Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians
The Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma (or Absentee Shawnee) is one of three federally recognized tribes of Shawnee people. Historically residing in what became organized as the upper part of the Eastern United States, the original Shawnee lived in the large territory now made up of Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and neighboring states. In total, they occupied and traveled through lands ranging from Canada to Florida, and from the Mississippi River to the eastern continental coast.
official tribal flag | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 4,576 (2022) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| United States ( Oklahoma) | |
| Languages | |
| Shawnee, English, Yuchi | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Native American Church, traditional tribal religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, Shawnee Tribe, and Sac and Fox |
After Indian Removal, most of the people settled in Indian Territory (now the state of Oklahoma). In contemporary times, the Absentee Shawnee Tribe reorganized their government in 1936 and became federally recognized; their headquarters is in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Their tribal jurisdiction area includes land in Oklahoma in both Cleveland and Pottawatomie counties. The other federally recognized tribes are the Shawnee Tribe and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.