25 U.s.c. 5

Page 11

§8

TITLE 25—INDIANS

for the use of Indian agents and inspectors the
provisions of the statutes regulating the performance of their respective duties, and also to
furnish said officers from time to time information of new enactments upon the same subject.
(May 17, 1882, ch. 163, § 7, 22 Stat. 88.)
CODIFICATION
Section is from the Indian Appropriation Act, 1883.
TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees,
and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with
power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2,
eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out in
the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and
Employees.
INDIAN AGENTS
There have been no Indian agents since 1908. See note
under section 64 of this title.

§ 4. Defective record of deeds and papers legalized
The recording of all deeds and papers prior to
July 26, 1892, in the office of the Commissioner
of Indian Affairs is confirmed, approved, and legalized; and said record theretofore made shall
be deemed, taken, and held to be good and valid
and shall have all the force and effect and be entitled to the same credit as if it had been made
in pursuance of and in conformity to law. But
shall have no effect whatever upon the validity
or invalidity of the deed or paper so recorded,
and shall be no evidence of constructive notice
to any persons not actually knowing the contents.
(July 26, 1892, ch. 256, § 1, 27 Stat. 272.)
TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees,
and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with
power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2,
eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out in
the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and
Employees.

§ 5. Record of deeds by Indians requiring approval
The Commissioner of Indian Affairs is hereby
empowered and directed to continue to make
and keep a record of every deed executed by any
Indian, his heirs, representatives, or assigns,
which may require the approval of the President
of the United States or of the Secretary of the
Interior, whenever such approval shall have
been given, and the deed so approved returned to
said office.
(July 26, 1892, ch. 256, § 2, 27 Stat. 273.)
TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees,
and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with
power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2,
eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out in
the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and
Employees.

§ 6. Seal; authenticated and certified documents;
evidence
The Commissioner of Indian Affairs shall
cause a seal to be made and provided for the said
office, with such device as the President of the
United States shall approve, and copies of any
public documents, records, books, maps, or papers belonging to or on the files of said office,
authenticated by the seal and certified by the
Commissioner thereof, or by such officer as
may, for the time being, be acting as or for such
Commissioner, shall be evidence equally with
the originals thereof.
(July 26, 1892, ch. 256, § 3, 27 Stat. 273.)
TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees,
and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with
power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2,
eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out in
the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and
Employees.

§ 7.

Fees for
records

furnishing

certified

copies

of

The Commissioner of Indian Affairs shall have
the custody of said seal, and shall furnish certified copies of any such records, books, maps,
or papers belonging to or on the files of said office, to any person applying therefor who shall
comply with the requirements of said office,
upon the payment by such parties at the rate of
10 cents per hundred words, and $1 for copies of
maps or plats, and the additional sum of 25 cents
for the Commissioner’s certificate of verification, with the seal of said office; and one of the
employees of said office shall be designated by
the Commissioner as the receiving clerk, and
the amounts so received shall, under the direction of the Commissioner, be paid into the
Treasury of the United States; but fees shall not
be demanded for such authenticated copies as
may be required by the officers of any branch of
the Government or by any Indian who shall satisfy the Commissioner by satisfactory legal evidence that he or she is not able, by reason of
poverty, to pay such fees, nor for such unverified
copies as the Commissioner in his discretion
may deem proper to furnish.
(July 26, 1892, ch. 256, § 4, 27 Stat. 273; Pub. L.
92–310, title II, § 229(b), June 6, 1972, 86 Stat. 208.)
AMENDMENTS
1972—Pub. L. 92–310 struck out provisions which required the receiving clerk to give a bond in the sum of
$1,000.
TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees,
and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with
power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2,
eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out in
the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and
Employees.

§ 8. Accounts for claims and disbursements
All accounts and vouchers for claims and disbursements connected with Indian affairs shall
be transmitted to the Commissioner for admin-