Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma tribal flag
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 5,600 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States (  Oklahoma ) |
|
| Languages | |
| English, Pawnee | |
| Religion | |
| Native American Church, Christianity, Traditional Tribal Religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Caddo, Kitsai, Wichita, Arikara |
The Pawnee are a Plains Indian tribe who are headquartered in Pawnee, Oklahoma. Pawnee people are enrolled in the federally recognized Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. Historically, they lived in Nebraska and Kansas. In the Pawnee language, the Pawnee people refer to themselves as Chaticks si Chaticks or "Men of Men."
Historically, the Pawnee lived in large earth lodge villages with adjacent farmlands. They used tipis when traveling. With the arrival of horses, the Pawnee retained their agricultural lifestyle, with the tribal economic activities throughout the year alternating between farming crops and hunting buffalo.
In the early 19th century, the Pawnee numbered over 10,000 people and were one of the largest and most powerful tribes in the west. Although dominating the Missouri and Platte areas for centuries, they later suffered from increasing encroachment and attrition by their numerically superior, nomadic enemies the Lakota and Cheyenne and were occasionally at war with the Comanche further south. They had suffered many losses due to diseases brought by the expanding Europeans. By 1860, the Pawnee population was reduced to 4000. It further decreased, because of disease, crop failure and warfare, to approximately 2400 by 1873, at which time they were forced to move to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. Many Pawnee warriors enlisted to serve as Indian scouts in the US Army to track and fight their tribal enemies resisting European-American expansion on the Great Plains.
There are approximately 3200 enrolled Pawnee and nearly all reside in Oklahoma. Their tribal headquarters is in Pawnee, Oklahoma and their tribal jurisdictional area is in parts of Noble, Payne, and Pawnee counties. The tribal constitution establishes the government of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. This government consists of the Nasharo Council, the Pawnee Business Council, and the Supreme Court. Enrollment into the tribe requires a minimum 1⁄8th blood quantum.
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