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The Shawnee (/ ʃ ɔː ˈ n i / shaw-NEE) are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their language, Shawnee, is an Algonquian language. Their precontact homeland was likely centered in southern Ohio. [2] In the 17th century, they dispersed through Ohio, Illinois, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. [4]
Shawnee, an Algonquian-speaking North American Indian people who lived in the central Ohio River valley. Closely related in language and culture to the Fox , Kickapoo , and Sauk , the Shawnee were also influenced by a long association with the Seneca and Delaware .
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn about the Shawnee people, a powerful Algonquian-speaking nation that lived in the Ohio River Valley and fought against colonial expansion. Discover their geographical and political history, their culture and lifestyle, their herbal medicine, and their endangered language.
- History
- Important Dates
- Population of Shawnee Tribes: 2000 Census
- Religion
- Language
- Government
- The Oklahoma Shawnee
- Economy
- Daily Life
- Arts
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Scattering of the Shawnee tribe
The Shawnee first made contact with Europeans in the early 1670s when French trappers and traders came to Tennessee and South Carolina. The Shawnee traded furs and hides to the French, and later to the British, for European goods such as jewelry, glass beads, ribbons, pots, blankets, and steel weapons. By the late 1600s many Shawnee had moved northward into the Ohio Valleyand eastern Pennsylvania. There some joined with groups of Delaware Indians (see entry) and lived in what is present-day I...
1670:The Shawnee first encounter Europeans. 1774:The Shawnee take on the British in the Battle of Point Pleasant. 1794:The Shawnee are defeated by U.S. forces at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. 1795:The Greenville Treaty opens Shawnee land to white settlement. 1811:Shawnee settlement of Prophet’s Town is destroyed in the Battle of Tippecanoe. 1813: C...
Most Shawnee live in Oklahoma, where they are divided into three groups. The Absentee Shawnee live near Shawnee, Oklahoma. The Eastern Shawnee live in Ottawa County in northeastern Oklahoma. The Loyal Shawnee mostly live in the town of Whiteoak in northeastern Oklahoma. In the 2000 U.S. Census the Shawnee identified themselves this way: “2000 Censu...
The Shawnee recognized a Great Spirit and worshipped the spiritual qualities in all natural things. The people believed they had been created by a female god, called Our Grandmother, who someday would gather them up in a huge net and take them to heaven. Each tribal group had a sacred bundle that contained holy objects, and used it to bring good ha...
The Shawnee language is considered endangered, but is still spoken by some Shawnee in Oklahoma, who are teaching it to Shawnee children. The reservations have language classes so that the language can be passed on to future generations.
Tribal chiefs were men and women who had inherited their life-long positions. Peace chiefs served as spiritual leaders. War chiefs, who were chosen for their skill and bravery in battle, planned raids on the enemy. Decisions were made after discussions that continued until everyone agreed on a matter. Women served as important advisors during war a...
There are three groups of Shawnee in Oklahoma: the Absentee Shawnee, the Eastern Shawnee, and the Loyal Shawnee.
The Shawnee economy centered on hunting, farming, and food gathering. Beginning in the early eighteenth century fur trading with the French became very important to the economy. Men hunted, traded, and fought in wars. Women gathered food, farmed, and made craft items used by the tribe. In springtime men cleared fields, then women and children plant...
Families
The Shawnee lived in small groups of extended families made up of mothers, fathers, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and in-laws. They lived together in one big dwelling or in houses located near one another.
Buildings
In warm weather the Shawnee lived in summer villages of twenty to three hundred people. Each village had a large log council house used for religious and political gatherings; it provided protection when villagers came under enemy attack. Palisades, fence-like structures, surrounded the village for protection. Shawnee homes were made of saplings (young trees) tied to form a frame and covered by sheets of bark or animal skins. A hole in the roof allowed smoke to escape. During the fall and win...
Clothing and adornment
The Shawnee wore buckskin clothing. In winter men and women wore shirts, leggings, fur cloaks, and moccasins. Summer clothing consisted of simple breechcloths (flaps of material that covered the front and back and hung from the waist) for men and wrap skirts for women. Women also wore moccasins trimmed with bells that jingled when they walked. Children dressed like their parents. Most garments were decorated with dyed porcupine quills, beads, or feathers. After they began to trade for Europea...
Oral literature
During winter the Shawnee dressed in animal robes and gathered around the fire to hear elders tell stories of their past triumphs or tales about the gods. An often-repeated story told of the Shawnee long ago crossing an ocean or “sea of ice.” Anthropologists (people who study ancient cultures) believe this could have been one of the Great Lakesor a lake farther north in Canada that they would have crossed as they journeyed southward.
Learn about the Shawnee, a Native American tribe that lived in the Ohio Valley and fought against British and American expansion. Explore their origins, language, population, wars, and current status.
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Mar 25, 2023 · From their origins as woodland hunters to their forced migrations and battles against colonial powers, the Shawnee have persevered through it all. One of the most significant aspects of Shawnee culture is their spirituality, which is deeply intertwined with the natural world.
The Shawnee Tribe is a federally recognized Native American tribe in Oklahoma, with about 2,226 enrolled members. They are one of three Shawnee tribes, and have a history of migration, removal, and alliance with the Cherokee Nation.
Dec 6, 2023 · With a rich history and unique cultural practices, the Shawnee people have left an indelible mark on the region. From their vibrant traditions to their significant contributions to the development of the United States, there is much to discover about this fascinating tribe.
