The History of the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri

There are three bands of Sac and Fox and they all have their own disinct government and enrollment processes. They are federally recognized:

Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa --- Meshwaki.

Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma --- Sa ki wa ki.

Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska --- Ne ma ha ha ki.

The Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri are of Algonquian origin and Woodland culture.

The Sauk and Fox were originally two distinct groups. During the 1700's a French attack on the Foxes caused the two tribes to join forces and form a close alliance which helped to affect unification.

The Sauk/Sac were called the "People of the Yellow Earth", which distinguishes them from the Foxes who were called the "Red Earth People".

The Sac and Fox Nation have been located in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska.

One of the largest villages in North America was Saukenuk, located between the Rock and Mississippi rivers in Illinois. At one time it included approximately 4000 Sac and Fox People.

The Treaty of 1804 ceded Sac and Fox land to the United States. The treaty of 1815 officially named the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri as a distinct tribe and they were moved to Northeast Missouri from Iowa and Illinois.

In 1824, the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri were removed to the Platte Valley northwest of the Missouri river along with the Iowa, Potawatomi and Kickapoo tribes.

In 1832, the famous Sauk, Black Hawk, led part of the Sac and Fox into war against the United States.

The Treaty of 1837 removed the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri into Kansas across the Missouri river to the Great Nemaha Reservation in Doniphan and Brown Counties. The Missouri band became officially known as the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska.

In 1854, the Sac and Fox of Missouri ceded half of the tract assigned to them in 1837 to the United States, which further reduced the reservation land base.

In 1893, the Dawes Act divided the reservation land into individual allotments.

In 1934, the Sac and Fox of Missouri organized as a federally recognized tribe under the Indian Reorganization Act.

Significant People of the Sac and Fox

Tribal Museum