CHEROKEE NATION Registration Department P.O. Box 948 Tahlequah, OK 74465-0948 918-456-0671

To insure that your application for Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) is processed in a timely basis, certain steps must be followed.

1. Complete the application for a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB)/Membership. List the name(s) of your ancestor(s) and the correct roll number (s) from the FINAL ROLLS OF CITIZENS AND FREEDMEN OF THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES. Cherokee Nation (Dawes Commission Roll book) for the ancestor(s) to whom you are tracing. CDIB APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED "WITHOUT" ROLL NUMBER INFORMATION WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU. Complete the application in INK.

 
2. Attach your STATE CERTIFIED, FULL IMAGE/PHOTOCOPY OF THE ORIGINAL BIRTH RECORD. This document must be the record which was issued to you from the State Vital Statistics Office signed by the State Registrar, embossed with the State Seal, and bearing a State file number, Or, attach your state certified, full image/photocopy of the DELAYED CERTIFICATE OF BIRTH. NO XEROX COPIES.

   

CAUTION: Some birth records are issued by the hospital, city and county and may be computer generated, abstracted or transcribed. These records are NOT acceptable. You will need to order the record directly from the State Vital Statistics Office and specifically request a STATE CERTIFIED, FULL IMAGE OF THE ORIGINAL BIRTH RECORD.

 
3. If attached a Delayed Certificate of Birth, as Affidavit of Personal Knowledge and Memory is required. Anyone, but the person whose name appears on the Delayed Certificate of Birth, who is 18 years old or older and who knows the facts to be true, may sign the affidavit before a Notary Public.

 
4. Submit State certifies, full image/photocopy of the original birth and/or death record(s) of your Non-enrolled ancestor(s) through whom you are tracing. NO XEROX COPIES.

   
5. Probate records, signed by a probate judge and showing the Final Determination of Heirs can be used in place of a state certified, full image/photocopy of the original birth record. This document must clearly define relationships. As additional document, showing the date of birth of the individual who does not have a birth record, must be submitted with the probate record.

 
6. If your enrolled ancestor died After 1962, the STATE CERTIFIED FULL IMAGE/PHOTOCOPY OF THE ORIGINAL DEATH RECORD must be submitted. NO XEROX COPIES. If your enrolled ancestor is living, he/she must sign the attached Affidavit of Personal Knowledge, attesting to the fact that he/she is the natural parent of your non-enrolled ancestor.

 
7. Send the completed application, along with the required documents to: Cherokee Nation, Registration Department, P. O. Box 948, Tahlequah, OK 74465. Incomplete applications will be returned.

Processing your application may take four to eight weeks. Upon the issuance of your CDIB card, your tribal membership application (if completed correctly), will be placed on file for processing. Please enclose the ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS with your application at this time. Unless specified, your original documents will be returned to you at the completion of the processing.