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RESEARCH ARTICLE
American Indian census rolls: An underutilized source of historical demographic information on tribal populations
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1
Tayman Demographics, San Diego, California,
United States of America
2
Population Research Center, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon,
United States of America
3
Centers for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington,
United States of America
4
Department of Sociology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California,
United States of America
IJPS, 3906 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.3906
Submitted: 11 June 2024 | Accepted: 24 September 2024 | Published: 15 October 2024
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract
Historical information on tribal populations in the United States is incomplete. American Indians and Alaska Natives were not enumerated with the general population until the 1940 decennial census. However, Indian Census Rolls were produced for the period 1885 – 1940 under the auspices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the U.S. The information given in the Indian Census Rolls varies but usually includes the roll number, age, gender, tribal identity, and relationship to the head of the family. In this paper, we present background information on Indian Census Rolls and demonstrate how the digitized microfiche census roll schedules can be assembled into an Excel file. We also provide examples of the potential uses of Indian Census Rolls. We conclude that Indian Census Rolls can not only help bridge the gaps in the historical demography of American Indians but also provide the basis for a clearer picture of the current and future demographic characteristics of American Indians.
Keywords
Indian Census Rolls
Historical Indian demographics
1937 Lummi tribe demographic profile
Excel reporting template
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
David A. Swanson is an Editorial Board Member of this journal but was not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. Separately, there are no potential conflicts or competing interests with any institutes, organizations, or agencies that might influence the integrity of results or objective interpretation of their submitted works.
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