Census Enumeration of Pueblo Indians, 1790-1939

Spanish and Mexican Census Records

Although the National Archives rarely has records other than those created by the United States Federal government, we have a bound volume published by the New Mexico Genealogical Society shelved with the census book indexes in the Research Center in the National Archives Building containing information collected from several Spanish and Mexican enumerations of the population of New Mexico.

Spanish and Mexican Colonial Censuses of New Mexico: 1790, 1823, 1845: Each census is arranged by village or pueblo, and contains varying personal information. The volume has a comprehensive name index.

Federal Censuses (RG 29)

1850-1870 New Mexico Territory Censuses:  Arranged by county then village or Pueblo. The schedules provide name, relation to head of household and, often, age.  Although the indication of race is often unreliable, many Pueblo are listed as non-white.  The racial designation of inhabitants of Taos Pueblo, for example, is "copper" in the 1850 Census and "Indian" in the 1860 and 1870 Censuses.  Not all Pueblo are included in the book indexes; see Ancestry.com for a more complete index.

1880 New Mexico Territory Census: Enumerations of Pueblo Indians conclude each county. Information provided is similar to above: "I" indicates Indian race. Literacy and birthplace of parents are often mentioned. There is a Soundex index for families with children under the age of ten; the Archives Library Information Center has a CD-ROM index for all people included in the 1880 census.

1885 New Mexico Territorial Census: Arranged by county, then Pueblo or reservation, providing name, age, occupation, literacy, birthplace and parents’ birthplace. Agricultural, Manufacture, and Mortality Schedules (persons deceased in 1884) follow the Inhabitant’s Schedule for each county. There is no index.

1900 and 1910 New Mexico Territory Censuses: Special Indian Schedules follow non-Indian pages in relevant enumeration districts. These censuses indicate the individual’s tribe, fraction of Indian blood and citizenship. There is a Soundex index for 1900, and there is a CD-ROM index available in the Archives Library Information Center for 1910.

1930 New Mexico Census: Pueblos and reservations are listed as enumeration districts amidst the appropriate counties. reservations are listed as enumeration districts amidst the appropriate counties. Ancestry.com has an index for New Mexico. Ancestry.com has an index for New Mexico.

Bureau of Indian Affairs Census Records (RG 75)

Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940: Compiled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and arranged by Indian agency jurisdiction and year. Informational categories vary, but may include degree of Indian Blood, marital status and place of residences, along with name, age, and relation to the head of household. There are no indexes.

Relevant jurisdictions are:

• Albuquerque School, 1904-7 & 1910-11 (Roll 1)
• Northern Pueblo, 1920-30 (Rolls 308-310)
• Pueblo, 1885-92 (Rolls 396-400)
• Pueblo Day Schools, 1913-19 (Rolls 404-406)
• Santa Fe, 1904, 1906, 1910-14 & 1931-35 (Rolls 472-474)
• Southern Pueblo, 1920-35 (Rolls 532-542)
• United Pueblo, 1936-39 (Rolls 624-627)
• Zuni, 1904-5, 1907, 1916-24, 1926-35 (Rolls 689-692)

Additional resources on the National Archives web site:

• Online Tutorial for Genealogists and Family Historians: The Dawes Rolls
• About Census Records
• About Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940
• American Indians in the Federal Decennial Census, 1790-1930
• Native American Records at the National Archives