Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska facts for kids
Tribal Flag
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Black Hawk, portrait by George Catlin, 1832
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| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 442 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States(  Kansas and  Nebraska) |
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| Languages | |
| English, Sauk, Fox | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, other | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Sauk, Meskwaki, Kickapoo, and other Algonquian peoples |
The Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska is a group of Native American people. They are one of three tribes of Sac and Meskwaki (Fox) people that the U.S. government officially recognizes.
They call themselves Nemahahaki (Meskwaki: Nîmahâhaki). They are part of the Algonquian language family and have a culture from the Eastern Woodlands.
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Tribal Government and Economy
The Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri has its main office in Reserve, Kansas. The tribe has a leader called a tribal chairman. Their current chairman is Tiauna Carnes. Lisa Montgomery is the acting environmental director.
The tribe owns several businesses. These include the Sac and Fox Casino, the Boat Bar, and the Chop House steak restaurant. They also own the Deli and the Lodge buffet. All these businesses are located in Powhattan, Kansas.
Tribal Museum
The tribe runs the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri Tribal Museum. It is located in Reserve, Kansas. The museum opened in 1996. It shows tribal clothing and items. It is also a place for people to research the tribe's history.
History of the Sac and Fox Nation
The Sac and Fox were once two separate tribes. They joined together in the 1700s. This was to help each other fight against attacks from the French. The Sac people called themselves "People of the Yellow Earth." The Fox people called themselves "Red Earth People."
Land Treaties and Relocation
In 1804, a treaty called the Treaty of St. Louis was signed. This treaty gave over 50 million acres of land in the Mississippi Valley to the United States. The people who signed this treaty were not the main leaders of the Sac or Fox tribes. The tribes did not agree with this treaty. They fought against it for many years.
The Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri was officially formed by a treaty in 1815. They moved from Iowa and Illinois to northeastern Missouri. In 1824, they moved again to the Platte Valley.
Black Hawk, a Sac leader, led his people in a war against the United States in 1832. After more treaties, the tribe moved again in 1837. They went to the Great Nemaha Reservation. This area is in Doniphan and Brown counties in Kansas.
Later, the Dawes Act divided tribal lands. This act broke up tribal lands into smaller pieces for individuals.
Life on the Reservation
In the 1880s, about 360 members lived on the Sac and Fox Reservation. This land was about 61 square kilometers (23.6 square miles). It was located in southeastern Richardson County, Nebraska and northeastern Brown County, Kansas. It was near Falls City, Nebraska.
The tribe officially organized under the Indian Reorganization Act in 1934. In the year 2000, 217 people lived on the reservation.
Protecting Tribal Rights
From the 1940s to the 1960s, the U.S. government had a policy called the Indian termination policy. This policy aimed to end the special relationship between tribes and the federal government. Four tribes in Kansas, including the Sac and Fox Nation, were affected.
One of the first laws during this time was the Kansas Act of 1940. This law changed who had power over crimes on tribal lands. It allowed the State of Kansas to handle crimes involving Native Americans. Before this, only the federal government had this power.
In 1953, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution. This resolution suggested ending federal support for many tribes. This would mean tribes would lose federal help, services, and protection. It would also mean the end of reservations.
A government memo in 1954 clarified which tribes in Kansas were included. These were the Potawatomi, the Kickapoo, the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri, and the Iowa tribes.
Because Kansas already had some power over criminal matters, the government wanted to end federal support for these four tribes quickly. Meetings were held in Congress in 1954 to discuss this.
Minnie Evans, a leader of the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation, worked hard to stop this policy. Tribal members sent many letters to the government. Several tribal groups went to Washington, D.C., to speak at congressional meetings. Leaders from the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, Vestana Cadue, Oliver Kahbeah, and Ralph Simon, also traveled to speak. Their strong efforts helped the Potawatomi, Kickapoo, Sac & Fox, and Iowa tribes avoid termination.
