Black Bob (Shawnee chief) facts for kids
Black Bob (Shawnee: Wa-wah-che-pa-e-hai or Wa-wah-che-pa-e-kar) was an important Native American Shawnee Chief. He lived from around the late 1700s until 1862 or 1864. His group was part of the Hathawekela division of the Shawnee people. Black Bob was known for being one of the last Shawnee leaders to resist moving to the Indian Territory (which is now Oklahoma). He worked hard to keep his band together. They held their lands as a community, moving between Missouri, Arkansas, and their special area in Kansas called the Black Bob Reservation.
Black Bob's Family
Black Bob was half Miami and half Shawnee. His father passed away in 1860 when he was 72 years old. After Black Bob's death, his wife lived near Olathe, Kansas. He also had family members among the "Blackfeather people."
The Blackfeather Farm still exists today in Overland Park, Kansas. This land was originally part of the Black Bob band's territory.
The Black Bob Band and Their Land
Black Bob and his Hathawekela band were also known as the Cape Girardeau Shawnee. They lived on land given to them by Spain around 1793. This land was in eastern Missouri, near Cape Girardeau.
In 1808, Chief Black Bob and his band chose not to move with the rest of the Shawnee tribe to the Indian Territory. They believed that government officials had not been honest about a treaty signed in 1825. They argued they had never agreed to let other Shawnee groups settle on the western lands.
So, Black Bob's group moved to the White River in Arkansas instead. Other Shawnee groups went directly to eastern Kansas. Black Bob's band still did not want to move to the Kansas River area.
On October 26, 1831, a treaty was signed in Missouri. This treaty gave up the Black Bob band's claim to their land in Cape Girardeau.
Black Bob's band wrote directly to President Andrew Jackson. They explained that they had lived peacefully in "Upper Louisiana" (now Missouri) for 40 years. They said the Kansas lands were too cold and they would be "surrounded by people strangers to us." However, their request to stay was denied in 1833.
Eventually, Black Bob's band did move to Kansas. In 1854, the United States made a treaty with Black Bob. This treaty gave his band rights to land on the Shawnee Reservation in Kansas. This large reservation became home to many Shawnee people. It stretched from the Kansas and Missouri rivers west towards Topeka.
The Black Bob Reservation was located in southeastern Johnson County, Kansas. It covered about 33,000 acres near the Blue and Tomahawk creeks.
The Black Bob Band became known as Skipakákamithagî’ in the Shawnee language. This means "blue water Indians," because they lived near the Big Blue River.
In 1857, there were 136 people in Black Bob's band. Black Bob kept his band together until he passed away.
During the Civil War, many Shawnee people from other groups came to the Black Bob Reservation. They were seeking safety.
The Black Bob band held their lands together as a community until 1866. They continued to live in their traditional ways. But during the Civil War, they faced many difficulties. They were harmed by different groups of people. Because of this, they left their homes and went to the Indian Territory. They stayed there until the war ended. Then, about 100 people returned to sell their lands.
In the 1870s, tribal members asked the U.S. Government to keep their land together. They explained that their band was mostly women and children after the war. They said that dividing their land was not their choice. It was being pushed by people who wanted to buy their land for their own gain. However, these requests were not successful. The lands were sold. The Black Bob Shawnee were forced to leave their land. They moved to northeastern Oklahoma. There, they joined the Absentee-Shawnee people.
Another story says that troubles before and during the Civil War made it impossible for these Shawnee to stay on their land. They went to the Indian Territory. Other people then moved onto their empty lands. For 25 years, the issue was not settled. People who wanted to make money unfairly took advantage of the Native Americans. This situation was a big problem. It was finally settled by the government and courts, but it was not good for the Black Bob Shawnee.
One writer says that after the war, some people illegally sold parts of the Black Bob land to new settlers. This led to many arguments over who owned the land.
The people who moved onto the Black Bob Reservation without permission were still a topic of discussion in newspapers as late as 1890. A lawsuit was filed to remove them. The lawsuit said that the deeds (papers showing ownership) of some land buyers were obtained by trickery. It asked for the settlers to be removed and to pay the Native Americans for using the land for 20 years. This lawsuit involved about 39,000 acres of land. The settlers had no legal ownership, only possession. This caused a lot of tension in the area.
Legacy
The Black Bob Band is one of the groups that led to today's Shawnee Tribe.
During the Civil War, many Shawnee people fought for the Union side. They were called the "Loyal Shawnee." But when they returned to Kansas, much of their land had been taken by non-Native American settlers. About 130,000 acres of Shawnee land were given to settlers. Only 70,000 acres remained for the tribe.
Some researchers believe that the "Loyal Shawnee" was a later name for the "Black Bob Band." Records for the Black Bob Band were kept by the Shawnee Agency. Members of the Black Bob Band later joined with the Absentee Shawnees and the Cherokee.
In 1861, Kansas became a state. People in Kansas wanted all Native American tribes to leave the state. The Loyal Shawnee made an agreement with the Cherokee Nation in 1869. This allowed 722 Shawnee people to become citizens of the Cherokee tribe. They also received parts of Cherokee land. They mostly settled in what is now Craig and Rogers County, Oklahoma. They became known as the "Cherokee Shawnee." They settled in areas like Bird Creek (now Sperry), Hudson Creek (now Fairland), and White Oak.
The Shawnee Reservation in Kansas was never officially closed. Some Shawnee families still own their original land in Kansas today.
Many places in Olathe, Kansas are named after Chief Black Bob. These include Black Bob Park, Black Bob Road, Black Bob Bay, and Black Bob Elementary School.
Images for kids
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Map of the Big Blue River and Tomahawk Creek area, in Johnson County, Kansas
