Record Group 279: Records of the Indian Claims Commission
The 威尼斯人娱乐场 houses case files and other historical records of the Indian Claims Commission (ICC) in Record Group 279. Case files can include petitions, findings of fact, decisions, exhibits, and maps.
Agency Overview
The ICC was established as an independent federal agency on August 13, 1946. The Commission was charged with hearing and deciding claims made against the United States by 鈥渁ny tribe, band, or other identifiable group of American Indians residing within the territorial limits of the United States or Alaska鈥� (60 Stat. 1049). Only claims filed within five years of the passage of the ICC鈥檚 establishing act were eligible for consideration.
Between August 1946 and September 30, 1978, when the ICC was abolished, the Commission heard and issued rulings in hundreds of cases. Most related to land claims. The ICC was not empowered to grant or restore land to tribes, but it could award tribes money based on the market value of lands lost at the time of taking.
The ICC ultimately awarded over $800 million to tribes. Cases that were not finalized when the ICC was abolished were transferred to the U.S. Court of Claims.
Records Overview
Textual Records
The Navajo Tribe of Indians v. The United States of America Exhibit Map (Docket 229, Exhibit G232)
Textual records of the ICC are housed at the 威尼斯人娱乐场 in Washington, DC (Archives 1). Records include multiple series of case files (鈥渄ockets鈥�) and exhibits representing American Indian tribes from across the continental United States and Alaska.
For the full archival records descriptions in the , please select the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Identifiers (NAIDs) provided. Additional finding aids for these series are available from the Archives 1 Reference Branch at archives1reference@nara.gov.
- 鈥淐losed Case Files, 1947鈥�1982鈥� (NAID )
- 鈥淥versize Exhibits to Closed Case Files, 1947鈥�1982鈥� (NAID )
- 鈥淒ocuments Separated from Closed Docketed Case Files, 1947鈥�1982鈥� (NAID )
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鈥淪upplemental Closed Case Files, 1/11/1955鈥�11/4/1994鈥� (NAID )
Note: These series do not have access restrictions. 鈥淐losed case files鈥� in the series titles indicates that records relate to finalized cases.
Cartographic Records
The Cartographic Branch at the 威尼斯人娱乐场 at College Park, MD, houses oversized maps related to ICC case files in the following series:
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鈥淢aps Separated from Closed Docketed Case Files, 1947鈥�1979鈥� (NAID )
For questions related to these records, please email carto@nara.gov.
Additional Resources
The National Indian Law Library鈥檚 provides links to the published opinions and reports of the Commission, among other resources.
笔谤辞蚕耻别蝉迟鈥檚 database includes digitized versions of many ICC case documents. This database is accessible via subscription only; the 威尼斯人娱乐场 does not currently have a subscription, but some academic libraries do. The database does not generally include case exhibits.