The Shawnee tribe of Native Americans traditionally lived in the Ohio River valley. They were known for their fighting ability and also for their wanderings. Their name came from a word in the Algonquian Indian languages meaning “southerner.”

Society and culture

During the summer the Shawnee lived in dome-shaped wigwams made from a frame of poles covered with bark. Nearby were fields where women grew corn (maize) and other food crops. During the winter the people of a village broke into small groups and moved to hunting camps.

Each Shawnee village had a large council house. Villagers gathered there for religious ceremonies. In the summer, when the corn crop ripened, they performed the Green Corn Dance. In spring and autumn the women held a Bread Dance to give thanks for their food they grew and hunted.

History

In the 17th century the Iroquois Indians of present-day New York State began expanding their territory westward. As they moved into the Shawnee homeland, the Shawnee were forced to abandon their villages and move south. By about 1730, however, they had once again come together in the old lands.

Then the Shawnee had to cope with whites who wanted to settle in their territory. Under leaders such as Cornstalk and Blue Jacket, the tribe repeatedly fought to defend their homeland. In 1794 a confederacy of tribes was defeated by Gen. Anthony Wayne's forces in the Battle of Fallen Timbers. In 1795 Shawnee leaders signed the Treaty of Fort Greenville, which forced them to give up their territory in present-day Ohio.

Some Shawnee refused to leave the area, however. Among them was Tecumseh, who organized a confederacy of tribes to fight the Americans. He was aided by his brother Tenskwatawa, a religious leader also known as the Shawnee Prophet. Today considered to be one of the greatest of American Indian leaders, Tecumseh died in battle in 1813. His confederacy fell apart soon afterward.

With the loss of their homeland, the Shawnee again scattered. By the late 19th century most had settled in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). Now three independent groups of Shawnee live in the area. Several hundred tribespeople, known as the Shawnee Nation United Remnant Band, also remain in Ohio. At the end of the 20th century more than 6,000 Shawnee lived in the United States.