American Indians--Shawnee

BIBLIOGRAPHY

SHAWNEE INDIANS IN KANSAS

The sources cited here can all be found within the collections of the Kansas State Historical Society.

Abbott, James Burnett. The Abbott Papers. 1815 – 1869. (Microfilm Ms 1258-1260).

[Correspondence and documents pertaining to Abbott’s participation in Kansas’s territorial affairs, including his working as an agent for the Shawnee Indians. The papers are indexed, with Series III, noting the Indian Agency Records, Kansas Agency, 1851-1876. Very informative and provides many aspects to the Shawnees, including maps and other important data to further understand the Shawnee tribes in Kansas.]

“Absentee Shawnee Lands in Kansas.” Report of the Committees of the Senate of the U.S., 1873-1874. 43rd Congress. 1st Session. (no. 337/Ser. Doc./1587).

[Article denotes a resolution for the relief of settlers living on the Absentee Shawnee lands in Kansas, due to errors made by the Sec. of the Interior in 1869, and interpretation of the 1845 treaty.]

Alford, Thomas Wildcat. Civilization. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1936.
(GL/970.2/Al28).

[An authentic story of how the great grandson of Tecumseh, left his tribe to enter the culture of the white men. Although not directly related to Kansas, the story does offer an excellent incite into the differing cultures.]

Anderson, W.J. “The Captain Joseph Parks House.” Kansas City, 1906. (K/970.1/Pam./v. 7).

[Although brief, the article presents the life of a chief of the Shawnee, and his relation with the U.S. government. Included are picture if his home and his monument in Johnston County.]

“Appropriations for Seneca and Shawnee Indians.” Letter from the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. 40th Congress. 3rd Session. (Ser. 1372. Ex. Doc. no. 47).

[Estimates by the Congress to fulfill treaty stipulations of both tribes, based on the Treaty of 1867.]

Beachy, E.B. Dykes. “Reminders of Shawnee Indians in Kansas City Area.”
Kansas City Times. April 27, 1951. (970.1/Sh2/Clip./p. 29).

[Presents various areas and directions of Shawnee markers, homes, and schools around Kansas City. Although contains only a small amount of history, interesting article.]

Bent, George. “Fifty Years with the Cheyennes.” (GL/051/F92b/v. 4/no. 5/p. 4).

[Description of a fight between the Cheyenne and Shawnee trappers in 1848 on what is now called the Delaware Creek. Interesting, not overly informative.]

“Black Bob Band of Shawnee Indians.” Letter from the Secretary of the Interior, Bureau
Of Indian Affairs. 1871. 42nd Congress, 1st Session. (Ex. Doc. no.3/Ser. Doc. 1470).

[Letter requesting attention to Misc. Doc. no. 61, concerning legislature not acted upon, specifically the removal of certain rules pertaining to the tribe’s allotment under the Treaty of 1854.]

“Black Bob Indian Lands.” Supplement to the Kansas City Tribune, July 21, 1870.
(970.1/Pam./v. 4/Misc. Doc. no. 49).

[Newspaper article pertaining to the sale of Black Bob’s Reservation lands. Presents both the positives and negatives of the sale. Very interesting.]

“Bluejacket versus the Commissioners of Johnson County, et. al.” Kansas Reports.
Davenport, Iowa: Lose and Griggs, 1866. (SP/345.42/K13/v.3/p.299).

[Excellent review of the taxation case. Worth reading.]

Brinton, (M.D.) D.G. “The Walam Olum: Its origin, Authenticity and Contents.”
Philadelphia, 1885. (GL/970.3/-D37b/p. 160).

[A description of the “printed record” and put to music by the Delaware and Shawnee tribes, who were closely connected by interrelations. The Walum Olum details the beginning of the universe as part of the Algonquin mythology. Symbols and words are provided. Extremely interesting.]

“Census of Shawnee’s, Native and Adopted, 1857.” Kansas State Historical Society Archives.

[Contains the number of Shawnee Indians, including their age, sex, orphans and designation of lands to members, who have made the selection of 200 acres of land, given to them by the 1854 Treaty.]

“Claims of the Kansas Indians.” Letters from the Secretary of the Interior, Department of Indians Affairs. 41st Congress. 2nd Session. (Ex. Doc. 127/Ser. Doc. 1417).

[Copy of a report, made under the Treaty of 1867 with various tribes, including the Shawnee, whereby Indian losses were sustained after being forced from their homes, following the Civil War. Includes claimants and dollar amounts allowed.]

Connelly, William E. A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans. Chicago, New York: Lewis Publishing Co., 1918. (978.1, C76/1918/v. 1/c. 2/p. 239).

[A brief, well written history of the Shawnee Indians, with special emphasis on the tribe, while in Kansas. Very informative]

Deatherege, Charles P. Early History of Greater Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas. Kansas City Missouri, 1927. (GL/977.82/-K13/D 48/v. 1/p.682).

[An excellent, very detailed history of the Black Bob Reservation, and the conflicts that arose after the Civil War. Important for understanding this particular reservation.]

“Departure of the Shawnee.” Ottawa Journal. April 14, 1870. (MF 0609).

[While recounting the history of the Shawnee, the first few paragraphs describe this once proud warrior tribe, as it is seen leaving Kansas. Presents a vastly different view and picture of a proud tribe.]

“Depredations Upon the Shawnee Indians.” House of Representatives. 36th Congress.
1st session. Report no.300, March 1860. (K970.1/Pam./v. 10/no. 7).

[Report from the Committee on Indian Affairs, asking for indemnity for property destroyed in 1855-1857. Although brief, the article does present some information pertinent to past treaties and the tribe’s relationships with white men.]

DeVoe, Carrie. Legends of the Kaw. Kansas City, Mo: Franklin Hudson Publishing Co. 1904. (970.8/D49/p. 167).

[A very interesting account of Shawnee lore and tradition, including belief that they were descendents of one of the lost tribes of Israel. Also notes that Topeka was a major hunting ground of the Shawnee.]

Donaldson, Thomas. The George Catlin Indian Gallery. Washington Government Printing office, 1887. (GL/970.1/C28d/p. 200).

[Includes illustrations by the famous painter, with narratives about each illustration. Done in 1831, the book is informative and insightful into the habits of the Shawnee.]

Harrington, Grant W. The Shawnees in Kansas. Kansas City, Kan.: Western Pioneer Press, 1937. (K970.3/H237).

[Descriptive of the Shawnee’s movement to Kansas, with Special emphasis on Presidential papers, explanations of various treaties, and litigation by one tribal chief against Johnson county relevant to land taxation. Very informative.]

Harvey, Henry. History of the Shawnee Indians, from 1681-1854 Inclusive. Cincinnati: Ephraim Morgan and Sons, 1855. (970.3/H26).

[Excellent historical account of the Shawnee Indians, including treaties, fraud committed by the U.S. government with respect to Indian lands, their movement to Kansas, and the various councils related to the trines’ and their government. Definitely worth reading.]

Hill, Edward E. “Shawnee Agency, 1855-1876.” The Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1880: Historical Sketches. New York, New York: Clearwater Publishing Co., Inc.,
1974. (GL/970.5/H551/p. 169).

[Overview of the Shawnee Agency from early treaties to 1867. Includes two other Shawnee groups, the Eastern Shawnee and the Absentee Shawnee. Excellent reference index.]

Howard, James H. Shawnee. Ohio University Press, 1981. (GL/970.6/H834).

[Covers most aspects of Shawnee culture, from dance and music, to dress and sports. Included are many references to their days, both in Ohio and Kansas. Interesting, with and excellent bibliography.]

“Indian Treaties and Councils Affecting Kansas, 1541-1873.” Kansas Historical Society,
1923-1925. Topeka, Kansas. 1925. (SP/906/K13/v. 16/p. 746).

[Contains places and dates, where councils were held, the names of tribes, commissioners, and Indians involved. Denoted the frequent treaties between the government and the Kansas tribes, resulting in vastly decreased size of reservations. Extremely informative.]

Indian Pamphlets. (970.1/Pam. v.4).

[A collection of information on many Indian Tribes, including the Shawnee.]

Johnston, John Esq. “Account of the Present State of the Indian Tribes Inhabiting Ohio.” Collections of the American Antiquarian Society. Worcester, Massachusetts, 1820. (GL 973.06/Am3a/v. 1/p. 219).

[Notes from the United States Agent of Indians affairs, at Piqua, Ohio. Provides a totally different account of the origin of the Shawnee tribes, through memories of elder tribesmen. Offers census of the tribe (1819), the four tribes of the Shawnee, their vocabulary and treaties, with amounts paid to the various tribes. Very interesting and informative.]

Johnston, John Esq. “Recollections of the Last Sixty Years.” The Cincinnati Miscellany, Cincinnati, Ohio 1845. (GL 977.12/–c49/c49/v. 2/p. 242).

[More descriptive of the Shawnee chief, Tecumseh, than the tribe in general. Only briefly mentions the move to Kansas in 1833.]

Johnson County Community College. The Shawnee Indians in Johnson County, Kansas. Topeka: Kansas State Historical Society, 1985. (K970.3/Pam./v. 3/no. 3).

[Interesting and descriptive of the tribe in general, including descriptions of the ShawneeMethodist Mission, 1839-1862, and three other missions, located within the county. Includes an excellent annotated bibliography.]

“Kansas Citizen Has a Copy of an 1832 Treaty with the Shawnee Indians.”
Kansas City Times, Jan. 26, 1935. (K/970.1/Sh2/Clip./Shawnee/v. 1/p. 17).

[Very Interesting, showing the importance of the treaty with the growth of Kansas City.]

Kappler, Charles J. Indian Affairs. Laws and Treaties. Washington: Government Printing Office. 1904. (970.5/Un3tK/v.2).

[The author, a clerk to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, has compiled all treaties for all Indian tribes. The treaties with the Shawnee, starting in Ohio and ending in there movement to the Indian Territory is not only the actual treaties, but the writings demonstrate the extent to which Indians lands, and customs were diminished. Very interesting and informative.]

King, James L. The History of Shawnee County, Kansas. Chicago: Richmond and Arnold, 1905. (K 978.1/–Sh1/K50/p. 19).

[Provides more history of the Shawnee from 1650, to their settling in Kansas in 1831.
Although interesting, little information is provided relating to the Shawnee tribe while in Kansas. Does note however, that the Shawnee were the first of the Eastern tribes to locate in Kansas.]

Klopfenstein, Carl. Westward Ho: Removal of the Ohio Shawnees, 1832-1833.
Cincinnati: Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio, 1957. (GL 977.106/
H 626/v. 15/no.1/p.3).

[An excellent article detailing the tribes’ removal to Kansas, including a map of
Kansas’s lands set aside for their reservations. Also includes difficulties with the whites’, liquor, and inter-military disputes. Superb footnotes.]

“Letter to the Secretary of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs.” Misc. Document of the Senate of the United States. 42nd Congress. 1st Session. (Ser. Doc. 1467/ Misc. Doc. no. 8).

[Restates the need to reevaluate and reinstate the provisions associated with the Treaty of 1854, due to the conditions of one Black Bob’s band of Shawnee.]

“Letters for the Secretary of the Interior.” 41st Congress, 2nd Session. (Ex. Doc. no. 40).

[These letters concern the sale of lands to Black Bob’s Band of Shawnee. Extremely informative.]

“Letters form the Secretary of the Interior.” 42nd Congress, 2nd Session. (Doc. nos.
64 and 65/v. 7).

[Lengthy letters containing more information on the sale of Black Bob’s Lands and Shawnee lands, in general. Sometimes redundant, but nevertheless, helpful.]

“Letters from the Secretary of the Interior to the office of Indian affairs.” The Executive Document of the Senate of the United States. 49th Congress. 2nd Session. (Ex. Doc. no.111/Ser. Doc./2449).

[The letters, written in 1887,concern the sale of lands allotted to certain Shawnee Indians—members of one Black Bob’s Band. Details possible fraudulent use of land by this band. Lists tribe members and their lands. Interesting, but at times confusing.]

“Letters from the Shawnee Agency in Olathe, Kansas, 1870, to the Dept. of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs.” Executive Documents, 41st Congress, 3rd Session. (Exec. Doc. no. 130/Ser. Doc. 1460).

[The letter concern lands given to the Black Bob Band via the treaty of 1854, and the tribe was then forced to sell off said lands by white settlers. Informative and supportive by the government of the U.S.]

McCoy, Isaac. Remarks on Indian Reform and Colonization. New York, 1829.
(K 970.1/Pam./v. 1/1st edition, 1827.

[While mentioning the Shawnee only briefly, the article does present an interesting view, pertaining to the attempt to remake the Native American into what the white man believed to be ideal.]

McCoy, J.C. “Survey of Shawnee Lands.” Transactions of the Kansas State Historical Society. 1886-1893. Topeka, Kansas. 1890. (SP/906/K13/v. 4/p. 306).

[Narration of the Shawnee Lands survey, 1833. Interesting with land marks noted, relevant to the present.]

Middleton, D.W., Clerk Sup. Ct. U.S. “Supreme Court of the United States.”
Dec. 1866. (970.1/Pam./v. 4/no. 43).

[The Supreme Court’s decision in the lawsuit of Charles Bluejacket and members of the Shawnee tribe versus the Board of Commissioners of Johnson County, concerning the right to tax Shawnee lands. Interesting.]

Modified Rules and Regulations. Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs.
1869, 1878. (970.1/Pam./v. 4/nos. 38 and 39).

[Concerns the conveyances of lands held by members of the Shawnee tribe of the State of Kansas, per the treaty of 1854. Interesting account of how the lands were to be divided.]

Morgan, Lewis Henry. The Indian Journals, 1859-1862. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1959. (GL 970.1 M823 p.49).

[Offers incite into the different Shawnee tribes (clans), their culture, religion, family names, and forms of tribal government. Informative, with an excellent bibliography.]

Murray, William G., M.A.I. Appraisal of Shawnee Tract in Kansas, 1854. U.S. Department of Justice, Ames, Iowa. Sept. 1956. (K970.3/Sh1).

[Very interesting and informative, denoting climate, soils, water, timber, population, and best use of the land. Includes maps and graphs. Coincides with the treaty if 1854.]

“A Rare Historical Background”. The Quivaran. May, 1930. (970.1./-J63/QU 49/v. 1/no. 10/p. 4.

[The article describes relics and skeletons, found at Lake Quivara, in Johnson County, Kansas. Presents information that the lake and surrounding area, was a favorite fishing and hunting ground of the Shawnee. Brief historical background, with pictures and sketches.]

“A report to Congress from the Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs.”
Executive Documents, 49th Congress, 2nd Session. (Ex. Doc. no. 111/Ser. Doc. 2449).

[A report and papers relative to the sale of lands allotted to certain Shawnee Indians, namely Black Bob’s Band. Extremely interesting and informative, with charts denoting the allottee, the settler, and monetary data.]

Roy, Jerry C. “A Shawnee Muster Roll: 334 Ohio of the Wapakoneta and Hog Creek Bands Emigrating to Kansas in 1832.” (929/J63/v. 7/no. 2/p. 38).

[Provides census by individual tribes and names, in 1832. Interesting, with an excellent bibliography.]

Royce, C.C. “An Inquiry into the Identity and History of the Shawnee Indians.” Magazine of Western History. Cleveland, Ohio, 1885. (GL 973.05/no .21/v. 2/p.38).

[Presents a brief history of the tribe from the early 1600’s to 1865. Interesting, with some information pertaining to the hostility against the United States, including the Revolutionary War.]

Spencer, Joab, Rev. “The Shawnee Indians: their Customs, Traditions, and Folklore.”
Kansas State Historical Society, 1907-1908. Topeka, Kansas. (SP 906/K13/v. 10/p.382).

[Although another brief history is presented, the main focus in on the Shawnee folklore and customs, as told to the author by Rev. Charles Bluejacket, between 1858 and 1860. Included is the lore of their origin, clans, warring with the Delaware tribes, customs, and the council house in Johnson County. Extremely interesting and informative.]

Spencer, Joab, Rev. “Shawnee Folklore.” The Journal of American Folklore. Boston and New York, July-Sept. 1909, vol. Xxii, no. lxxxv. (GL/398.05/J82/v. 22/p. 319).

[More folk tales told to the author, by Charles Bluejacket in 1858. Interesting.]

Swanton, John R. The Indian Tribes of North America. Smithsonian Institution.
Bureau of American Ethnology. Washington: 1952. (GL 572/SM 6)

[Provides an interesting history of the Shawnee Indians, including names of subdivisions and villages, their relationships with white settlers, and their migrations. Also contains a map of some Shawnee divisions and some census figures. See index.]

Shawnee Indians. (K/970.1/Sh2/Clip./Alph/v.1).

[Extremely interesting and informative compilation of newspaper articles from 1897-1975, associated with the Shawnee Indians in Kansas. Includes locations of burial grounds, the tomb of the prophet, Lavlewasikaw, Indian homes, etc. An excellent resource.]

Treaty With The Shawnees, May 10, 1854. (K/970.1/Pam./v .7).

[A copy of the treaty agreed to by Franklin Pierce, President of the U.S. and signed by various members of the Shawnee tribes. Very informative with respect of the government attempt to reduce Indian lands and to promote the Indian entrance into the white culture.]

Trowbridge, C.C. Shawnee Traditions. University of Michigan Press, 1939.
(GL 572/M58.0/no. 9).

[Excellent source of information pertaining to the origin of the Shawnee, their legends, their customs and societies, medicine, music, and other cultural aspects, including their language.]

U.S. Congress Committee of Interior and Insular Affairs. Materials, Laws, and Treaties Affecting Indians. Investigation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Washington, 1953. (Ser. no. 11582/p. 588).

[Details the purpose of the Bureau if Indian Affairs, then reports on all tribes within the U.S., including the Shawnee. Though noted after 1950, the article does provide some useful information and an excellent index.]

Wilson, Samuel M. “Shawnee Warriors at the Blue Lick.” The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society. Frankfort: 1934. (GL 970.906/K41/v. 32/p. 160).

[Describes the battle between the Shawnee, Canadian Rangers, and Kentucky settlers, in 1782. Provides not only a description of the Shawnee ferociousness in battle, but also discusses the fact that the tribe joined forces with the British in the War of 1812. Discusses the view and leadership of the Shawnee chief, Tecumseh.]

“Wyandotte and Shawnee Indian Lands In Wyandotte County, Kansas.”
Kansas State Historical Society, 1919-1922. (Sp 906/K13/v. 15/p. 103).

[Informative account of the Wyandotte and Shawnee tribes settling in Kansas, The Shawnee in 1828, in areas now occupied by Kansas City, Kansas. Includes names and allotments of both tribes.]

The sources listed are available in our reference room, some through interlibrary loan. You may contact the reference staff with questions.

Completion of this bibliography was made possible by volunteer John Liezert.