Shawnee Indians
Until the 1600's the Shawnee Indians inhabited the Ohio valley. They were driven out by the Iroquois looking for ample hunting grounds. Most Shawnee's went south and east settling in Maryland, Eastern Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and even Florida. Once the fierce warriors of the Iroquois Indians died out, they were able to return to their homeland. This didn't last long as they were drove once again, by the settling Europeans.
The Shawnee Tribe had five divisions with whom they shared language and culture.
The entries into each division were by birth inheritance of the father. Although
they had five divisions they operated as a whole, Chilahcahtha (Chillicothe),
Kispokotha (Kispogogi),
Spitotha (Mequachake?), Bicowetha (Piqua), and Assiwikale (Hathawekela) clans
made up the tribe. The Chiefs were only able to come from the Chillicothe clan.
The Shawnee Indians lived in wigwams made from Sassafras and Birch saplings from
the frame and covered with cattail woven mats for walls.
In the early years of the French and Indian war the Shawnees fought with the
French until the Treaty of Easton was signed in 1758. After the Battle
of Fallen Timbers the Shawnee Indians signed the Treaty of Greenville,
which gave the United States a large portion of their homeland. In their last
attempt to save their land, a minority of Shawnee's formed together for Tecumseh
War, which ended at the Battle of Thames in 1813. Their numbers dwindled, from
over 10,000 they were now left with 3500. In 1817, with the signing of the Fort
Meigs Treaty, the Shawnee Indians signed away their remaining land rights in
Ohio. Another treaty followed in 1825. The Missouri Shawnee's signed the Treaty
of St. Louis presented to them by William Clark.
There are still approximately 15,000 Shawnee Indians today. Most live in Oklahoma,
where they had been moved to, by the American Government. Today there
are four bands of Shawnee Indians although only three are recognized amongst
the tribe and the government. The Absentee Shawnee, the Eastern Shawnee, the
Cherokee Shawnee, and the Shawnee Nation Remnant Band is only recognized by the
state of Ohio.