Shawnee Heritage

By Isabella Cross

On my mother’s side of the family, my great great grandfather was a Shawnee Native American. He owned a farm in North Carolina. I still have many family members in North Carolina, but the pure Shawnee ethnicity has not carried on its legacy. Even so, it is important to learn about your heritage to understand where you came from. I did some research about the history of the Shawnee tribe and their traditions in order to have a better understanding of how my ancestors lived.

The Shawnee people originated in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, but they traveled to areas all over America. They lived in dwellings called wigwams which structures are made with wooden poles with coverings made out a variety of materials that could include grass, bark, mats, and hides or cloth. For transportation they made canoes by hollowing trees. They fed their families through farming and hunting. Their primary crops were corn, squash, and beans. Fur trade was also a very prominent aspect of their lives.

Before the colonists came to America, there were over 10,000 Shawnee Native Americans. During the early 1800s, the leader of the Shawnee tribe was named Tecumseh. He greatly opposed the settlers colonizing America. His resistance of the settlers has come to be known as the War of Tecumseh. Not long afterwards, Tecumseh allied with Britain during the War of 1812 and because of this the number of Shawnees reduced to about 3,500 people.

The Shawnee people enjoyed music and that was a huge part of their culture. They had string instruments, drums, and handmade xylophones. They wore many layers of clothing including leggings and long skirts for the women, and leggings and long pants for the men. They usually kept their hair very long, but it was common for warriors to shave their hair into mohawks.

They often spent their free time doing arts and crafts. They did pottery, weaving, beadwork, and wood carvings. They also made beautiful bags and rugs. Also, a common activity in their culture was storytelling and elders would often tell stories about the Shawnee history to the younger generations so that their history would never be forgotten.

Now, most of the remaining Shawnees can be found in Oklahoma because that is where they were deported. As of today, there are about 15,000 Shawnees who live in the United States.