their service, they returned to their Kansas lands, only to find much of it taken over by non-Indian homesteaders. Settlers were granted of Shawnee land, while remained to for the tribe, of which were granted to the Absentee Shawnee. In 1861 Kansas became a state, and the White people of Kansas demanded that all Indian tribes must be removed from the state. The Loyal Shawnee made an agreement with the Cherokee Nation in 1869, allowing 722 to gain citizenship within the Cherokee tribe and receive allotments of Cherokee land. They predominantly settled in what is now Craig and Rogers County, Oklahoma. They became known as the "Cherokee Shawnee," primarily settling in the areas of Bird Creek (now known as Sperry); Hudson Creek (now known as Fairland); and White Oak. The Shawnee Reservation in Kansas was never legally dissolved and some Shawnee families still hold their allotment lands in Kansas. Beginning in the 1980s, the Shawnee Tribe began an effort to regain their own tribal status, independent of the Cherokee Nation. Congress passed Public Law 106-568, the Shawnee Tribe Status Act of 2000, and the Shawnee Tribe was able to organize as their own autonomous, federally recognized tribe. James R. Squirrel was the initial Chairman and was recognized by the AARP in 2009, as being instrumental in the Shawnee Tribe being federally recognized. Notable Loyal Shawnee Heidi BigKnife, jeweler, silversmith Ruthe Blalock Jones, painter, printmaker, and arts educator Yvonne Chouteau, prima ballerina. Timmy Lee Jr, Texas Blues Rock guitarist. See also Black Bob References External links Shawnee Tribe, official website Constitution of the Shawnee Tribe Native American tribes in Oklahoma Federally recognized tribes in the United States