Mendota Dakota <mendotadakota@gmail.com>

General Records Concerning Indian Organization 1935 - 1956
4 messages

Gregory Strandmark <gstrandmark@gmail.com>Mon, Jul 6, 2020 at 4:56 PM
To: maryfrances.ronan@nara.gov
Cc: Sharon Lennartson <mendotadakota@gmail.com>, Jason Delmont <jandjdelmont@comcast.net>, "jdleclaire1@msn.com" <jdleclaire1@msn.com>

Dear Mary Frances-Ronan

 

Hi Mary,

I am writing to you for help with some American Indian research my community the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Tribal Community of Minnesota needs to advance our petition for federal recognition. You have been a big help to us a few times over the past 20+ years. This last winter we had started making plans for another trip to Washington to do some research, however with the recent issues surrounding the closing of the archives due to COVID19, and the health concerns of some of our researchers, our travel to Washington will not be happening.

·         Do you know when the National Archives will be accessible to researchers?

·         If the National Archives will be closed for the foreseeable future to researchers, are there any services the National Archives is offering towards that end?

You have helped us with your vast knowledge of the holdings the National Archives have pertaining to the American Indian. We hope you can help us again. Our plans were to go through the 48 letterboxes of the General Records Concerning Indian Organization, 1934 – 1956 for anything related to the Mdewakanton Sioux of Minnesota, Minnesota Sioux, or Pipestone Sioux Indians generally, and more specifically about anything related to an Indian community in Mendota Minnesota.

There is one document in particular that we are seeking, that would be the preliminary survey for the Sioux in Minnesota. I believe I had seen a copy of this document, it was dated 1935 to the best of my recollection and would have been conducted by a field agent, the two names that I have are an Archie Phinney, and a person named Lightfoot. This had what I believe was a list of five towns in Minnesota with Sioux communities:

1.       Morton.

2.       Granite Falls.

3.       Welch.

4.       Prior Lake.

5.       Mendota.

Some of the town names may have been different, like Redwood Falls instead of Morton, Eggleston instead of Welch, and Shakopee instead of Prior Lake. The list of towns is the best I can do from recalling a document I only saw in passing as it passed between four of us who had gathered at a restaurant for dinner in 2003.

I see online that the “General Records Concerning Indian Organization, 1934 – 1956” are textual records that are arranged by jurisdiction and thereunder by file number. I do not know what jurisdiction was used other than Sioux in Minnesota, or some variant, or they used Pipestone Indian School / Agency.

·         Does the NARA have an index to the General Records Concerning Indian Organization, 1934 – 1956?

·         If so, is it a microfilm roll that can be purchased, or is there a digitized copy for download?

 

General Records Concerning Indian Organization, 1934 – 1956

ARC Identifier: 2107128

Inventory Entry Number: 1012 Entry 1012 is located in the “Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs”

HMS/MLR Entry Number: PI-163 1012

We would also be interested in any information, or any index to the following files:

                Entry 1011 – Records Concerning the Wheeler- Howard Act. 1933 – 37 12 boxes.

                Entry 1013 – Correspondence with Officials. 1934 – 46.

We hope you will be able to locate this Preliminary Survey for the Sioux in Minnesota. We will pay all research and copy costs.

We thank you for all the help you have provided our community and look forward to one day returning to Washington for more research.

 

Thank You, 


--
Greg Strandmark
Historian – Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Tribal Community Council.
Chairman, Federal Recognition Committee, MMDTC


Mendota Dakota <mendotadakota@gmail.com>Mon, Jul 6, 2020 at 6:08 PM
To: Gregory Strandmark <gstrandmark@gmail.com>
Good Job Gregory

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Gregory Strandmark <gstrandmark@gmail.com>Mon, Jul 6, 2020 at 8:26 PM
To: Mendota Dakota <mendotadakota@gmail.com>
Didn't work, I got message undeliverable. I tried sending another without the CC's emails and that was undeliverable too. So going to call tomorrow. NARA may have a policy against sending to a person without having received an email from the person first.
Greg
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Mendota Dakota <mendotadakota@gmail.com>Sun, Jul 19, 2020 at 3:45 PM
To: John Peacock <jhpeacock@aol.com>
Have you redd this yet. Sharon
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