The Tribe of Piqua Shawnee

 

The Shawnee is a Native American tribe that consisted of nomadic hunters and farmers that migrated across the northeast and the southeast of America. Due to the migratory nature, the Shawnee eventually moved away from Tennessee which is where they originally came from. This tribe interacted with many other tribe and adopted some new cultures as they moved along with their migration. However, there are some core values that defined who they were that they stuck with. 

 

One of the things that never changed in the lifestyle of the Piqua Shawnee Tribe is their type of housing. Their houses were very temporary in nature and were constructed in a way that would allow ease in bringing down without damaging most of the building materials. The houses are called wigwams. Their mode off dressing was mostly determined by the environment that they had chosen to settle in at that particular time. They would wear breechcloths during hot weather and put on warm robes and cloaks during the chilly winter season.  The dressing however changed with time as they favored some of the clothes worn by white settlers that they came into contact with. In particular they adopted a headgear that would later become a key distinguishing feature of the tribe. This headgear was the bandana and the turban. Their men also started putting on European style pants and white cotton shirts.

 

The Shawnee tribe is divided into five divisions and the Piqua Shawnee is one of those divisions. The divisions were based on a specific role that they played towards the larger tribe. Each division had a chief being in charge. The kinship elements of the tribes eroded with time and by the time the European Americans recorded their culture the specific roles of the divisions were not very clear. The scattering of the tribes across the country also contributed to change in the roles of the divisions of the tribe. For more facts about Shawnee tribes, visit this website at https://www.britannica.com/place/Shawnee-Kansas.

 

The United States government recognizes three divisions and the Piqua is one of them. The Alabama Indian Affairs Commission under the Davis-Strong Act gives full recognition to the Piqua as a legitimate Shawnee tribe.

 

In current times the tribe is very small but still offers a very rich understanding of the native tribe for tourists and students that are interested in their culture and way of living. They also do occasional public performances like the green corn dance to entertain, educate and bring awareness to the public about their lifestyle. Get more information here!