History Shawnee Tribe

shawnee woman s blouse silver medallions, circa 19th century, indian territory (oklahoma), collection of peabody museum, harvard

the shawnee tribe eastern woodland tribe. came ohio , pennsylvania, , last of shawnee leave traditional homelands there. in late 18th century, european-american encroachment crowded shawnee lands in east, , 1 band migrated missouri — becoming absentee shawnee. 3 reservations granted shawnee in ohio 1817 treaty of fort meigs: wapakoneta, lewistown, , hog creek. after indian removal act of 1830 passed, shawnee band relocated indian territory in july 1831. final band, become shawnee tribe, relocated kansas in august 1831. kansas lands drastically reduced in 1854 , broken individual allotments in 1858.

during civil war many of shawnee tribe fought union, inspired name, loyal shawnee. instead of receiving compensation or honors service, returned kansas lands, find of taken on non-indian homesteaders. settlers granted 130,000 acres (530 km) of shawnee land, while 70,000 acres (280 km) remained tribe, of 20,000 acres (81 km) granted absentee shawnee.

in 1861 kansas became state, , white people of kansas demanded indian tribes must removed state. loyal shawnee made agreement cherokee nation in 1869, allowing 722 gain citizenship within cherokee tribe , receive allotments of cherokee land. predominantly settled in craig , rogers county, oklahoma. became known cherokee shawnee, settling in areas of bird creek (now known sperry); hudson creek (now known fairland); , white oak. shawnee reservation in kansas never legally dissolved , shawnee families still hold allotment lands in kansas.

beginning in 1980s, shawnee tribe began effort regain own tribal status, independent of cherokee nation. congress passed public law 106-568, shawnee tribe status act of 2000, , shawnee tribe able organize own autonomous, federally recognized tribe. james r. squirrel initial chairman, , recognized aarp in 2009, being instrumental in shawnee tribe being federally recognized.