The Culture and History of the Shawnee Indians - Research Paper Example

Although, by 1730s, the Shawnee had returned to their homeland, they faced relocation by American settlers whereby they moved first to Missouri and then to Kansas. Most of members of the Shawnee tribe finally settled in Oklahoma after the end of the Civil War. In 1793, some of the Shawnee tribe received a Spanish land grant at Missouri (Clark 5). Nevertheless, in 1803, the land was came under American control and the Shawnees had to settle in Southern Oklahoma, becoming the Absentee Shawnee. The Shawnee people view themselves as the descendants of the Delaware, considered to be their grandfathers.

They also possess strong links with the Kickapoo, who manifest linguistic ties. Original estimates of Shawnee population in the pre European era ranged around 10,000. The first official accurate count occurred in 1825, which placed the count at 1,400 in Missouri, 110 in Louisiana, and 800 in Ohio. The decrease in the population arose from conflicts and diseases such as the flu and scarlet fever. Some of diseases that decimated the population emanated from the settlers from Europe. The Shawnee demonstrated a strong tribal identity.

The largest group comprised of loyal Shawnee, who numbered about 8,000 individuals recognized by the United States Government as the Cherokee nation. The Eastern Shawnee tribe of Oklahoma comprised of about 1,600 members while there were about 2,000 Absentee Shawnee. The Shawnee Nation United Remnant Band numbered about 600 (Clark 8). Prior to contact with Europeans, the Shawnee tribe comprised of coalition of five divisions, which boasted of a shared language and culture. The divisions encompassed Chillicothe, Hathawekela, Kispokotha, Mequachake, and Pekuwe (Warren 14).

Each of the five groups operated individually, and membership in each division was inherited from the father. The villages were usually named after the division. The central chief presiding over the divisions could ever come from one division or what is referred to as Chillicothe. Headship of the different divisions hinged on hereditary (Murphree 410). How they got their name The word Shawnee stems from the Algonquin word “shawun” (shawunogi), which means Southerner (Pritzker 4). The Shawnee was the southernmost group, as the name implies.

The original Homeland of the entire Algonquian population was centered in the eastern subarctic region of Canada. The meaning of “shawun” points that they originally lived to the south of Kickapoo, of the Ohio valley. The name “Savanoos” was applied by the early Dutch writers referring to the Indians who occupied the north bank of Delaware River within New Jersey. The name mainly applies to their initial locality within the Ohio Valley comparative to other Great Lakes like Algonquin. Shawnee habitually prefers to refer to themselves the Shawano or Shawanoe or Shawanese.

The Shawanee dialect encompasses Southern Great Lakes (Wakashan) closely related to Fox, Sauk, Mascouten, and Kickapoo. Language Linguistically, the Shawnee tribe is identified with the group of Central Algonquian dialects, inclusive of the Miami, Kickapoo, Illiniwek, and Sauk and Fox. The Shawnee Indian language is credited for being the most expressive and eloquent of all the other Indian languages. The Shawnee managed to retain their folklore despite the dispersion and loss of contacts with other languages and cultures.