Before Ohio became a state, the so-called Ohio Country was home to Shawnee, Miami, Seneca-Cayuga, Lenape (Delaware), and Wyandotte people, among others.
But after generations of broken treaties and deadly conflict with settlers, colonists, and traders, American Indian people and their governments were forcibly relocated west by the U.S. so their homelands could be sold and settled.
Those Tribal Nations still exist, and many are headquartered in northeastern Oklahoma in Ottawa County. As they expand their economies and citizenship numbers and revive their languages and cultures, they are also reconnecting to their homelands in the Ohio River Valley.
In this episode, we meet Glenna Wallace, visionary leader of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, who has developed a working relationship with the state of Ohio to provide opportunities for her fellow Shawnee people to reconnect with their homelands.
Removal, survival
The removal and survival of Indigenous people is a much larger subject than this podcast, and we encourage you to delve into additional resources beyond this episode.
This map and timeline tool, created by the Wyandotte Nation and University of Cincinnati students, details the story of the Wyandotte's forced relocation and survival in depth.
Watch the video below to see how the Eastern Shawnee are teaching their youngest citizens about their tribe's forced relocation at their Ohio River Valley Splash Pad.
Ottawa County, Oklahoma
We also recommend listening to this episode of The Moth Radio Hour to hear from Alistair Bane, an Eastern Shawnee citizen, about his experience in Ottawa County.
Additionally, the extractive history of lead and zinc mining in Oklahoma is detailed with a good overview by the Oklahoma History Center.
Gaming
Check out this Indian Gaming article from June 2024 to learn more about how casino revenues benefit some tribes and their communities (including the perspective of Ben Barnes, chief of the Shawnee Tribe)