The Shawnee Indians originally inhabited areas around what is now Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In the late 17th Century, however, the were invaded by their traditional enemy, the Iroquois and driven from their lands. They were driven into South Carolina, eastern Pennsylvania and southern Illinois. With the coming of the white man the Shawnee were again forced to move from their home country. They were gradually driven west, first to Missouri, then Kansas and finally Oklahoma.

The pre European Shawnee population numbered somewhere around the 10,000 mark. The first official census was taken in 1825. It gave the following breakdown:

1400 Shawnee in Missouri
1100 in Louisiana
800 in Ohio.

Today there are three official groups of the Shawnee. The largest group is the Loyal Shawnee. They number about 8,000 individuals. They are, however, recognised by the United States Government as part of the Cherokee nation. The Eastern Shawnee tribe of Oklahoma has about 1,600 members. There are about 2,000 Absentee Shawnee. A fourth group is the Shawnee Nation United Remnant Band who number about six hundred. However, they are not recognised by the Federal Government. The total modern Shawnee population, then, stands at about 14,000.

The Shawnee people consider themselves as the descendants of the Delaware, who they consider to be their ‘grandfathers’. They also have strong links with the Kickapoo, with whom they have linguistic ties. The word Shawnee comes from the Algonquin word ‘shawun’ which means southerner. It appears that they originally lived to the south of the Kickapoo, in the Ohio Valley. The Shawnee have a strong sense of tribal identity. They have five separate divisions which operate individually. The central chief over all of the divisions could ever only come from one division – that known as Chillicothe. . Headship of the divisions was on the basis of hereditary. The war chief, however, was selected on the basis of skill and merit.

Over the summer months the Shawnee would gather together in large villages. Their homes were long houses covered with bark. Each village would have a large council house which would be used for council meetings and religious ceremonies. Over the winter period, the Shawnee would break into smaller groups and would hunt and camp in search of game. The men were the hunters who sought out deer, rabbits and small game. The women would grow crops and tend the fields. The principle crop was corn. The religious ceremonies of the Shawnee were tied up with the agricultural cycle. In the spring the people celebrated the bread dance which indicated planting time. The ripening of the crops was time for the green corn dance and the harvest was celebrated with the autumn bread dance.

The Shawnee formed an alliance with the French up until around 1740 when British traders began to move into the Ohio Valley region. When the British were forced out of this region, however, the Shawnee returned to the French. Their allegiance switched back to the British when they were victorious in the French – Indian War. The Shawnee subsequently fought alongside the British in the American Revolution. They continued to war against the Americans after the Revolution. The most famous Shawnee Chief was Tecumseh. Other famous leaders include Cornstalk, the Prophet, Blue Jacket and Black Hoof.

The Shawnee believed in a supreme deity who they called Moneto. Moneto would bestow blessings upon all who merited his favor. This Supreme God was seen as a Grandmotherly type figure who was constantly weaving a giant net which she would eventually cast over the earth. Those who had done good would be pulled to the heavens in the net. Those who were left behind would suffer a terrible fate as the earth was consumed in fire.

Among the people, the elders were the ones who trained youngsters in history, culture and traditions. Tribal history was passed in this way from one generation to the next. The Shawnee live by a Golden Rule which is reminiscent of that laid out by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. It states, “Do not kill or injure your neighbor, for it is not him you injure but yourself. But love him, for Moneto loves him as he loves you.”

Source: http://oh.essortment.com/shawneeindiant_rijt.htm

The Miami Indian tribes were part of the Algonquin Indians. The first European contact was recorded as being about 1654 when two French explorers found some Miami refugees northwest of Green Bay, Wisconsin. The first written record of them was in 1658.

The French referred to the Miami as "Oumamik" from the Obijawa "Omanik". "Miamiak" is the Miami name for themselves. The origin of the name "Miami" is not actually known and has many forms. Maumee is another form of Miami.

The Miami originally lived in several areas near the Great Lakes. It is believed that they lived to the west, south, and east of lower Lake Michigan.

In 1669 they were found mostly around Green Bay, Wisconsin. They gradually moved to what is now Chicago, St. Joseph, Michigan, and along the Maumee River. They lived along the Maumee and the Wabash Rivers until they gave up their lands to the whites.

The Miami resembled the Illinois Indians in their language and customs. They lived in dome shaped wigwams and their villages were surrounded by fields of corn. Corn was their main crop.

The Miami were divided into clans. They could not marry within their own clan. All children were counted with the clan of their father. Each clan had its own chief. The chief was an hereditary office and was handed down to the father's eldest son. If he had no son then it went to his oldest sister's son. One account said that it always went to the oldest sister's son. If there were more than one then the mother would purposefully put her son forward in the clan.

The head chief had the authority to make decisions for the good of the others. He was not allowed to be in a war party. He had a group of young men that traveled with him and attended him.

He actually had the function of a diplomat, keeping good relations between tribes and other such duties.

There were some women chiefs on occasion who, if they had had a dream or vision, were allowed to go with the war parties. For the most part, the women did tremendous amounts of the work that needed to be done for the tribe.

The women were the workers in the fields. They cultivated the crops, gathered the maize, jerked and dried the deer, bear, and buffalo meat. They prepared the meals and gathered the wood. She sewed the bark canoes together. When moving from one place to another, the Indian women carried the wigwam material on their backs.

The Miami men hunted, skinned and tanned the hides(although the women helped with this), trapped animals, and went to war.

Miami men were allowed to marry more than once--in fact if they had many wives they were thought to be wealthy. Divorce was easy. A husband or wife could just walk away for just about any reason if at all justified.

The Miami were the most powerful tribe in the West. They were the tribe that had the greatest effect upon the history of the state of Indiana.

Indiana became the seat of the Miami Confederacy (made up of several tribes who joined together to fight against their hereditary enemies, the Iroquois).

When the French entered Indiana they found the Miami in complete control. The Miami received the French decently and gave them some land. They were very close with the French at first.

Miamis had the reputation of being skilled warriors. While that was true in part, some of it had to do with the allies they chose. They took the sides of various people in different wars. Sometimes it was the French, sometimes the British, and sometimes the Indians.

They raised corn, small fruits, and vegetables. The Miamis had important locations along the trade routes which helped them to be more in control of things than other tribes in the area. The villages were built in woodlands on freshwater lakes and rivers. It seems that they stayed in the villages for eight months of the year. There was an abundance of game, fish, nuts, berries, and roots in these areas. In winter they migrated to the Grand Prairie. This is where the buffalo spent the winter, also. They camped there and killed all that they needed for food and clothing.

It is said that the Miamis had a quiet, perservering, and determined nature. They were among the first of the Indian races and called themselves "MEN". Heroic and war-like were adjectives used to describe them.

The Miami enjoyed playing games. Forms of gambling were very popular. The bowl game was quite popular among the women, who would sometimes play it for days at a time. Shooting an arrow at objects thrown into the air was another favorite. Sometimes gambling games were played between different villages. Games of strength and skill, including swimming and wrestling, were played often.

Diseases killed off many of the Miami long before they actually met the white people. The Indians had no natural immunities against white man's diseases. These diseases killed more Indians than all of the battles between the races put together. Smallpox, measeles, and bubonic plague were the worst diseases.

The Miami had one feature that set them apart from other tribes. They quite often condemned their prisoners to be eaten.(This is recorded in a number of written records.) There would be one family who would have been trained for this--it was handed down according to heredity. The eating was done in public(after the victim was roasted).

There were religious ceremonies accompanying it and the whole tribe turned out to watch.

From the Miamis came one of the greatest chiefs and warriors in United States history--Me-che-can-noch-qua--Little Turtle. He was a man of many talents and he was very courageous(noted at a young age). He became a tribal leader at an early age. He carried himself with a dignity that caused both Indians and whites to respect him. From the time that he reached the head of his nation until his death there was none to equal his influence.

He visited Philedelphia where his portrait was painted by one of the most well known artists of that time. President Washington once presented him with a sword.

He was a clever and strategic warrior against the Americans for a number of years. Once peace was established, however, he accepted it and honored it. He is said to have done the most to bring the practice of cannibalism to an end. He also fought much against the bringing of strong drink to the Indians because he saw that it was causing their decline. It seems that once the English brought liquor and introduced it to the Indians, and the Americans promoted it even more, the Indians did indeed have a rapid decline. Little Turtle died in 1812 at Kekionga, what is now Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

The white men were not content with the land that had been opened up to them--they wanted more. More and more treaties were made, forcing Indians to give up their land. In 1846 the U.S. Army tried to force the Miami to leave their homes and lands in Indiana. On November 9, 1846, the division of the historic Miami tribe took place. They became known as the Indiana Miami and the Western, or Oklahoma, Miami.

Indiana was allowed to have 148 Miami stay legally within the state. The others were all to go west. Those that were left were in scattered villages. The Western Miami faced terrible times when they went to Kansas. Some of those came back to Indiana and joined the Miami there.

Today the Miami tribes are still working to have recognition with the Federal government as an Indian tribe.

Source: http://nmnm.essortment.com/miamiindiancul_rknf.htm

The Potawatomi were not always known as the Potawatomi. They were the Neshnabek--which means The People. There are various views as to how they got the name "Potawatomi"(People of the Place of the Fire).

Originally a tribe of the Algonquin race, the Potawatomi were once part of a group of three tribes--the others being the Odawas and the Ojibwas. The name "Potawatomi" could be a translation of the Ojibwe word "potawotmink" which translates as "people of the place of the fire".

Another more colorful idea follows: when the Neshnabek met their first white man, Jean Nicolet, a Frenchman, he asked his Indian guide "Who are these people?". His question was misunderstood and his guide answered, "They are making a fire."(In Indian language,of course) He in turn wrote down in French what he thought he heard--"Pouutouatomi". He thought it meant "the Firemakers" but actually it meant nothing at all.

Eventually the Neshnabek came to be known as the Potawatomi, whatever the source might have been.

The Potawatomi originally lived north of Lakes Huron and Superior. Eventually they migrated south and settled along the lower eastern shore of Lake Michigan (from Ludington to St. Joseph).

They had various skills including hunting, fishing, and the gathering of natural plant foods.

They were foragers, or people who got what they needed from the resources available from season to season. The men were mainly hunters and fishers, while the women gathered the food and helped with the fishing.

As they moved from area to area they brought with them the knowledge of making and using snowshoes, tobaggons, and canoes. This gave them advantages over other Indian tribes who were without this knowledge.

When they moved farther south they began to learn how to produce their own food and not just find what was available around them. The women did most of this work, sometimes providing more than half of the food supplies in their villages. Sometimes they were able to sell the surplus and bring income into the tribe.

 The Potawatomi lifestyle became more stable. They began building their villages close to their cornfields. They began to stay in one place except for a long winter hunt or if the soil was depleted and not producing enough.

According to French chronicles, in 1641 there were reports of the Potawatomi leaving and heading west of Lake Michigan. This was not according to their desires, but because of parties of warring tribes. They left before the attacks came. They settled on the shores of what is now Green Bay, Wisconsin.

They were attacked by the New York Iroquois. However, they had already learned of the coming attack and had fortified themselves at "Michigami" (Great Lake). The attack failed, as did attacks in later years.

The Potawatomi welcomed the French fur traders because they wanted to have recognition, prestige, and influence among other tribes. They wanted to be the brokers in the fur trade. The French had to firmly make it known that THEY would be the brokers, and NOT the Potawatomi.

In 1668 a great council was held and the French policies were debated at length by the Indians. The end result was a welcoming of the French traders into their villages. They also agreed to aid and protect them. In return, the French agreed to help the Potawatomi and supply them with weapons and other goods. These agreements made the Potawatomi the most favored tribe of the western lakes(which was their original goal anyway!)

When the French first came the Indians called them "Hairy Faces" and believed them to be supernatural creatures. They soon found out that although different in some ways, they were just like them in other human ways.

One of the sadder aspects to this time period was that the Frenchmen had no Frenchwomen with them. They would not come for many years. Therefore they sought mates among the Potawatomi and other tribes. The Potawatomi saw this as a chance to better themselves politically and economically. They began to arrange marriages of their daughters and sisters to the Frenchmen. This custom came to be known as "the custom of the country".

The French authorities and Catholic church did not view these marriages as proper. The Potawatomi, however, believed them to be completely legitimate. The offspring that were born to these unions were the ones who really suffered. Children born of a Frenchman and a Potawatomi were not considered as part of The People. They could not inherit membership in a clan. They also were not accepted by the French--they were "half-breeds".

In the 1680's new migrations had begun. These lasted for more than a century.

The Potawatomi operated by the clan system. The clan membership was inherited through male ancestors.They could not marry within their own clan. The members of a clan were dependent upon one another. All members were considered one--if one member was hurt, they all were hurt. This would result in revenge and retaliation to their enemies. They did not have one main tribal chief. Each clan had its own leader.

The Potawatomi joined with the French against the British in the French and Indian War of 1754-1763. After the French and Indian War the Potawatomi becam impoverished because the British had blockaded and halted shipping from France. By this time the Potawatomi had lost their self sufficiency and depended heavily upon the supplies provided by the French.

When the British victory came the Potawatomi no longer held the favored position that they once had. They no longer had their French allies. The British authorities cut off the annual giving out of goods and supplies for the Indians. The Indians believed that the British were not playing by the rules--which led to what is known as Pontiac's Rebellion. Pontiac was an Ottawa war leader who brought together a number of tribes to rebel against the English. The Indians were actually hoping that their old allies,the French, would come to their aid. This was not to be, and after months of defeating British posts by surprise attacks, the depleted Indian warriors were defeated. The rebellion was over.

Through this incident the British authorities did learn that the Indians needed to be rewarded regularly. They would need to deliver food, arms, and other suplies if they wanted to have peace on the frontier.

By the time the Revolutionary War came in 1776 the Potawatomi were divided. Some sided with the British, some with the Americans, and some stayed neutral.

After the war there was still much conflict. American settlers were coming in greater numbers and they wanted the land same land and resources that the Indians had. It was only a matter of time before the treaties were made and the Indians were forced to leave the lands that they had occupied for generations.

Many treaties were signed(all with the desired end of removing the Indians from their lands). More trouble came when the "half-breeds" or "marginals" began to usurp the resources promised to the Potawatomi tribes. The Americans favored the marginals over the traditional Potawatomi.

Eventually the Potawatomi were forced to move to reservations. They were no longer one People. American authorities faced difficulties in getting the Potawatomi to leave their old homes and resettle in Kansas. It is estimated that fewer than half actually moved there. Some went willingly. Thousands more went into Canada or northern Michigan and Wisconsin. There are settlements yet today in those places of the once proud Potawatomi--the "People of the Place of Fire".

Source: http://ctct.essortment.com/potawatominatio_rkyt.htm