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Shawnee Tribe Facts

Shawnee Tribe Facts
The Shawnee Tribe is one of three Shawnee Native American tribes in Oklahoma, U.S. The Shawnee were originally hunters and farmers from western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio that migrated across America's southeast and northeast. Their homes were originally wigwams and birch bark houses, and their clothing varied depending on the climate where they lived. The Shawnee Tribe was very good at adapting to survive in their surroundings. The Shawnee were removed from their native lands because of the Indian Removal Act in 1830, and the Shawnee Tribe chose to settle in Kansas in 1831. In 1861 Kansas decided that Native tribes should be removed and the Shawnee joined the Cherokee tribe in Oklahoma. In the 1980s the Shawnee Tribe sought their independence and the Shawnee Tribe Status Act of 2000 established them as a federally recognized tribe.
Interesting Shawnee Tribe Facts:
'Shawnee' is derived from the word 'shawanwa' which means 'southerner'.
The two other federally recognized Shawnee tribes are the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma.
The Shawnee are considered to be an Eastern Woodland Tribe, a term given to Indigenous people in North America that lived originally in the eastern U.S. and eastern Canada.
The Shawnee Tribe were the last of the three Shawnee tribes to leave their original homelands in Ohio.
The Shawnee Tribe are also referred to as the Loyal Shawnee because they fought for the Union in the American Civil War. When the war was over they returned to Kansas to discover that their land had been taken over by settlers and homesteaders.
One of the last Shawnee to resist leaving his homeland was Black Bob. He was a Shawnee Chief and memorials to him include the Black Bob Elementary School in Kansas, Black Bob Park, and Black Bob Road.
The Shawnee Tribe live on trust lands, not reservation lands.
The Shawnee speak English but they also have their native Shawnee language. The language is not taught anymore so only the elders tend to be able to speak it.
The traditional Shawnee home was a wigwam, not a tepee. These were round houses made of wooden frames covered with birchbark and woven mats. They could be shaped like domes, cones, or rectangles.
Traditional Shawnee clothing included skirts and leggings for women, and breechcloths and leggings for men. In cold weather both men and women wore ponchos, but shirts were not a requirement. Shoes were moccasins, and they sometimes wore headbands with a feather but they did not wear headdresses.
Some Shawnee painted their faces or had tattoos.
Most Shawnee wore long hair, but some would sport a Mohawk.
The Shawnee were traditionally farming people and hunters and fishermen.
The tools used by the Shawnee included spears, tomahawks, and bows and arrows.
Shawnee arts and crafts included wood carving, pottery, and beadwork, which they are well-known for.
Famous Shawnee include Yvonne Chouteau, a prima ballerina, and Ruthe Blalock Jones, an artist.
The Shawnee Tribe is a federally recognized tribe, which allows it to have its own government, police, services, and laws. They must also follow American law because they are citizens of the United States.


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