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The Sac and Fox Nation (
Sauk language Sauk, also known as Thâkiwâtowêweni (Thâkîwaki language), is either a dialect of the Fox language or a distinct language spoken by the Sauk people. One of the many Algonquian languages, it is very closely related to the dialects spoken by the ...
: Thâkîwaki) is the largest of three
federally recognized This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes are legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United States.
tribes of Sauk and Meskwaki (Fox) Indian peoples. They are based in central
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
. Originally from the
Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...
and
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
area, they were forcibly relocated to
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
in the 1870s and are predominantly Sauk. The Sac and Fox Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area (OTSA) is the land base in Oklahoma governed by the tribe. The two other Sac and Fox tribes are the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa and the
Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska The Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska is one of three federally recognized Native American tribes of Sauk and Meskwaki (Fox) peoples. Their name for themselves is Nemahahaki () and they are an Algonquian people and Eastern ...
. The Sac and Fox tribes have historically been closely allied, and continue to be in the present day. They speak very similar
Algonquian languages The Algonquian languages ( ; also Algonkian) are a family of Indigenous languages of the Americas and most of the languages in the Algic language family are included in the group. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from ...
, which are sometimes considered to be two dialects of the same language, rather than separate languages.


Name

Their autonym, Thâkîwaki, is also written Thakiwaki, Othâkîwaki, and Sa ki wa ki. It translated as "people coming forth from the water".


Government

The Sac and Fox Nation is headquartered in Stroud, Oklahoma, and their
tribal jurisdictional area Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area is a statistical entity identified and delineated by federally recognized American Indian tribes in Oklahoma as part of the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 Census and ongoing American Community Survey. Many of these ...
covers Lincoln, Payne, and Pottawatomie counties. Their Principal Chief is Randall Carter. A council of five elected officials, each elected for a four-year term, govern the tribe. Elections are held in August in odd-numbered years. Of the 3,794 enrolled tribal citizens in 2011, 2,557 live in Oklahoma. Citizenship in the tribe requires a minimum 1/8
blood quantum Blood quantum laws or Indian blood laws are laws that define Native Americans in the United States status by fractions of Native American ancestry. These laws were enacted by the Federal government of the United States, federal government and S ...
, with proven descent to ancestors on recognized rolls.


Economic development

The tribe's housing authority is located in
Shawnee, Oklahoma Shawnee () is a city in and the county seat of Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 in 2010, a 4.9 percent increase from the figure of 28,692 in 2000. The city is part of the Oklah ...
. They issue their own tribal vehicle tags and operate eleven smoke shops and two casinos, the Black Hawk Casino in Shawnee and the Sac and Fox Nation Casino in Stroud. The Stroud casino features the Center Sky Stage, a live entertainment venue.


History

The Sac or Thakiwaki lived near
Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...
and
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
at the time of European contact. In 1832 they participated in the
Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans led by Black Hawk (Sauk leader), Black Hawk, a Sauk people, Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of ...
against the United States. Military leader Black Hawk remains a cultural hero today. After the war, the tribe relocated several times from
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
to
Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
,
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
, and finally
Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...
in the 1870s. Their current lands were part of the larger, historical Sac and Fox Reservation of 1867–1891, which was and established by the United States to provide land to the tribes. But by the late 19th century, U.S. policy changed again. Under the
Dawes Act The Dawes Act of 1887 (also known as the General Allotment Act or the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887) regulated land rights on tribal territories within the United States. Named after Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts, it authorized the P ...
of 1887, these tribal land holdings were divided into 160-acre allotments for individual households, intended to encourage the Native Americans to establish subsistence farming according to the European-American cultural ways. Not only did the act not recognize Native American culture, but in many places in this arid land, the allotments were too small to be farmed successfully. Their land was allotted under a June 12, 1890 agreement with the Cherokee Commission. (Individual commissions were set up to manage the allotment of lands of various tribes in Native American Territory. Land remaining after the allotments was declared "surplus" by the US and sold, primarily to non-Natives. Under the related Curtis Act of 1898, the tribal government and its institutions were dismantled. The tribe was previously known as the Sac and Fox Tribe of Indians of the Mississippi River. The Sac and Fox tribe had historically occupied large portions of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri, which they gradually ceded to the US by treaties forced by European-American encroachment. By an October 11, 1842 treaty they were removed out of the Midwest to a reservation in Kansas. Noted diplomat Jeffrey Deroine, a formerly enslaved man, served as an interpreter for this treaty. By 1889 519 of the tribe were located in Indian Territory, what is now central Oklahoma. On June 10, 1890, they ceded these
Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...
lands to the federal government.


Self-government re-established in 20th century

The administration of President
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
established what was called an "Indian New Deal", passing a law to encourage tribes to re-establish self-government. The Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of 1934 was passed by its legislature in a similar effort. In 1937, the Sac and Fox organized Under these laws and gained federal recognition as a tribe, with an independent relationship to the federal government. They have areas of tribal jurisdiction in Oklahoma, while no longer having a reservation. Under their constitution, they established tribal citizenship as applying to everyone listed on the tribal
Dawes Rolls The Dawes Rolls (or Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes, or Dawes Commission of Final Rolls) were created by the United States Dawes Commission. The commission was authorized by United States Congress in 1893 to exe ...
and their descendants, as long as individuals had a minimum
blood quantum Blood quantum laws or Indian blood laws are laws that define Native Americans in the United States status by fractions of Native American ancestry. These laws were enacted by the Federal government of the United States, federal government and S ...
of one-eighth Sac and Fox blood (equivalent to one great-grandparent). They recognize that descendants may be brought up as culturally Sac and Fox while having mixed ancestry.


Late 20th century to present

The tribe has become increasingly active in asserting its sovereignty since the late 20th century. In 1983, the tribal government established its own system for registering vehicles and issuing license plates for tribal citizens. The state of Oklahoma tried to collect registration fees anyway, and the tribe sued. The US Supreme Court ruled in the tribe's favor of its independent sovereignty on May 17, 1993, in '' Oklahoma Tax Commission v. Sac & Fox Nation.'' Other tribes have since established their own systems for vehicle registration on tribal lands. The Sac and Fox Nation celebrate May 17 as "Victory Day." Tribal officials have concentrated on the federal management of trust land fees and environmental issues on their land that has been leased for oil production. On May 16, 1989, a tribal representative group that included Elmer Manatowa, Principal Chief; Truman Carter, Treasurer; William Rice, Attorney General; James L. Welsh III, Director of Real Estate; and Curtis Cunard, Petroleum Consultant, testified before the 101st Congress, Special Committee on Investigations of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate. The testimony examined the federal government's management of water and natural resources of the Sac and Fox Nation. They testified to the extensive surface damage and permanent contamination of the tribal drinking water, which was destroyed by waterflooding techniques and the injection well process used by the oil companies. These officers also testified to the lack of federal oversight and trust management responsibilities, including fraudulent real estate appraisals of their lands. This historic testimony by the tribe's representatives, the result of their internal investigations, revealed the extensive mismanagement of the
Bureau of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States List of United States federal agencies, federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, Department of the Interior. It is responsible for im ...
(BIA) and its failure in carrying out trust responsibilities. This was one of a series of suits by tribes against the government on the financial management of trust land fees. As a result, the BIA has made significant trust management changes. Through the courts, the US and the Sac and Fox Nation came to historic financial settlements in compensation for some of the damage.


Treaties

The Sauk and Foxes signed a number of treaties with the United States Government in the nineteenth century, often signed with other tribal nations and involved relocation. * The Treaty of St. Louis from November 3, 1804, which gave away large portions of the land of the Sauk and Foxes to the United States. * The Treaty at Fort Armstrong, September 3, 1822 establishes a trading house where individuals of the tribes can be supplied at reasonable prices. * Treaty from August 4, 1824 * Indian Treaty of Praire du Chien, Michigan Territory, August 19, 1825 * Indian Treaty of Praire du Chien, Michigan Territory, July 15, 1830 * Treaty at Fort Armstrong, Rock Island, Illinois, September 21, 1832 * Treaty with Iowa and Sauk and Fox of the Missouri at Fort Leavenworth, September 17, 1836 * Treaty with Sauk and Fox, September 27, 1836 * Treaty Ground on the Mississippi Opposite Rock Island, Dubuque County, Wisconsin Territory, September 28, 1836 * Treaty of Sauk and Fox (Confederated Tribes) in Washington, DC, October 21, 1837 * Treaty of Sauk and Fox Agency, Iowa Territory, October 11, 1842 where the Sauk and Foxes cede all lands West of the Mississippi River, to which they have any claim. * Treaty of Sauk and Fox of Missouri, Washington, DC, May 18, 1854 * Treaty of Sauk and Fox Agency, Kansas Territory, July 16, 1859 * Treaty of Sauk and Fox Agency, Kansas Territory, October 1, 1859 * Treaty of Sauk and Fox of the Missouri and Iowa - Great Nemaha Agency, Nebraska Territory, March 6, 1861 details the cessation of land and relocation of the Sauk and Fox reservation in the Iowa Territory. The Sauk and Foxes are given part of the Iowa Tribe’s territory and current land will be sold by the U.S. Government. Profits will be used to develop the reservations. * Treaty of Sauk and Fox of the Mississippi, Washington, DC, February 18, 1867


Notable Sac and Fox Nation citizens

* Sara K. Dye (born 1945), physician, surgeon *
Saginaw Grant Saginaw Morgan Grant (July 20, 1936 – July 27, 2021) was a Native Americans in the United States, Native American character actor. He appeared in ''The Lone Ranger (2013 film), The Lone Ranger'', ''The World's Fastest Indian'', ''Community (TV ...
(1936–2021), actor known for his roles in ''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan for AMC (TV channel), AMC. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Breaking Bad), Walter White (Bryan Cran ...
'' and ''
The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a ...
''. *
Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe (; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional American football, football, baseball, and basketball. A citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was ...
(ca. 1888–1953), athlete who won gold medals in the
decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of 10 track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ἄθλος (''áthlos'', or ἄ ...
and
pentathlon A pentathlon is a contest featuring five events. The name is derived from Greek language, Greek: combining the words ''pente'' (five) and -''athlon'' (competition) (). The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Anci ...
at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.


See also

* Lake Osakis *
Meskwaki The Meskwaki (sometimes spelled Mesquaki), also known by the European exonyms Fox Indians or the Fox, are a Native American people. They have been closely linked to the Sauk people of the same language family. In the Meskwaki language, th ...
*
Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska The Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska is one of three federally recognized Native American tribes of Sauk and Meskwaki (Fox) peoples. Their name for themselves is Nemahahaki () and they are an Algonquian people and Eastern ...
*
Sac and Fox Reservation SAC or Sac may refer to: Organizations Education * Santa Ana College, California, US * San Antonio College, Texas, US * St. Andrew's College, Aurora, Canada * Students' Administrative Council, University of Toronto, Canada * SISD Student Acti ...
* Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa * Unga-Chuk


References


External links


Sac and Fox Nation
official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Sac And Fox Nation Native American tribes in Oklahoma Federally recognized tribes in the United States