Congressional Records Related to American Indians and Alaska Natives

The Center for Legislative Archives houses historical records of the U.S. Senate in Record Group 46 and of the U.S. House of Representatives in Record Group 233, including many records related to American Indian and Alaska Native tribes.

Records Overview

Pre-1946 Records

Beginning with the first Federal Congress in 1789 and lasting until roughly 1820, various select committees were established in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives to assess and debate legislative matters related to American Indian tribes and interactions between tribal governments and the U.S. government.

In the early 1820s, the Senate and the House each established a standing committee to oversee legislative matters related to Indian affairs.

U.S. Senate Records (Record Group 46)

In 1820, the U.S. Senate established the standing Committee on Indian Affairs, which remained in existence until the Congressional Reorganization Act of 1946.  Records of this committee include bill files; committee papers; petitions and memorials submitted by citizens, groups, and tribes; minutes and docket books; and other material. Learn more about records of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

Of note are records related to the Indian Affairs Investigating Subcommittee. These records document a Senate investigation stemming from the Merriam report and S.Res. 79 during the 70th Congress, which sought to assess the condition of American Indians, their lands, and laws affecting them. Learn more about records of the Indian Affairs Investigating Subcommittee.

In addition to committee records, U.S. Senate records also include files documenting treaties negotiated between American Indian tribes and the U.S. government. Learn more about Senate treaty files.

U.S. House of Representatives (Record Group 233)

In 1821, the U.S. House of Representatives established a standing Committee on Indian Affairs that remained in existence until the Congressional Reorganization Act of 1946. Like the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, records of the House Committee on Indian Affairs include bill files; committee papers; petitions and memorials submitted by citizens, groups, and tribes; minutes and docket books; and other material. Learn more about records of the House Committee on Indian Affairs.

1946 and Later Records

After the Congressional Reorganization Act of 1946, more and more of the duties previously fulfilled by the House and Senate Committees were instead handled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and other executive branch agencies.

However, various subcommittees, as well as a more modern iteration of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, have performed similar legislative duties in the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century. Records of these recent committees and subcommittees may be unavailable for research due to various privacy concerns as well as the House and Senate Rules of Access.

Published Legislative Sources

In addition to original records, information about American Indians and Alaska Natives can also be found in published legislative sources. Select examples are listed below.

• A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1875. This site, which is maintained by the Library of Congress, features early Congressional publications such as the American State Papers and the Congressional Globe. The site is free to access.

• U.S. Congressional Serial Set. The Serial Set includes published committee reports, executive agency reports, and other documents related to legislation printed or published by Congress. These documents begin in 1817 and include a wide variety of information about American Indian and Alaska Native  tribes. The Serial Set is available in federal depository libraries and digitally via ProQuest Congressional, which requires a subscription but is free to use at National Archives research facilities.

• Transcripts of published hearings. These transcripts are published by the Government Publishing Office (GPO) and often contain testimony, exhibits, maps, and other material. Historical transcripts can be accessed in federal depository libraries and digitally via ProQuest Congressional, which requires a subscription but is free to use at National Archives research facilities. More modern transcripts, as well as other congressional documents published by the GPO, are available on GovInfo.

Questions?

Contact the Center for Legislative Archives at legislative.archives@nara.gov.