GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 2: Midwest United States
Missouri: MO-5
United States. National Archives at Kansas City
400 West Pershing Road
Kansas City, MO 64108
Phone: 816-268-8000
E-mail: kansascity.archives@nara.gov
Hours: See website
Access: No restrictions
Copying facilities: Yes
Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans:
Inclusive dates: 1820s-1960s
Volume: Ca. 5 cubic feet and several reels of microfilm
Description: Native Catholic records are found within “Records Group 75, Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.” Selected surveying indicates that most Catholic-related records are correspondence, quarterly school reports, and school contracts, which typically comprise between .04 and .2% of the records from Bureau of Indian Affairs Agencies, e.g. Menominee Agency, Wisconsin, between .1 to .2% of ca. 100 cubic feet and Pine Ridge Agency, South Dakota, .04% of approximately 500 cubic feet. Major correspondents include the superior at the Catholic mission, the Indian agent or superintendent, and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Primary subjects include financial matters and the transfer of students to and from mission schools.
/1 "Records of the Aberdeen Area Office, Aberdeen, South Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1934-1952
Volume: Less than 1% of 31 cubic feet
Description: The Aberdeen Area office was created in 1949 and administered the following agencies and schools: Cheyenne River Agency, Flandreau Indian Vocational School, Fort Berthold Agency, Pierre Agency, Pine Ridge Agency, Rosebud Agency, Yankton Agency, Sisseton Agency, Standing Rock Agency, Turtle Mountain Agency, Fort Totten Agency, Wahpeton Indian School, and Winnebago Agency.
/2 "Records of the Cheyenne River Agency, Eagle Butte, South Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1869-1956 Volume: Less than 1% of 310 cubic feet
Description: The Cheyenne River Agency (Sans Arc) was established in 1869, and in 1949 was placed under the jurisdiction of the Aberdeen Area Office.
/3 "Records of the Flandreau Indian Vocational High School, Flandreau, South Dakota" Inclusive dates: Between 1880-1954
Volume: Less than 1% of 169 cubic feet
Description: The Flandreau Boarding School (Santee, Sisseton, Wahpeton) opened in 1892.
/4 "Records of the Fort Berthold Agency, Newton, North Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1877-1955
Volume: Less than 1% of 340 cubic feet
Description: Fort Berthold Agency (Arickara, Hidatsa, Mandan) was established in 1864.
/5 "Records of the Fort Totten Indian Agency, Fort Totten, North Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1890-1950
Volume: Less than 1% of 89 cubic feet
Description: The Fort Totten Agency (Santee, Sisseton, and Wahpeton) was established in 1871.
/6 "Records of the Haskell Institute, Lawrence, Kansas"
Inclusive dates: Between 1884-1954
Volume: Less than 1% of 243 cubic feet with scant amount Native Catholic
Description: The Haskell Institute (various) opened in 1884.
/7 "Records of the Consolidated Chippewa Agency, Cass Lake, Minnesota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1889-1954 Volume: Less than 1% of 186 cubic feet
Description: The Consolidated Chippewa Agency (Ojibwa) was established in 1922 and administers the White Earth, Leech Lake, Nett Lake, Grand Portage, and Fond du Lac Agencies.
/8 "Records of the Crow Creek Agency, Fort Thompson, South Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1864-1955 Volume: Less than 1% of 96 cubic feet
Description: The Crow Creek Agency (Santee, Sisseton, and Wahpeton) was established in 1874. In 1954, Crow Creek and its sub-agency were merged with the Pierre Industrial School to form the Pierre Indian Agency.
/9 "Records of the Leech Lake Agency, Consolidated Chippewa Agency, Cass Lake"
Inclusive dates: Between 1908-1931
Volume: Less than 1% of 10 cubic feet
Description: The Leech Lake Agency (Ojibwa) was established in 1874, and in 1922 it was abolished in favor of the Consolidated Chippewa Agency.
/10 "Records of the Minnesota Agency, Bemidji"
Inclusive dates: Between 1954-1969
Volume: Less than 1% of 10 cubic feet
Description: The Minnesota Agency (Ojibwa) was created in 1954.
/11 "Records of the Minneapolis Area Office, Minneapolis, Minnesota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1909-1952
Volume: Less than 1% of 60 cubic feet
Description: The Minneapolis Area Office was established in 1849 to exercise jurisdiction over the Red Lake and Great Lakes Agencies of Minnesota and Wisconsin and the Sac and Fox Area Office in Iowa.
/12 "Records of the Omaha Indian Agency (Winnebago Agency, Winnebago, Nebraska)”
Inclusive dates: Between 1867-1946
Volume: Less than 1% of approximately 25 cubic feet
Description: The Omaha Agency was established in 1856. In 1925, the Omaha Agency was discontinued, and its responsibilities were taken over by the Winnebago Agency.
/13 "Records of the Pierre Indian Agency, South Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1918-1967 Volume: Less than 1% of 42 cubic feet
Description: The Pierre Indian Agency (Santee, Sisseton, and Wahpeton) was created in 1954, when the Crow Creek Agency and the Pierre Indian School were merged. Some records of the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Agencies are filed under Pierre headings. The Agency suspended operations in 1972.
/14 "Records of the Pierre Indian School, Pierre, South Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1890-1951 Volume: Less than 1% of 48 cubic feet
Description: The School (various) opened in 1891.
/15 "Records of the Pine Ridge Indian Agency, Pine Ridge, South Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1867-1965
Volume: Less than 1% of 490 cubic feet
Description: The Pine Ridge/ Red Cloud Agency (Oglala) was established in 1871.
/16 "Records of the Pipestone Indian School, Pipestone, Minnesota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1895-1951 Volume: Less than 1% of 70 cubic feet
Description: The Pipestone School (various) opened in 1893 and closed in 1953. After closure of the Pipestone Indian School, some of its records were transferred to the Flandreau Indian School.
/17 "Records of the Potawatomi Agency, Horton, Kansas"
Inclusive dates: Between 1851-1963
Volume: Less than 1% of approximately 90 cubic feet
Description: The Potawatomi Agency was established in 1851.
/18 "Records of the Rapid City Indian School, Rapid City, S.D." Inclusive dates: Between 1909-1933 Volume: Less than 1% of 56 cubic feet Description: The Rapid City School (various) opened in 1897 and closed in 1934.
/19 "Records of the Red Lake Agency, Red Lake, Minnesota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1894-1965 Volume: Less than 1% of approximately 60 cubic feet
Description: Established in 1873. From 1879-1898, the Red Lake Agency (Ojibwa) was administered by the White Earth Agency; from 1899-1906, by the Leech Lake Agency; and from 1954-1964, by the Minnesota Agency.
/20 "Records of the Rosebud Agency, Rosebud, South Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1869-1966 Volume: Less than 1% of 561 cubic feet
Description: The Rosebud Agency (Brulé) evolved directly from the Upper Platte Agency, which was established in 1846.
/21 "Records of the Sisseton Agency, Sisseton, South Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1888-1955
Volume: Less than 1% of approximately 95 cubic feet
Description: The Sisseton Agency (Sisseton, Wahpeton) was established in 1867.
/22 "Records of the Sioux Sanatorium, Rapid City, South Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1938-1951 Volume: Less than 1% of 40 cubic feet
Description: The Sioux Sanatorium (various) for the care of tubercular Indians was opened in 1938.
/23 "Records of the Standing Rock Agency, Fort Yates, North Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1876-1957
Volume: Less than 1% of 433 cubic feet
Description: The Standing Rock Agency (Hunkpapa) succeeded the Grand River Agency, which had been established in 1869.
/24 "Records of the Turtle Mountain Agency, Belcourt, North Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1869-1955 Volume: Less than 1% of 113 cubic feet
Description: The Turtle Mountain Agency (Cree, Métis, and Ojibwa) was established in 1910.
/25 "Records of the White Earth (Consolidated Chippewa) Agency, Cass Lake, Minnesota" Inclusive dates: Between 1896-1929
Volume: Less than 1% of 7 cubic feet
Description: The White Earth Agency (Ojibwa) was established in 1872 as the successor of the Chippewa Agency. In 1922, the White Earth Agency became a sub-agency of the new Consolidated Chippewa Agency
/26 "Records of the Winnebago Agency, Winnebago, Nebraska"
Inclusive dates: Between 1861-1955
Volume: Less than 1% of approximately 120 cubic feet
Description: The Winnebago Agency (Winnebago) evolved from the Prairie du Chien Agency, which was established in 1807. In 1848, the Winnebago subagency became a full agency.
/27 "Records of the Yankton Indian Agency, Yankton, South Dakota"
Inclusive dates: Between 1892-1965
Volume: Less than 1% of 27 cubic feet
Description: The Yankton Agency (Yankton) was established in 1859. In 1933, the Yankton Agency was abolished, and in 1936, it was opened as a subagency of the Rosebud Agency. In 1967, the Yankton Sub-agency was reestablished as an agency.
/28 "Letters Sent by the Office of Indian Affairs"
Inclusive dates: Between 1824-1881
Volume: Less than 1% of 166 reels of microfilm
/29 "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs"
Inclusive dates: Between 1824-1881
Volume: Less than 1% of 962 reels of microfilm
/30 "Letters Sent by the Indian Division of the Department of the Interior"
Inclusive dates: Between 1849-1903
Volume: Less than 1% of 127 reels of microfilm
/31 "Field Agencies Annual Reports"
Inclusive dates: Between 1907-1938
Volume: Less than 1% of 174 reels of microfilm
/32 "Papers of William Clark, Superintendent of Indian Affairs in St. Louis"
Inclusive dates: Between 1807-1855
Volume: Less than 1% of 6 reels of microfilm
/33 "Records of the Michigan Superintendency"
Inclusive dates: Between 1814-1851
Volume: Less than 1% of 71 reels of microfilm
/34 "Records of the Oregon Superintendency"
Inclusive dates: Between 1848-1873
Volume: Less than 1% of 29 reels of microfilm
/35 "Records of the Washington Superintendency"
Inclusive dates: Between 1853-1874
Volume: Less than 1% of 26 reels of microfilm
Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Marquette University Archives.
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