Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians facts for kids
official tribal flag
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|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 4,576 (2022) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States ( Oklahoma) |
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| Languages | |
| Shawnee, English, Yuchi | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Native American Church, traditional tribal religion |
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| Related ethnic groups | |
| Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, Shawnee Tribe, and Sac and Fox |
The Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma is one of three federally recognized tribes of Shawnee people. Federally recognized means the United States government officially recognizes them as a sovereign Native American nation.
Historically, the Shawnee people lived across a large area in the eastern part of what is now the United States. This included lands from present-day Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Their travels even took them from Canada to Florida, and from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic coast.
After a time called Indian Removal, most Shawnee people moved to Indian Territory, which is now the state of Oklahoma. The Absentee Shawnee Tribe reorganized their government in 1936. Today, their main office is in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Their tribal land area is in Cleveland and Pottawatomie counties in Oklahoma. The other two federally recognized Shawnee tribes are the Shawnee Tribe and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.
Contents
Who Can Be a Member?
As of 2020, there are 4,576 enrolled members in the Absentee Shawnee Tribe. About 74% of these members live in Oklahoma. To become a member, a person must show they have at least one-eighth (1/8) Absentee-Shawnee ancestry. This rule is part of the tribe's constitution.
Historically, there were two main groups within the tribe. These groups had different histories based on their ancestors.
- The Big Jim Band kept many traditional cultural practices and ceremonies. Their main community is near Little Axe or Norman.
- The White Turkey Band adopted more ways of the European-American majority. Many of their families live in the Shawnee area.
Today, both groups work together for the future of the tribe.
What Does the Tribe Own?
The Absentee Shawnee Tribe runs its own housing program. It also issues special vehicle tags for its members. The tribe owns several businesses that help its economy. These include:
- A gas station
- Two smoke shops
- Two casinos, both called Thunderbird Casino
- The AST Health Center and Plus Care clinic
These businesses are located in or near Norman and Shawnee, Oklahoma. In 2017, the tribe's businesses brought in over $145 million. They also provided 1,130 jobs and paid $55 million to their workers.
How the Government Works
The Absentee Shawnee Tribe has the power to govern itself, just like it did before the Constitution of the United States was created. This means they can:
- Choose their own government style.
- Decide who can be a tribal member.
- Make rules for families within the tribe.
- Collect taxes.
- Manage property on their land.
- Control how members act through laws and a justice system.
The tribe's current government was officially set up in 1938 with a written constitution. This constitution was last updated in 1988.
The tribal government has two main parts:
- The legislative/executive branch, also called the Executive Committee.
- The judicial branch, which handles legal matters.
There is also an independent Election Committee that manages annual elections.
The Executive Committee has five members. They are all elected by the tribe's members and serve four-year terms. These roles include:
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Representative
The Executive Committee makes policies, manages government programs, and carries out the decisions of the tribal members.
The current leaders are:
- Governor: John Raymond Johnson
- Lieutenant Governor: Ezra M. DeLodge
- Secretary: Alicia Miller
- Treasurer: Joseph Blanchard
- Representative: DeWayne Wilson
A Look at Their History
The Shawnee people speak an Algonquian language. When Europeans first arrived, Shawnee groups lived in the Eastern United States and parts of the Southeastern United States.
During the American Revolutionary War, many Shawnee moved from the Great Lakes area to places like Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and later into Spanish Louisiana. Other Shawnee groups from Alabama joined them. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, some moved further south into Arkansas Territory, Spanish Texas, and French Louisiana.
As more European-American settlers moved west, the Shawnee in Missouri agreed in 1825 to give up their lands there for reservations in Kansas.
However, one group, later known as the Big Jim band, had already moved to Texas Territory. This group and others who left their lands became known as the Absentee Shawnee. They were called "absentee" because they were not present for a treaty about Kansas lands in 1854. Later, wars in Texas forced many Absentee Shawnee to move to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. Other Shawnee groups had already started moving to Indian Territory around 1839.
In the late 1800s, the US government moved the traditional Big Jim band of Absentee Shawnees from the Deep Fork River area. They were moved south to the Hog Creek and Little River area, near what is now Lake Thunderbird in Norman. Their descendants still live in communities like Little Axe and Shawnee.
In 1872, the US Congress gave the Absentee Shawnee shared ownership of lands with the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Later, in an effort to make tribes adopt farming and European-American ways, these shared lands were divided among individual families. This caused the tribes to lose control of much of their land.
In 1936, the tribe officially reorganized and gained federal recognition as the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. This happened under the new Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act. Their current constitution was approved on December 5, 1938.
Their Language
The tribe is working hard to keep its culture and language alive. Since the early 2000s, they have a Cultural Preservation Department. This department offers Shawnee language classes and a special program where children learn the language by being fully immersed in it. In 2006, about 200 to 800 people in Oklahoma still spoke the Shawnee language. Pauline Wahpepah, who speaks Shawnee fluently, teaches the language for the tribe.
George Blanchard, Sr, who was Governor of the Absentee Shawnee from 2009 to 2013, also works on language programs. He teaches both children and adults. Since 2014, he has been a language specialist for the Eastern Shawnee in Seneca, Missouri. He grew up speaking Shawnee and learned English later. He teaches young children and adults, encouraging families to speak Shawnee at home. He has also helped with translations for TV shows like PBS's We Shall Remain and the History Channel's Frontiersmen.
Flag and Emblem
The official emblem of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe was designed by Leroy White (1926–2009). He was a great-grandson of Big Jim and a direct descendant of Chief Tecumseh. His design was chosen in a contest held by the tribe in 1974.
Leroy White explained what his design means:
- The yellow moon in the background shows one of God's creations that Native American people always admired.
- The two feathers represent two important Shawnee leaders: Tecumseh and his brother, Tenskwatawa, known as the Prophet.
- The face in the middle is Tecumseh. He was a strong Shawnee leader known for his character and military skills. He spent much of his life trying to unite eastern tribes. He wanted them to defend their right to live on their own lands under their own laws. Even though he didn't achieve this dream, his spirit remained strong.
- The two stars show that Tecumseh was a brigadier general in the British Army. He died in battle at the Battle of the Thames in 1813.
- Finally, Li Si Wi Nwi was the name chosen for the Little Axe community of Absentee Shawnee. It means "Among the Shawnee" in English.
Leroy White grew up in Little Axe, Oklahoma. He was surrounded by the Shawnee language and traditions from birth. In 1976, he became the traditional chief of the Big Jim band of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, taking over from his uncle. His painting skills helped him win the contest for the tribal logo in 1974. He included symbols he felt were most important to the Absentee Shawnee people.
Notable Absentee Shawnee
- Benjamin Harjo, Jr. (born 1945), a talented painter and printmaker.
- Ernest Spybuck (1883–1949), an artist and historian who recorded tribal culture.
| Preceded by Edwina Butler-Wolfe |
Absentee Shawnee Tribal Governor 2013–Present |
Succeeded by John Johnson |
