The Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) application is for applicants who want to prove their Chickasaw Indian blood. The application is a family tree chart that must be submitted with birth certificates or death certificates, and supporting documents if needed.

Once the application is received in the CDIB office, the research begins by looking up the enrolled ancestors on the Dawes Commission Rolls, which are the base rolls for the Five Civilized Tribes.

The CDIB does not establish citizenship with the Chickasaw Nation. Once applicants receive the CDIB, they are eligible for citizenship in the Chickasaw Nation.

Chickasaw Citizenship
The Citizenship Application establishes citizenship in the Chickasaw Nation. The applicant must first establish the CDIB in order to apply for citizenship. If the applicants are descended from more than one tribe, they will have to relinquish with the other tribe(s) before they can become a member of the Chickasaw Nation.

• The adult application for Chickasaw Citizenship / Voter Registration form, for 18 years and over, also serves as the voter registration application for applicants 18 years and older.
• The minor citizenship application is for newborns to 17 years of age.

Once the applicants have submitted the application with a recent color photo (starting at 12 years of age for identification cards), they will receive the photo I.D. citizenship card and certificate, welcoming them to the Chickasaw Nation. Everyone from newborns to seniors will receive a certificate.