Absentee-Shawnee Tribe

United States

Indigenous Peoples of the United States

Indigenous Peoples of Oklahoma

Absentee-Shawnee Tribe

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Guide to Absentee-Shawnee Tribe ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and other agency records.

The Absentee-Shawnee Tribe is primarily associated with the state of Oklahoma.

Tribal Headquarters

Absentee Shawnee Tribe
2025 South Gordon Cooper
Shawnee, OK 74801
Phone: 405-275-4030
Website

History

Originally, the Shawnee Indians lived in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and neighboring states.

The Absentee Shawnee Tribe gained their “absentee” distinction because their groups were not present at the signing of the 1854 treaty for a Kansas Reservation.

In the late 1800’s, after living a decade in areas between the Deep Fork River and the North Canadian River, a federal Indian Agent instigated military escort that removed these Absentee Shawnee groups to a new area near Hog Creek and Little River. Here, in what was called the Big Jim Settlement, modern day Absentee Shawnee families still remain today, and are collectively known as Big Jim Band. This settlement would later become known as the Little Axe area located in Cleveland County (east of Norman, Oklahoma.) Another band of Absentee Shawnee settled in Pottawatomie County (near Shawnee, Oklahoma); and is known as the White Turkey Band. The two bands were finally organized as one tribe under the Oklahoma Indian Welfare-Act of 1936. The Tribe shares this former reservation area with the Citizen Band of Potawatomi.

Membership as of June 30, 2024 is 4,675.

history of lands in Oklahoma

Brief Timeline

In the late 1700's, few Shawnee groups migrated westward into Missouri and Arkansas to avoid colonial encroachment

Treaties in the late 1700’s and throughout the 1800’s established the Shawnee as having a large population and land holdings in the state of Ohio.

By 1832, the United States Government removed the remaining Shawnees in the Ohio River Valley and other surrounding areas into Kansas.

In 1854, instead of going to Kansas, these Absentee Shawnees went to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) or Mexico territory (Texas). They were called “absentee” because their groups were not present at the signing of the 1854 treaty for a Kansas Reservation.

In the late 1800’s, the tribe lived between the Deep Fork River and the North Canadian River for a decade. Then the U.S. military moved these Absentee Shawnee groups to an area near Hog Creek and Little River. These Absentee Shawnee families still live there and are known as Big Jim Band. The area became known as the Little Axe area and is located in Cleveland County (east of Norman, Oklahoma). Another band of Absentee Shawnee settled in Pottawatomie County (near Shawnee, Oklahoma) and is known as the White Turkey Band.

In 1936 under the Oklahoma Indian Welfare-Act, the two bands were organized as one tribe.

In 1964, approximately 33 acres of federal land was transferred to the tribe in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

Reservations

The tribe is located in central Oklahoma though there are members around the world.

See Absentee Shawnee Indian Reservation (Oklahoma).

Map showing location of reservation

Additional References to the History of the Tribe

Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a brief history of the Absentee Shawnee tribe, with estimations of the population of the tribe in 1904.

For additional history of the tribe, read more....

Records

The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:

• Allotment records
• Annuity rolls
• Census records
• Correspondence
• Health records
• Reports
• School census and records
• Vital records

Other Records

• 1889-1891 - Emily Johnson, Rolls of Indian tribes in Oklahoma 1889-1891 : Absentee Shawnee (Big Jim's Band), Cheyenne and Arapahoe, Iowa, Kickapoo, Kiowa, Comanche and Apache, Otoe and Missouria, Pawnee, Ponca, Pottawatomie, Citizen Pottawatomie (Big Jim's Band), Sac and Fox

history of the records

Land Records

Tribally owned land: 89.25 acres Allotted land 12,119.49 acres

Located in central Oklahoma

Other Censuses for Absentee Shawnee

1904-1906, 1915-1939 : AccessGenealogy, Absentee Shawnee Censuses,

Important Websites

• Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma Official Website
• Constitution and By-Laws of the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma
• Wikipedia article about the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe

For Further Reading

For background information to help find Native American ancestors see For Further Reading.