To commemorate the day of Tecumseh’s death at the Battle of the Thames and honor his courageous life of service to the Shawnee people and Indian Country at large, the Shawnee Tribe leadership will officially declare October 5th “Tecumseh Memorial Day.”
Starting with Tecumseh Memorial Day 2021, Shawnee Tribe employees will receive one day of paid time off from work to observe the holiday. The holiday has specifically been set aside to perform acts of service to the local community or to the Shawnee Tribe.
Chief Ben Barnes encouraged Shawnee employees to spend this year’s holiday volunteering at a shelter, cooking a meal for the homeless or personal elder relatives, cleaning up the streets in the neighborhood, or giving time back to the Tribe to get ahead on a project at work, like donating a few hours at tribal headquarters to help process COVID-19 Relief Applications for tribal citizens.
Explore: 91.3 WYSO Article “Shawnee Tribe Declares October 5 Tecumseh Memorial Day“
Message From Chief Ben Barnes:
Proclamation of October 5th as “Tecumseh Memorial Day”
October 5th is an anniversary of the death of Tecumseh, but we will not celebrate his death, but rather his life. He has been attributed as to having said…
“Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.”
He also said that from his tribe he takes nothing, that he himself was the master of his own fortune and destiny. It is with this mindfulness and with full-remembrance of all of our former Shawnee leaders, chairmen and chairwomen, chiefs, and hokimaki & hokimawikwaki, boceli noki bocelikwe, men and women, that gave themselves to our people that we commemorate this day.
This October 5th and every hereafter shall be “Tecumseh Memorial Day” and be observed by the Shawnee Tribe’s elected officers and her staff as a day to give of ourselves to our communities.
Today, October 5th, all staff that give their day to a local community, non-profit, or service organization, the Shawnee Tribe will pay that employee as if it were a regularly, scheduled work day for they have truly performed service to the Tribal Nation.
Because we Shawnee believe that we are only as strong as our communities, we are committed to all of them, regardless of the dotted lines of borders and distance.
The Shawnee diaspora is vast and we remember all of it, especially on this “Tecumseh Memorial Day.”
niyaawe
By A. Gwynn Henderson and David Pollack On September 7, 1816, readers skimming the Niles’ Weekly Register might have noticed a story about two groups of Shawnee men visiting central Kentucky. It appears on a page with a variety of national and international news: an accounting of how many immigrants had arrived in America, details […]
On November 15, Shawnee Tribe’s Environmental Manager, Cindy Riley, participated in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s recycling event to explore new ways of collecting and processing materials—from electronics and batteries to tires, and many more items—and to bring those best practices back to our own tribal community. Key takeaways: Next steps: Together, we can grow our […]
Button cell batteries are the small, flat, round batteries found in watches, hearing aids, key fobs, calculators, toys, and medical devices. They may be tiny, but they contain valuable materials and can create safety hazards if thrown in the trash. Because they are so small, button batteries are often tossed with household waste. However, lithium […]
On October 22, 2025, the Shawnee Tribe was notified that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would pause operations during the month of November due to a protracted government shutdown. In response, the Shawnee Tribe developed the Temporary Emergency Food Benefit Assistance Program, which was established by October 29, 2025, to support Shawnee Tribe families […]
Meet Magdalene “Mag” Walls, a proud Shawnee citizen born on February 25, 1921, in Ramona, Oklahoma. Her early years were spent in Ramona before her family moved to White Oak, where Mag attended grade school and met her first husband. Together, they had two wonderful children, Deloris and Jim. In 1942, Mag embarked on a […]
On Monday December 8, the new Chief Ron Sparkman Shawnee Tribe Council Chambers, located at 29 S. Main Street, held its naming, dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony. The newly designed interiors included the main tribal chambers, private tribal chambers, kitchen and prep space, restrooms, and a private meeting space all adorned with modern flooring, walls, lighting, […]
Shawnee language learners of all ages and abilities are invited to join the Shawnee Language Immersion Program for the 2026 Language Fair, Dinner and Stomp Dance on Saturday, July 25 in Miami, OK. Citizens of all three Shawnee nations are eligible to participate. Over $6,000 in prizes will be awarded to the top three winners […]
Did you know that the average US Citizen throws away an average of 70 lbs. of clothing annually? The fashion industry is a major contributor to global pollution, generating about 10% of annual CO₂ emissions. Reusing, donating, or recycling clothing helps reduce its environmental impact. Clean Out Your Closet—Responsibly Finished cleaning out your closet and […]