These records are representative of those existing for other tribes which came under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Several census have been taken and tribal records have also been kept. Originally the Native American Indian was to be included in the Vital Statistic Records of each state when that state began keeping records but because the Native American Indians were spread out in large area, complete registering was not done for many years. There are many tribal offices for different tribes as well as Bureau of Indian Affairs offices for different areas. The tribes that are less known include the Attu, Atka, Hoh, Makah, Sanak, etc.
Some tribes have more and better records than others.
Our way of doing genealogy does not always fit the Indian way. It was also an accepted practice to use the mother's family name and she could be listed as head of household. An Indian name generally does not tell you if the person is male or female. Many Native Americans were missed completely on the census rolls when taken because of distance, lack of communication and understanding of the language and customs. Others did not want to admit to being Indian and some just refused to report.