Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
Land Management
Mission Statement
The Land Management Department shall provide for the stewardship, protection, and conservation of tribal natural resources consistent with Traditional Shawnee philosophy and the laws of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, and ensure the responsible management of all tribal trust lands consistent with applicable tribal and federal law.
The Land Management Department consists of the consolidation of tribal trust land management, natural resource oversight, and land use activities and planning. This includes the identification of all tribal trust lands and the management of land records; the identification of potential land acquisitions both within and outside of the Tribe’s jurisdictional boundaries; the preparation, submission, and oversight of all trust land applications until completion; and the preparation for annual trust land audits. The Tribe also provides oversight over all tribal natural resources situated on tribal lands to include air, water, timber, soil, and grasslands.
Brief History if Eastern Shawnee Land Holdings
When the mixed band of Seneca/Shawnee were moved to Indian Territory their land holdings were approximately 60 thousand acres held jointly. Due to government implementation the reservation was divided, and the land holding diminished.
Per treaty with the Seneca, Mixed Seneca and Shawnee, Quapaw, Etc., in 1867 under article 5 the Senecas and Shawnees dissolved their connection. The money paid for ceded lands from this dissolvement was banked in the name “Eastern Shawnee”. The Shawnee associated with the Senecas at that time then became known as the Eastern Shawnee.
Under the Treaty of 1867 with the Seneca, Mixed Seneca and Shawnee, Quapaw, Etc., the joint land holdings of the Seneca and Shawnees was divided. The North half of the reservation going to the Shawnees and the South half going to the Senecas. The Eastern Shawnee land boundaries were the Quapaw reservation to the North, Spring River to the West, Missouri State line to the East, and the Seneca reservation to the South.
At this time, the North half of the reservation belonging to the Eastern Shawnee amounted to approximately 20 thousand acres. With further government intervention, the Eastern Shawnee land holdings once again became smaller. In 1874, in an agreement with the United States Government the Eastern Shawnee sold four thousand acres of land to the United States for use by the Modoc Indians. This parcel of land was located in the extreme Northeast corner of the Eastern Shawnee Reservation.
After the sale of this four thousand acres, the Eastern Shawnee land holdings consisted of approximately 16,000 acres. All of the Eastern Shawnee lands were located in what is now Ottawa County, Oklahoma.
Currently the Tribe’s land base contains approximately 834 acres excluding individually allotted lands. 610 acres of this land is in Trust by the United States of America for the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. 166 acres are in the process of being placed into Trust, and 58 acres are fee simple lands.
The Eastern Shawnee EPA Department is working on creating a GIS map of all tribal properties. This map should be available at the end of the fiscal year 2010.
