The Shawnee Tribe, a people with a rich and complex history, stands as one of the three federally recognized Shawnee tribes in the United States today. Their journey is marked by resilience, adaptation, and a deep connection to their ancestral lands. Notably, they were the last Shawnee group to relinquish their territory in Ohio and the final Shawnee tribe to achieve federal recognition, a testament to their enduring spirit and determination.
Defining the Shawnee Tribe: Name, Location, and Status
Officially known as the Shawnee Tribe, the tribal government is headquartered in Miami, Oklahoma. The administrative center is located at P.O. Box 189, (29 S Hwy 69A), Miami, OK 74355. Communication with the tribe can be facilitated through their phone number (918-542-2441), fax (918-542-2922), or email (shawneetribe@shawnee-tribe.com). Further information about the tribe’s activities, programs, and governance can be found on their official website: shawnee-tribe.com.
The Shawnee Tribe holds the distinction of being a Federally Recognized tribe, a crucial designation that acknowledges their sovereignty and provides access to federal resources and support.
The name "Shawnee" originates from the Algonquin word "shawun" (shawunogi), which translates to "southerner." This designation likely referred to their location in the Ohio Valley relative to other Algonquin-speaking tribes of the Great Lakes region, rather than indicating a historical presence in the American Southeast. The Shawnee people often prefer to identify themselves as Shawano, a term that may also appear as Shawanoe or Shawanese.
Historically, the Shawnee Tribe was also known as the "Loyal Shawnee" or "Cherokee Shawnee." The moniker "Loyal Shawnee" arose from the service of some Kansas Shawnee men in the Union army during the American Civil War, a demonstration of their allegiance to the United States.
Various names for the Shawnee people exist in other Native American languages, reflecting their interactions and relationships with different tribes. Some examples include:
- Ani-Sawanugi (Cherokee)
- Chaouanons (Chauenon) (French)
- Chaskpe (Chaouesnon) (French)
- Chiouanon (Seneca)
- Ontwagnnn (Iroquois, meaning "one who stutters")
- Oshawanoag (Ottawa)
- Satana (Iroquois)
- Shawala (Lakota)
- Touguenha (Iroquois)
Historical Territories and Movements
The Shawnee’s original territory encompassed areas around present-day Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. However, in the late 17th century, they faced incursions from their traditional adversaries, the Iroquois Confederacy, which forced them to abandon their ancestral lands. This displacement led to migrations to South Carolina, eastern Pennsylvania, and southern Illinois.
The arrival of European settlers further disrupted the Shawnee way of life. They were gradually pushed westward, first to Missouri, then to Kansas, and ultimately to Oklahoma, a journey marked by hardship and loss.
Historically, the Shawnee participated in various confederacies, including the larger Shawnee Tribes confederation and Tecumseh’s Confederacy, a pan-Indian alliance aimed at resisting U.S. expansion in the early 19th century.
Treaties and Land Cessions
The Shawnee’s history is intertwined with a series of treaties with the United States government, agreements that often resulted in land cessions and relocations. The 1817 Treaty of Fort Meigs granted the Shawnee still residing in northwest Ohio three reservations: Wapakoneta, Hog Creek, and Lewistown.
By 1824, the Shawnee population in Ohio numbered approximately 800, while around 1,383 lived in Missouri. In 1825, a treaty with the Cape Girardeau Shawnee was ratified, ceding their Missouri lands in exchange for a 1.6 million-acre reservation in eastern Kansas.
Following the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the Shawnee on the Wapakoneta and Hog Creek reservations in Ohio signed a treaty relinquishing their lands for territory within the Kansas Reservation. The Lewistown Reservation Shawnee, along with their Seneca allies, negotiated a separate treaty in 1831 and relocated directly to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), where they became the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, while their Seneca allies formed the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma.
In 1854, the U.S. government significantly reduced the Kansas Reservation to 160,000 acres. This reduction, combined with abuses perpetrated by white settlers, compelled the Kansas Shawnee to relocate to the Cherokee Nation in northeastern Oklahoma. Despite this relocation, the 1854 Shawnee Reservation in Kansas was never formally extinguished, and some Shawnee families continue to hold their Kansas allotments to this day.
An agreement between the former Kansas Shawnee and the Cherokee Nation in 1869 granted the Shawnee allotments and citizenship within the Cherokee Nation. The Shawnee settled in areas around White Oak, Bird Creek (Sperry), and Hudson Creek (Fairland), maintaining distinct communities and cultural identities. These Shawnee became known as the Cherokee Shawnee, and later as the Loyal Shawnee.
The Shawnee Tribe regained their status as a separate, federally recognized tribe in 2000 with the enactment of Public Law 106-568, the Shawnee Tribe Status Act. This act reversed their previous status as part of the Cherokee Nation and affirmed their sovereignty.
Land Holdings and Government
The lands of the Shawnee Tribe, along with those of other Oklahoma Indian tribes, are held in trust by the federal government, rather than being designated as formal reservations. Individual land parcels are known as allotments. While legal distinctions exist between these land classifications, the practical differences are often minimal, and many Oklahoma Indians refer to their homelands as reservations.
The Shawnee Tribe operates under a government established by its constitution. The governing body is the Business Council, composed of seven council members and four executive officers: a Chief, 2nd Chief, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Population and Enrollment
Estimates of the Shawnee population prior to European contact place their numbers around 10,000. The first U.S. Census in 1825 recorded 1,400 Shawnee in Missouri, 1,100 in Louisiana, and 800 in Ohio.
Today, there are three federally recognized Shawnee tribes: the Shawnee Tribe, the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe. The Shawnee Tribe is the largest of these groups, with approximately 8,000 enrolled members. The Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma has around 1,600 members, and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe has approximately 2,000 members. The Shawnee Nation United Remnant Band, a fourth group with approximately 600 members, is not federally recognized. The combined modern Shawnee population is estimated to be around 14,000.
(Tribal enrollment requirements were not provided in the original article.)
Language and Culture
The Shawnee language belongs to the Algic language family, specifically the Algonquian branch. It is closely related to other languages spoken in the Southern Great Lakes region, such as Fox, Sauk, Mascouten, and Kickapoo. Shawnee verbs are known for their complex structure, and the language is often described as having a melodic, song-like quality.
(Information on the number of fluent speakers and the availability of dictionaries was not provided in the original article.)
The Shawnee consider the Delaware (Lenape) people as their "grandfathers" and the source of all Algonquin tribes. They also share an oral tradition with the Kickapoo, suggesting that they were once part of the same tribe. Linguistic evidence supports this oral history.
Customs and Traditions
Historically, the Shawnee were semi-sedentary farmers who cultivated crops in central villages during the summer. In the fall, they would disperse into smaller family groups for hunting expeditions. Men were responsible for warfare, hunting, and fishing, while women cared for the cornfields and constructed homes.
Many important Shawnee ceremonies were linked to the agricultural cycle, including the spring bread dance at planting time, the green corn dance when crops ripened, and the autumn bread dance to celebrate the harvest.
During the summer months, the Shawnee gathered in large villages composed of bark-covered longhouses. Each village typically had a large council house used for meetings and religious ceremonies. In the fall, they would separate into smaller hunting camps consisting of extended families.
The Shawnee maintained a strong sense of tribal identity, although they historically lacked a highly centralized political organization. During periods of dispersal, each of their five divisions functioned as an almost autonomous unit. This lack of central authority persisted even after their return to Ohio, and few Shawnee leaders could claim the title of "head chief."
Like the Delaware, Shawnee civil chiefships were hereditary and held for life. However, unlike the Delaware, the Shawnee followed a patrilineal system, tracing descent through the father, similar to most Great Lakes Algonquin tribes. War chiefs were selected based on their merit and skill.
During their time in the Southeast, the Shawnee adopted some cultural characteristics from the Creek and Cherokee, but remained largely typical of Great Lakes Algonquin cultures.
Notable Shawnee Figures
Several individuals of Shawnee descent have left a lasting mark on history. Some of the most well-known include:
- Tecumseh: A renowned Shawnee leader and military strategist who played a key role in Tecumseh’s Confederacy.
- Tenskwatawa (The Prophet): Tecumseh’s brother and a spiritual leader who promoted a revitalization of traditional Shawnee beliefs and practices.
- Cornstalk: A prominent Shawnee chief known for his efforts to maintain peace between the Shawnee and European settlers.
- Blackfish: A Shawnee war chief who adopted Daniel Boone into the tribe.
- Black Hoof: A Shawnee chief who advocated for peaceful coexistence with the United States.
- Bluejacket: A Shawnee war chief who fought against the United States in the Northwest Indian War.
The Shawnee Today
Today, the Shawnee Tribe is an active and engaged community, working to preserve their culture, promote the well-being of their members, and exercise their sovereign rights. They operate a variety of programs and services in areas such as education, healthcare, housing, and economic development. The Shawnee Tribe remains a vibrant and resilient nation, committed to honoring their past while building a strong future for generations to come.