Otoe-Missouria Genealogy
The Otoe-Missouria genealogy database includes members and descendants of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma, who purchased land and established their last reservation in the Cherokee Strip of what is now north-central Oklahoma in 1881. The database also includes other members of families who married into the Otoe-Missouria tribe. This database is an extension of my research of our own family genealogy of Dewey W. Dailey.
For the spelling of surnames, I tried to use the most common or most recent. However, one surname requires special note: Robedeaux. I recognize that descendants today use several different variations of the name, but to simplify searches in this database, I spelled them all in this way.
Go to the Otoe-Missouria Genealogy Database on RootsWeb.com.
My research is conducted primarily online. I do not live in Oklahoma, so I do not have personal access to interview tribal members or to do research at the tribal office or local libraries. Consequently, it’s doubtful that I could answer anyone else’s inquiries with information which is not already posted here. However, I welcome your additions to the genealogy database. Those who wish to add their family to the database, or contribute additional information about someone already included, please use the Comment form at the bottom of this page. Keep in mind that any additions should follow these guidelines:
- The genealogy must include at least one of the alloted tribal members.
- Please include as much specific data as possible, including dates of birth and death.
- Unless you send me digital photocopies of documents, digital photos of tombstones, etc., the source will be noted as family history.
By default, I protect the privacy of anyone whose birth date falls after 1930 (the last published census) and who does not have a date of death recorded in the database. However, I will gladly hide or remove other individuals on request.
A narrative of the tribe’s migration is given on the History page, but it is significant to relate their movements to the concurrent governmental changes. Place names in this database use the official designation in effect at the time. In other words, a family may have one child born in Indian Territory in 1889 and another child born in Oklahoma Territory in 1891, even though they were, in fact, born at the same location.
- 1854 - Otoe-Missouria reservation is established at the Big Blue River on the border between Kansas and Nebraska Territories, primarily Gage County, Nebraska Territory.
- 1861 - Kansas Territory becomes the state of Kansas.
- 1867 - Nebraska Territory becomes the state of Nebraska.
- 1881 - Otoe-Missouria reservation is established in the Cherokee Strip of Indian Territory.
- 1890 - Part of Indian Territory becomes Oklahoma Territory.
- 1907 - Oklahoma Territory becomes the state of Oklahoma.
After allotment the Otoe-Missouria Reservation was officially abolished by Act of Congress, and the land was incorporated into Noble and Pawnee Counties. Nevertheless, the tribe continued to refer to the land as the Reservation. In this database, for tribal members born within those counties, I list their place of birth as the Reservation, without regard to actual municipal boundaries or property lines.
Dates of birth were obtained from several sources: the US censuses, the tribal censuses, the Social Security Death Index, cemetery surveys, and published obituaries. Quite often these sources contradict each other. During the annual Otoe-Missouria Encampment of 2007, I surveyed the entire tribal cemetery and recorded all legible graves markers. For the purpose of this database, the dates inscribed on the grave markers take precedence above all others. For other persons, if no precise birthdate was available, I used the age on the census. For individuals with no age documentation, I estimated the birthdate from the age of parents, spouse, and/or children, in order to put them in historical context for the indexes. Additional sources are cited on the References page and are duly footnoted in the genealogy database.
Most Otoe-Missouria did not use surnames until the late 1800s when the tribe was moving to Indian Territory. For individuals who had no English name, for the purpose of this database I spelled their Indian name without hyphens. For female spouses where the maiden name is either unknown or nonexistent, I used the woman’s Indian name as her surname for indexing purposes. Obviously Indian names are unique to each individual and have no connection with other members of their family.
17 Comments »
Elaine Trebisoski said :
June 20, 2007 at 7:23 pm
my great-grandmother lived at the Otoe Reservation Noble OK. Dorcas Edna Johnson. Her parents are Silas Arthur Johnson and Anna L Crow. She had my grandmother at home. I can’t find a birth certificate for her Winona Wanda Johnson(Birgam). I can’t find who her father is and where she was born.
Can someone help me. She is on the roll books for the Seneca of Cayuga OK.
BrokenClaw said :
June 26, 2007 at 2:24 am
No matter where you post an inquiry such as this, you need to include some birth dates, even if estimated, especially with such a common surname. There are probably hundreds of Dorcas Johnsons. Nevertheless, I think I have found your family on the 1930 census of Bartonville, Limestone Twp, Peoria County, Ill:
In fact, your grandmother’s family is enumerated on RootsWeb.com. That’s always a good place to start anyway.
Beth said :
January 14, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Hello
I am inquiring about the name of my GGrand parents trying to figure out how to say it and the meanings they was given Christain names as well His Christain name was William Basset Mo- Ke- Che- Na my GGrandmother was called Esther Chi- He- Tai- E- Me
I am also trying to find out what happened ot them and so many of the people my grandmother was born in [1981?app.] and by 1907 she and many other was listed as orphans do you have any idea about this, I am also trying to find out information on Mary saunders also born same year as my grandmother and later a listing of Minnie Saunders I have to wonder if the same Minnie Saunders is also related to me thank you for your time many blessings
Beth
Gerri Lunn said :
February 17, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Hi, I just wanted to give you an update on the Clifton/Wallingford family.
ID 10961 James Day Wallingford b. 31-Mar-43 d. 30-Dec-2006. My Uncle Jim Passed away in Canyon Country, Ca. I have been slow getting this to you, sorry.
Your website is beautiful and so full of interesting information. I use it often to learn more about my heritage and to help the kids understand their heritage. You have done alot of hard work and I applaud you!
Gerri Lunn
DON CHILDS said :
March 20, 2008 at 10:05 am
i am related to minnie saunders as she has children living in pawnee, oklahoma
at this writing. her husband was james peters and he was a member of the
pawnee tribe.
Angela Dwyer said :
April 30, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I have a Corbett C. White b. abt 1914, son of Robert “Ervin” White b. 1892 AR d. 1980 Miller AR wife Sarah E ____. Grandson of Buck White of Texarkana AR wife Frances “Frankie” Loraina Attaway b. 1874 Texarkana Bowie Co TX. I am wondering if there is a connection. Thank you.
Misty Sallee said :
June 23, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Looking for geaneology and Grandmother Leatha Ward born 2-25-23 I believe. I am also wanting to find out how to look up the otoe indian role if possible.
Thanks you
S. Black said :
July 24, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I am an Otoe member. My great grandfather was named Sam Black. I was told of four brothers given the last names of Black, Green , Brown and Atkins. This generates back to when the government was giving last names. Do you know of any documents going back to this era.
BrokenClaw said :
August 20, 2008 at 7:52 pm
The earliest tribal census I have is dated 1886, on which Sam Black is enumerated as Ho-mar-su-ga. At that time he was already 27 years old with a wife and daughter. So I don’t have any documentation about his parents or siblings. It is this type of “arbitrary” surnames that makes native ancestry so difficult to document.
Chewhonecoul said :
January 13, 2009 at 11:47 pm
AHO! Darihga Baxoje-Jiwere ihach^e hagu^da ke. Waka^da mi ke irigrada hne ke: u^ta/ix^a hne ke. Hi kiwara ra mi ne ke, Sunje Hga hi gane ke. Taje dahga Ha we pi ke Wa^shige Ukeni Wiyawe AHU KA n JE Nawo nuwe is two roads only one way to Christ . from Jim. Karanikolaou
Vestina Gossett said :
January 16, 2009 at 7:51 pm
How would I go about adding family members to your database of the Mahee family line of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe? My great-great-grandfather is Charles Mahee.
BrokenClaw said :
February 9, 2009 at 11:59 am
I would be glad to add your family. I will contact you via email.
Shelley Brady said :
May 8, 2009 at 12:59 pm
I noticed Vestina Gossett great-great-grandfather is Charles Mahee. I also am a great-great grandchild of Charles Mahee. Could you confirm if his birth year is 1820 and married to Gueneivive??? Enowacomme? Also, would you know his date of death.
I’m trying to tie him into my mother’s grandfather Hiatt Mahee married to Vestina Murray.
If you have any leads please let me know. Is it possible for me to get in contact with Vestina gossett.
Rowana Jo Ward Condry said :
May 13, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Broken Claw,
To the girl who wrote about her grandmother Letha Ward…she was my Aunt, my fathers sister…and her info is listed under the Ward name. Also have other info on my father…he was married twice before….
Chewhonecoul said :
June 1, 2009 at 12:21 am
I was always wondering why the name Big Wing after Missouri Chief and then the listing of his son missouri chief born in 1823 Big Wing was born in 1826, I never checked out these birthdates. Do you know if James B. Daileys Father Missouri chief was also named RED WING I found this on a document that named his mother correctly as aha che ke saw je me and also someone from Iowa called me on the phone, he was looking for a relative to big wing and talking about a Rifle that Big Wing sold on reservation land. He was researching some kind of historic stuff about the OTOES. sunke thrka washichuxkara american
CHEWHONECOUL
S.Black said :
June 20, 2009 at 11:50 pm
My family enjoy your website. It is very informative and well written. I have another Otoe by the name of Bull Elk Walking , Op-Pa-Hom-Mon-Ne; Wondering if you have any information about him. Thanks for the informative and interesting site.
BrokenClaw said :
June 22, 2009 at 10:54 am
I do have Op-Pa-Hom-Mon-Ne (various spellings) in my genealogy database:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=otoe-miss&id=I0162
Later in life he used the name Frank O. English, and the surname was carried to his male descendants. You can find several photos of him in the Smithsonian collection if you go to the Research site at http://www.siris.si.edu/ and ener OTOE in the search box. Here is one such photo: http://sirismm.si.edu/naa/baegn/gn_03837.jpg
I also have a photo of his gravestone if you are interested.
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