All about the ancient tribes
The Shawnee were a nomadic people, following animal populations throughout the winter months and establishing more permanent villages in the summers, where women gathered and tended to crops, while men hunted and served as warriors.
Learning the Shawnee Language Shawnee Alphabet. PI. PA. PE. PO. bah. bay. Greetings. English. Hello. Phonetic. Hah-tee-toh. Shawnee. Hi te to. Responses. English. I am feeling well. Phonetic. Nee-hoh-wah-see-lah-sah-mah-moh. Shawnee. Ne ho wa se li si mi mo. Partings. English. Again we will meet. Phonetic. Noh-kee-sah-lah-nahk-skah-lah. Shawnee.
Their homes were originally wigwams and birch bark houses, and their clothing varied depending on the climate where they lived. The Shawnee Tribe was very good at adapting to survive in their surroundings. In 1861 Kansas decided that Native tribes should be removed and the Shawnee joined the Cherokee tribe in Oklahoma.
Shawnee men were hunters and warriors. The women of the tribe did the domestic labor. They built the lodges, dressed the game, cooked, planted and cultivated the gardens, scraped and tinned hides, made clothing and blankets, wove baskets and made vessels of clay…
Religion – The Shawnee. Like many indian tribes, the Shawnee worshipped the Great Spirit. The Great Spirit had two deities under it. The one referred to as “Grandmother” was in charge of indian affairs.
The word Shawnee comes from the Algonquian word ‘shawun’ which means southerner. Other interpretations of the word suggest it might mean “those who have silver”. The Iroquois called them the Ontoagannha, which meant People of Unintelligible Speech according to Allan Eckert in his book “That Dark and Bloody River.”
Shawnee Words ko’tha-father. neegah-mother (nikya-my mother) Nikitakwelemele- I love you. neahw/niyaawe- thank you. hatito-Hello. thétha(?)-brother. Neeme Waapa Nepi Kweewa(?)- my beautiful perfect wife.
1: a member of an American Indian people originally of the central Ohio valley. 2: the Algonquian language of the Shawnee people.
Sioux Tribe. Dakota is a popular name for both male and female babies across America. The Native American name means “ friend.” Mika is often used for both boys and girls; the name means “rabbit.”
The Shawnees were farming people. Shawnee women planted and harvested corn and squash. Shawnee men hunted in the forest for deer, turkeys, and small game and went fishing in the rivers and lakes. Shawnee Indian food included soup, cornbread, and stews.
About the Shawnee Tribe The Shawnee Tribe is a federally recognized sovereign nation with about 3,200 tribal citizens as of 2020. Shawnee citizens reside not only in Oklahoma, but also live and work throughout the world.
The Shawnee made their clothing, and most of it was made from animal skins or fur. Shawnee women wore skirts with leggings to keep warm and the men mostly wore leggings. Shirts were not usually worn in the Shawnee culture. Both men and women wore ponchos in the cooler weather.
The Shawnee language is a Central Algonquian language spoken in parts of central and northeastern Oklahoma by the Shawnee people. It was originally spoken in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. It is closely related to other Algonquian languages, such as Mesquakie-Sauk (Sac and Fox) and Kickapoo.
Wigwams are made of wooden frames which are covered with woven mats and sheets of birchbark. The frame can be shaped like a dome, like a cone, or like a rectangle with an arched roof. Once the birchbark is in place, ropes or strips of wood are wrapped around the wigwam to hold the bark in place.
Today three federally recognized Shawnee tribes, made up of descendants of different historical and kinship groups, are all headquartered in Oklahoma: the Absentee- Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, and Shawnee Tribe.