Editing Sac and Fox Nation

{{Short description|Federally recognized Native American tribe based in Oklahoma}}
{{ethnic group|
|group=Sac and Fox Nation
|flag=
|flag_caption=Tribal flag
|population=3,794<ref name=oia>[http://www.ok.gov/oiac/documents/2011.FINAL.WEB.pdf 2011 Oklahoma Indian Nations Pocket Pictorial Directory.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424052416/http://www.ok.gov/oiac/documents/2011.FINAL.WEB.pdf |date=April 24, 2012 }} ''Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission.'' 2011: 31. Retrieved January 29, 2012.</ref>
|popplace=[[United States]] ([[Oklahoma]])
|rels=Drum Society, [[Native American Church]],<br/> and [[Christianity]]<ref name=ohs/>
|langs=[[English language|English]], [[Sac language|Sauk]]
|related=other [[Sauk people]], [[Meskwaki]], [[Kickapoo people|Kickapoo]],<br/>and other [[Algonquian peoples]] 
}}
The '''Sac and Fox Nation''' ([[Sauk language]]: '''Thâkîwaki''') is the largest of three [[federally recognized tribes|federally recognized]] tribes of [[Sauk people|Sauk]] and [[Meskwaki|Meskwaki (Fox)]] [[American Indians in the United States|Indian peoples]]. They are based in central [[Oklahoma]].<ref name=ohs/>

Originally from the [[Lake Huron]] and [[Lake Michigan]] area, they were forcibly relocated to [[Oklahoma]] in the 1870s and are predominantly Sauk.<ref name="ohs">{{cite web |last1=McCollum |first1=Timothy James |title=Sac and Fox |url=https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=SA001 |website=Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture |publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society |access-date=15 January 2025}}</ref> The Sac and Fox Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area (OTSA) is the [[Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area|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 tribes have historically been closely allied, and continue to be in the present day. They speak very similar [[Algonquian languages]], 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".<ref name=ohs/>

==Government==
[[File:Black Hawk and His Son Whirling Thunder.jpg|thumb|''Black Hawk and His Son Whirling Thunder'', 1833. Portrait by [[John Wesley Jarvis]]. Oil painting in the [[Gilcrease Museum]], Tulsa]]
The Sac and Fox Nation is headquartered in [[Stroud, Oklahoma]], and their [[tribal jurisdictional area]] covers [[Lincoln County, Oklahoma|Lincoln]], [[Payne County, Oklahoma|Payne]], and [[Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma|Pottawatomie]] counties. Their Principal Chief is Randall Carter.<ref name=oia/> 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.<ref name=ohs/>

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]], with proven descent to ancestors on recognized rolls.<ref name=oia/>

==Economic development==
The tribe's housing authority is located in [[Shawnee, Oklahoma]]. They issue their own [[tribal vehicle tags]] and operate eleven smoke shops and two casinos,<ref name=oia/> 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.<ref>[http://500nations.com/casinos/okSacFoxCasinoStroud.asp "Sac & Fox Casino Stroud."] ''500 Nations.'' (retrieved April 12, 2010)</ref>

==History==
The Sac or Thakiwaki lived near [[Lake Huron]] and [[Lake Michigan]] at the time of European contact. In 1832 they participated in the [[Black Hawk War]] against the United States. Military leader [[Black Hawk (Sauk leader)|Black Hawk]] remains a cultural hero today. After the war, the tribe relocated several times from [[Illinois]] to [[Iowa]], [[Kansas]], and finally [[Indian Territory]] in the 1870s.<ref name=ohs/>

Their current lands were part of the larger, historical Sac and Fox Reservation of 1867–1891, which was {{convert|480000|acre|km2}} and established by the United States to provide land to the tribes.<ref name=ohs/> But by the late 19th century, U.S. policy changed again. Under the [[Dawes Act]] 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.<ref>{{cite book|last=Deloria Jr.|first=Vine|title=Documents of American Indian Diplomacy Treaties, Agreements, and Conventions, 1775–1979 |pages=323–26 |year=1999 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |isbn=978-0-8061-3118-4 |author2=DeMaille, Raymond J.}}</ref> 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.<ref name=ohs/> 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 [[Indian Removal|removed]] out of the Midwest to a reservation in Kansas.<ref>United States Senate. (1890). ''Congressional Serial Set.'' "Executive Documents of the Senate of the U.S. First Session of the Fiftieth Congress". Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 8. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZwEZAAAAYAAJ Google Books.] Retrieved 15 March 2020.</ref> Noted diplomat [[Jeffrey Deroine]], a formerly enslaved man, served as an interpreter for this treaty.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Olson |first1=Greg |title=Jeffrey Deroine: Ioway Translator, Frontier Diplomat |date=1 August 2015 |publisher=Truman State University Press |isbn=978-1-61248-154-8 |page=45 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pTIzEAAAQBAJ&q=1842+treaty}}</ref>

By 1889 519 of the tribe were located in Indian Territory, what is now central Oklahoma.<ref>United States. Office of Indian Affairs. (1899). ''Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Secretary of the Interior for the Fiscal Year Ended ...'' Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 199–201.[https://books.google.com/books?id=9VxGAQAAIAAJ&q=sac+fox+indians+canadian+river Google Books.] Retrieved 15 March 2020.</ref> On June 10, 1890, they ceded these [[Indian Territory]] lands to the federal government.<ref>United States Senate. (1890). ''Congressional Serial Set.'' "Executive Documents of the Senate of the U.S. First Session of the Fiftieth Congress". Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 16–21. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZwEZAAAAYAAJ Google Books.] Retrieved 15 March 2020.</ref>

===Self-government re-established in 20th century===
The administration of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] 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]] and their descendants, as long as individuals had a minimum [[blood quantum]] 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.<ref>[http://www.sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov/departments/government/constitution/ "Constitution."] ''Sac and Fox Nation.'' (retrieved April 12, 2010)</ref>

===Late 20th century to present===
[[File:Thorpe.jpg|thumb|right|170px|[[Jim Thorpe]], Sac and Fox Nation Olympic athlete]]
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."<ref name=ohs/>

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]] (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.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

==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]] (1936–2021), actor known for his roles in ''[[Breaking Bad]]'' and ''[[The Lone Ranger (2013 film)|The Lone Ranger]]''.<ref>Breslauer, Jan (February 20, 1996). [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-02-20-ca-37827-story.html "The Spirit Moves Him in New and Traditional Ways"]. ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.</ref>
* [[Jim Thorpe]] (ca. 1888–1953), athlete who won gold medals in the [[decathlon]] and [[modern pentathlon|pentathlon]] at the [[1912 Summer Olympics|1912 Stockholm Olympics]].<ref>[http://www.cmgww.com/sports/thorpe/bio.htm Biography.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090703193524/http://www.cmgww.com/sports/thorpe/bio.htm |date=July 3, 2009 }} ''Jim Thorpe: World's Greatest Athlete.'' Retrieved June 27, 2009.</ref><ref name="Special Committee on Indian Affairs">{{cite news|author=Hearings|title=Federal Government's relationship with the American Indians|date=May 16, 1989|agency=U.S. Senate|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|ref=Part 9}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Hearings|title=Federal Government's relationship with American Indians |date=May 16, 1989|issue=Part 9|journal=Federal Register |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1989-05-16/pdf/FR-1989-05-16.pdf |pages=31–54}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Lake Osakis]]
* [[Meskwaki]]
* [[Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska]]
* [[Sac and Fox Reservation]]
* [[Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa]]
* [[Unga-Chuk]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Sac and Fox}}
* [http://www.sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov/ Sac and Fox Nation], official website

{{Native American Tribes in Oklahoma}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sac And Fox Nation}}
[[Category:Sac and Fox Nation| ]]
[[Category:Native American tribes in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Federally recognized tribes in the United States]]