1887 Indian Territory

This is a superb example of an informative map detailing the land status of over 30 tribes residing in the Indian Territory, which seen here to comprise much present-day Oklahoma. The map was originally issued in 1885 as a supplement to Part V of the Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution by Thomas Donaldson to accompany George Catlin’s Indian Gallery. The map distinctly illustrates the reservations of tribes from across the country, and provides the dates of the treaties previously signed with the United States. A reference key at top right defines locations of nation capitals, towns and villages, as well as military reservations. The large black numbers reference the group of Indian nations that reside on the smallest reservations in the northeast corner of Indian Territory. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson pushed through congress the first major Indian Removal Act that would relocate the “Five Civilized Tribes,” the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, Creek