records management.
The history of Native American land ownership in the United States is fraught with injustice and struggle. For example, the Dawes Act of 1887 forcibly removed Native American communities from their land and redistributed it to individual Native Americans to assimilate them into white American culture. This act resulted in the loss of millions of acres of Native American land and contributed to the fragmentation of Native American communities.
In response to this loss of land, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was created in 1824 to oversee the management of Native American lands and resources. The BLM’s land records are crucial in preserving Native American land ownership. The BLM’s records allow Native Americans to trace their land ownership history and family relations.
One significant challenge is the completeness and accuracy of the records. Due to historical events such as forced removal and relocation, many Native American communities’ land ownership history is incomplete or missing.
Accessing the BLM's land records can be done online or through BLM offices across the country. The records can also be accessed through tribal governments and historical societies. From the link provided, follow these steps.
You will be given a list of Patents for the name you entered. This list will provide you with the State and County name and date of the patent. If you know the timeframe your ancestor would have been alive, this can help.
Now if you click on the ascension number, it will take you to the Patents information. This will give you the name of the tribe they belong to and the Indian Allot Nr.
At the creation of the Dawes Act, all Native Americans were given a number. This number you can use when you contact your tribe. Most tribes have a central directory of all Indian Allot numbers and their matching names. This would be the proof needed for your tribe and the BIA.
My great-grandfather’s name had been spelled three different ways in these records. It is much easier to start with such a broad range and narrow it down. If nothing comes up for the name you put in, try a different spelling or break words up. Example:
Yellowlodge, Yellow-Lodge, Yellow Lodge.
The spelling is just an interpretation by whoever was working that day and then wrote it down.
Also, looking at the Related Documents tab, you can usually find other relatives and/or descendants. The patent details page is printable as well as can be ordered directly from the Patent Image page for $2.00 a page, plus shipping.
