Guion Miller

The Guion Miller Roll

The U. S. Court of Claims ruled in favor of the Eastern Cherokee Tribe's claim against the U. S. on May 18, 1905. This resulted in the appropriation of $1 million to the Tribe's eligible individuals and families. Interior Department employee Guion Miller created a list using several rolls and applications to verify tribal enrollment for the distribution of funds. The applications received documented over 125,000 individuals; the court approved more than 30,000 individuals to share in the funds. For individuals seeking to prove native lineage in their genealogy, this index includes the names of all persons applying for compensation arising from the judgment of the United States Court of Claims on May 28, 1906, for the Eastern Cherokee tribe. While numerous individuals applied, not all the claims were allowed. The information included on the index is the application number, the name of the applicant, and the State or Territory in which the individual resided at the time the application was filed.