What the National Archives holds
The National Archives and Records Administration keeps the permanent records of the U.S. federal government. Because the federal government dealt with Apache peoples through the military, the Interior Department and its Office of Indian Affairs, a large share of what survives in writing about nineteenth- and twentieth-century Apache history sits there. The material is organized by the agency that created it, in units called record groups, not by subject or by people. Learning that structure is the main task for a newcomer.
Much of this material is also available through finding aids, microfilm publications or digital copies, and some is held in regional facilities. Collections and access arrangements change, so check the Archives’ own catalog for what is currently available.
Main kinds of records
Indian affairs records. The records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, generally known as Record Group 75, include correspondence between agencies on reservations and Washington, annual reports, ledgers, school records, and files on land, rations, employment and health. They tell us much about how reservations were administered. Records from local agencies and regional offices often differ in what survives.
Army records. Records of the War Department and Army commands, including those catalogued as Record Group 94 for the Adjutant General’s Office and Record Group 393 for Army continental commands, contain reports, orders, telegrams, muster and enlistment papers, and post records. They are central to studying the military side of the nineteenth century, including the Apache scouts who served in the Army.
Treaty and negotiation papers. Documents connected with the treaties, councils and agreements between the United States and Apache groups, along with records of Congress and the Senate. These are useful but must be read for how they were produced; treaty documents did not always reflect the understanding of both sides.
Census and enrollment records. Indian census rolls, taken in many places over several decades from the late nineteenth century, list people by name, with family relationships and sometimes other details. Genealogists and community researchers use them. Spellings and name forms are often unreliable, because clerks wrote what they heard.
Land records. Allotment files, maps and land-claim materials, including records connected to the Dawes Act allotment policy and later claims through bodies such as the Indian Claims Commission.
Prisoner and relocation records. For the Chiricahua, there are Army and Indian affairs records relating to the period of confinement, which makes them central to imprisonment primary sources for the Chiricahua prisoners of war.
School records. Files from government and mission schools, relevant to Apache boarding school history. These can include enrollment lists, correspondence and reports. They are sensitive, because they concern children and families, and access may be restricted.
Photographs and maps. The Archives also hold photographs and maps relating to Apache peoples, which are discussed more fully in the material on scout records and photos.
How researchers approach them
- Start with finding aids. Search the Archives’ catalog and published guides for the relevant record group, then narrow by agency, such as a particular reservation’s agency, or by military post and year.
- Plan around gaps. Records do not exist for every place or period. Absence in the archive is not evidence that something did not happen.
- Read the context. Ask who produced a document and for whom. Reports often reflect the assumptions and interests of officials. Our guidance on reading military sources applies here.
- Seek corroboration. Compare documents with each other, with oral history and with Apache-authored accounts.
- Respect privacy and restrictions. Some records contain personal information, health information or matters about children. Follow the Archives’ rules about access and about reproducing material.
- Cite precisely. Give the record group, series, box and folder where available, along with the archive’s location, so others can find the item.
What these records cannot tell you
Federal records are largely the voice of the government. They record rations issued, offenses charged and movements ordered, and say much less about family life, belief, language, or how Apache people understood events. Names may be misspelled or inconsistent, and Apache perspectives appear mostly when an official chose to write them down. Interpreters and translations introduce further uncertainty.
For that reason, scholars treat archives as one source in a larger set. The debates described under Apache Wars historiography and the research needs behind Apache Wars primary sources show why combining records with other evidence is so important.
Using archives alongside community sources
Archival research about a nation’s history is best done with awareness of that nation’s own work. Many nations have historic preservation offices and cultural programs that collect documents and oral history, and some partner with researchers. Before publishing material drawn from archives that concerns specific families or communities, consider contacting the relevant nation. Nothing here is legal advice or a substitute for the Archives’ own guidance, which is the place to confirm record groups, access rules and fees.