Shawnee Indians

Activity #1: Shawnee Migration West

Materials Needed:

• Background Resources:
  “Shawnee Visions” excerpt from Johnson County, Kansas: A Pictorial History 1825-2005
• Mapping Instructions worksheet
• United States Outline map - link provided
• Master Maps – links provided
• Current Map of United States – link provided

Curriculum Objectives:

7th Grade – Kansas History Standard, Benchmark 1, Indicator 4:  The student analyzes the impact of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 on the way of life for emigrant Indian tribes relocated to Kansas (e.g., loss of land and customary resources, disease and starvation, assimilation, inter-tribal conflict)

Instructions:

1. Distribute the background information, “Shawnee Visions” to the students to read.
2. Have the students view the following maps on the internet, or print them out and distribute them to the class. The links are as follows:
   
   Current United States map:
   http://www.50states.com/us.htm
   
   United States outline map for classroom activity use (you will need to print and make copies of this map for the class): http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/us_nl.pdf
   
   Pennsylvania Map:
   http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/united_states/pennsylvania_90.jpg
   Ohio Map:
   http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/united_states/ohio_90.jpg
   
   Kansas County Map:
   http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/countymap.asp
   
   Oklahoma map (showing where Indian Tribes relocated)
   http://www.rootsweb.com/~okgenweb/maps/okmap.htm
3. Distribute the outline map of the United States worksheets and the Mapping Instructions to students. Using the background history, the historical and current maps, and the Mapping Instructions, they are to map the migration of the Shawnee from the east to Kansas and finally to Indian Territory (Oklahoma). At each destination point, they should:
   • Label the places where the Shawnee lived
   • The dates they lived or arrived in each settlement
   • The dates they left each settlement
4. Use time after the activity to discuss the reasons for Indian Removal and its impact on the Indians and settlers.

Suggested Discussion Questions:

1. What was the primary reason for the Shawnee’s move to the west after 1825?
2. According the Background Reading, how was Shawnee society organized? How was that different from white settlers and missionaries?
3. What did the Shawnee hope to preserve each time they relocated?
4. Why was land west of Missouri set aside for Indian Territory?

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