Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma facts for kids
Tribal Flag
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Inside a Kickapoo wickiup (a type of home) in Indian Territory, 1880
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| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 2,630 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States ( Oklahoma) |
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| Languages | |
| Kickapoo, English | |
| Religion | |
| traditional tribal religion, Native American Church, Christianity (Protestant) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Sac and Fox Nation and other Algonquian peoples |
The Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma is one of three officially recognized Kickapoo tribes in the United States. Other Kickapoo tribes live in Kansas, Texas, and Mexico. The Kickapoo are a Woodland tribe. They speak an Algonquian language. They are connected to the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, and the Mexican Kickapoo.
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Tribal Government
The Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma has its main office in McLoud, Oklahoma. Their tribal area covers parts of Oklahoma, Pottawatomie, and Lincoln Counties. Out of 2,630 tribal members, 1,856 live in Oklahoma. To be a member, a person must have at least 1/4 Kickapoo heritage.
The tribe's leader is Chairman Darwin Kaskaske. The tribe manages its own housing and issues special vehicle tags for its members.
Tribal Businesses
The Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma owns a gas station and two casinos. In 2010, these businesses brought in about $16 million for the tribe. The Kickapoo Casino is located north of McLoud, Oklahoma, close to the tribal headquarters.
Kickapoo Language
About 400 tribal members still speak the Kickapoo language. It is special because it is one of the few tribal languages in Oklahoma that children still learn and speak today.
Kickapoo History
Early Origins in the North
The name "Kickapoo" comes from their own word "Kiwigapawa." This means "he moves from here to there." The Kickapoo people are part of the central Algonquian group. They have close family and language ties with the Sac and Fox tribes.
The first records of the Kickapoo are from around 1667-1670. They were living near the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. Because of pressure from the Menominee tribe, the Kickapoo and their friends moved south and west. They settled in southern Michigan, northern Iowa, Ohio, and Illinois.
Through several agreements with the U.S. Government, starting in 1803, the Kickapoo gave up their lands. These lands were along the Ohio, Wabash, White, and Vermilion Rivers. They then moved to Missouri near the Osage River.
Moving to the Plains
Just ten years later, in 1832, the tribe gave up their lands in Missouri. They were given a "permanent" home in Kansas. This new home was south of the Delaware Nation in Kansas, near Fort Leavenworth.
Around the same time, some Kickapoo moved to Texas. The Spanish government invited them to live there. They hoped the Kickapoo would help protect the area between Mexico and American settlers. However, the Mexican War of Independence and the Texas Revolution showed that settlers would keep coming. After the Texas Revolution, these Kickapoo groups moved south into Mexico.
In 1854, the Kickapoo gave up the eastern part of their Kansas lands to the United States. This left them with 150,000 acres in the west. This agreement allowed for a survey of their lands. It also gave a railroad the right to build tracks across the reservation.
Some U.S. officials tried to convince the Kickapoo to divide their lands into individual plots. This was called "allotment." The Kickapoo had always owned their lands together, so they likely did not want this. However, the railroad wanted to buy any extra land after allotment. In 1862, another agreement was made. It said that tribal leaders would get 320 acres, families 160 acres, and others 40 acres. The remaining 125,000 acres would be sold to the railroad.
Many Kickapoo were upset, saying they did not agree to this. Some Kickapoo decided to leave Kansas. About 700 of them went to Mexico in September 1864 to join their relatives. In 1865, the U.S. government pushed for the allotment to continue. By 1869, only 93 Kansas Kickapoo had accepted individual land plots. Most preferred to keep their lands together.
Settling in Texas
The first group of Southern Kickapoo moved around the time the tribe settled in Kansas. They traveled across the southern plains. In 1850, they agreed to help protect Mexicans and Texas settlers from other tribes. For their help, the Spanish governor gave them land in Mexico. This land was near a place called Santa Rosa.
By 1860, the southern Kickapoo numbered about 1,500 people. They lived in a large area from the Canadian and Washita Rivers in Indian Territory to the Sabine and Brazos Rivers in Texas, and down to the Remolino River in northern Mexico.
In 1864, about 700 Kickapoo left Kansas to join their relatives in Mexico. They were frustrated with how U.S. agents were treating them. In 1865, a battle happened at Dove Creek between the Kickapoo and Texas militiamen. The Kickapoo lost about 15 warriors, and the Texans lost more.
In 1868, reports said that about 800 Kickapoo in Mexico were raiding western Texas. The U.S. government decided to try and bring the Kickapoo back. In 1870 and 1871, Congress passed laws to provide money to move the Kickapoo to Indian Territory. However, Mexican officials did not want them to leave. They saw the Kickapoo as their only defense against other tribes.
In 1873, another attempt was made to bring the Kickapoo to Indian Territory. This time, U.S. agents went to Mexico to talk directly with the governor. While they were traveling, American soldiers attacked a Kickapoo group by mistake. This made the Kickapoo even less willing to move. Finally, in the fall of 1874, about 300 Mexican Kickapoo agreed to resettle.
Moving to Oklahoma
The Mexican Kickapoo were moved to Indian Territory, which is now Oklahoma. They settled near the Canadian River. They were given farm tools to start growing crops. It was a difficult change for them.
In 1883, the Kickapoo were officially given the lands they were living on. This land was near the Sac and Fox Reservation. Four years later, with the Dawes Act, there was pressure to divide the Oklahoma Kickapoo lands into individual plots. On June 21, 1891, the tribe agreed to give up their reservation. In return, each tribal member would receive 80 acres of land.
The Kickapoo were very against this "allotment" process. They fought it until 1894. In the end, 283 Kickapoo received 80-acre plots. This left over 184,000 acres of land for non-Indian settlers.
In 1895, after the Kickapoo finally agreed to allotment, the last Land Run in Oklahoma happened. This was on May 23, 1895. It was the smallest land run in Oklahoma's history.
20th Century Changes
Indian Reorganization Act
In 1936, the tribe officially organized as the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma. This happened under the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act. They created a Constitution and rules on September 18, 1937. This set up roles like Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and a council member.
Land Claims
In 1946, a law called the Indian Claims Commission Act was passed. Its goal was to settle all old complaints and claims tribes had against the U.S. government. This included issues like broken treaties or unfair land deals.
The Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma filed at least six claims. Some were on their own, and some were with the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas or other tribes. The largest payments were for unfair prices paid for land in agreements from 1854 and 1866. It took many years for these payments to be fully approved and distributed.
Mexican Kickapoo Subgroup
In 1979, the Mexican Kickapoo who lived in both the U.S. and Mexico asked for clear legal status. In 1983, Congress passed a law recognizing them as a separate group of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma. This law also officially recognized the Texas Kickapoo.
A 1985 law gave the Texas Kickapoo the choice to become Mexican or U.S. citizens. 145 tribal members chose to become U.S. citizens. About 500 others chose Mexican citizenship.
The Kickapoo in Mexico and Oklahoma still have strong ties. Mexican Kickapoo use the health services at the tribal clinic in McLoud, Oklahoma. Oklahoma Kickapoo travel to Mexico for special ceremonies in February and March.
Education
The Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma runs the Kickapoo Community Day Care. They also have the Kickapoo Nation Head Start Program. These programs help both tribal members and non-members living on the original Kickapoo Reservation lands.
Notable Tribal Members
- Arigon Starr, a musician and comic artist
