Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma

Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma of Oklahoma is one of three (3) federally-recognized Shawnee tribes and are headquartered near Wyandotte, OK. These three tribes were recognized as autonomous nations during the Indian removal era. The Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma has tribal jurisdiction in Ottawa County, Oklahoma with nearly 3,000 enrolled members.

The Shawnees once lived throughout the region east of the Mississippi River. They were a highly mobile, wide-ranging, nomadic people. Their men were known as hunters and warriors. Shawnee men were famous for their ferocity in battle. One of their greatest warriors and leaders was the imfamous Tecumseh. Their women were planters and gatherers. Many important Shawnee ceremonies were tied to the agricultural cycle: the spring bread dance at planting time; the green corn dance when crops ripened; and the autumn bread dance to celebrate harvest.

In 1795 most tribes living in Ohio signed the Treaty of Greeneville giving up all of their land except the northwestern corner of Ohio. Tecumseh and many other Indians did not agree with their Tribe doing this. Tecumseh decided that the best way to stop white settlers from advancing onto their lands was to form a confederacy of Indian tribes west of the Appalachian Mountains. He believed that no single tribe owned the right to turn land over to the whites; and if the Indians united together they would have a better chance against the Americans. With the help of his brother, Tenskwatawa (The Prophet), many natives agreed to join the two brothers at Prophetstown, a village they established in 1808. In 1811, after learning about Prophetstown, William H. Harrison, governor of the Indiana Territory, led his army toward the village. While he lost more men in this battle, the Americans held their ground at the end of the day.

This defeat weakened Tecumseh’s efforts, but during the War of 1812 he and his remaining followers allied themselves with the British in hopes that if the British won they would return the Indians’ homeland to them. Tecumseh died in one of the most important battles of the war, the Battle of the Thames in 1813. The English-Indian force met an American army led by William H. Harrison where the British soldiers ran from the battlefield leaving Tecumseh and his 600 warriors to continue on their own. Tecumseh’s death signified the end of the united Indian resistance against the Americans.

European-American encroachment crowded Shawnee lands causing one band to migrate to Missouri – later known as the Absentee Shawnee. Around 1813 the progenitor group of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe came into being. This group was known as the Lewistown Band of Shawnee, after the Band’s leader Qua-ta-wa-pea. He was known by the Americans as Colonel Lewis. The Lewistown Band of Shawnee was granted a reserve is western Ohio in 1817. The Lewistown Reserve was shared with an independent band of Seneca Indians, who had previously split from the Six Nations of New York and Canada (Iroquois Confederation) and allied themselves with the Shawnee. Three reservations were granted to the Shawnee remaining in Ohio by the Treaty of Fort Meigs (1817): Hog Creek, Wapakoneta, and Lewistown. Divisions of Shawnee who remained in the Ohio valley region endured many battles involving the loss of lands and culture.

Today the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma is a vibrant culture. Their modern constitution is a multi-branch structure with positions elected by the citizens of the tribe. They also offer many services to benefit and empower their tribal citizens including education, health and social, career and housing.

http://history.estoo-nsn.gov/

 

Glenna J. Wallace (Chief)
Tel: (918) 666-2435
Fax: (918) 666-3786
12755 S 705 Rd
Wyandotte, OK74370-3148

Website: http://www.estoo-nsn.gov