Thirty Tribal Nations Impacted, Including Shawnee Tribe
Contact: media@shawnee-tribe.com
MIAMI, OK – The Kansas State Legislature recently enacted a provision which will give residency status for the purpose of tuition to citizens of tribal nations with historical ties to the State of Kansas when they enroll at Kansas public institutions of higher learning.
“For quite some time, the Shawnee Tribe has endeavored to obtain in-state tuition for our students in our homeland states,” said Chief Ben Barnes. “The Shawnee Tribe, our government and her people preexist all state lines, and we appreciate the diligence of the Kansas Association for Native American Education with their efforts to secure this for all our Nations.”
The full list of tribal nations whose students are eligible for Kansas in-state tuition includes:
The Kickapoo Tribe of Indians of the Kickapoo Reservation in Kansas;
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation;
The Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska;
The Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska;
The Apache Tribe of Oklahoma;
The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma;
The Cherokee Nation;
The Chippewa;
Comanche Nation of Oklahoma;
The Delaware Tribe of Indians;
The Kaw Nation of Oklahoma;
The Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma;
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma;
The Oneida Nation;
The Osage Nation;
The Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma;
The Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma;
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians;
The Grand Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians;
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians;
The Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians;
The Bay Mills Indian Community;
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians;
The Michigan Bands of the Ottawa/Odawa;
The Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma;
The Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma;
The Quapaw Tribe of Indians;
The Shawnee Tribe;
The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco and Tawakonie) of Oklahoma;
and The Wyandotte Nation
(Source: Kansas Association for Native American Education)
“This legislation takes us one step closer to education sovereignty and the fair and just access to higher education that is our right as Shawnee citizens,” said Joshua Shawnee, Education & Social Services Director at the Shawnee Tribe. “It is our hope that other states will follow suit and provide in-state tuition to all sovereign nations forcibly and fraudulently removed from their ancestral homelands. This is a great first step in acknowledging the incalculable debt our state legislatures owe to Native peoples as they continue to profit from educational institutions built on stolen land.”
Dr. Alex Red Corn, an Osage citizen and Executive Director of Kansas Association for Native American Education (KANAE) expressed appreciation for the collaborative efforts of KANAE, the Kansas Board of Regents and the Kansas Advisory Council for Indigenous Education Working Group in passing this legislative provision.
“On behalf of the American Indian communities who stand to benefit from this, I want to thank the leadership at the Kansas Board of Regents for their hard work in making these Nations histories and ongoing presence visible in tangible ways in our systems,” said Red Corn. “We have much more work to do, but this is a great step forward.”
The provision is valid from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, with anticipated annual renewal through the Kansas State Legislature.
###
About the Shawnee Tribe
The Shawnee Tribe is a sovereign nation of more than 4,000 citizens living across North America and abroad. Tribal headquarters are located in Miami, Oklahoma, and Shawnee Chief Benjamin J. Barnes was elected in 2019. For more information, visit shawnee site.
ONE CITIZEN’S JOURNEY THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION, CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND HOMEOWNERSHIP Shawnee tribal citizen Michael Cedrone lives in Texas, where he works as Head of Human Resources at GBC Food Services. Cedrone attributes his success to the tribe’s educational, career and housing support programs. His professional journey began at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, TX, […]
During General Council weekend (September 20-21), the Shawnee Tribe hosted Firaxis Games’ Pete Murray (Learning & Development Manager) and Lead Producer Andrew Frederiksen, developers of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, due to be released next February. Murray and Frederiksen kicked off their Shawnee visit with attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Emma “Mock” Donaldson saawanwaatoweewika […]
Messages from the Chiefs – Fall 2024: It’s a US Election Day! Chief Barnes highlights the importance of voting in every election, local to federal, and Chief Baldridge reflects on the earliest days of his service on the Business Council compared to where we are today.
Shawnee language classes will resume for the 2025 calendar year on Monday, January 6! Self-paced learners and those hoping to participate in live classes should contact the Shawnee Language Immersion Program team (SLIP) to begin enrollment. SLIP will work with each individual student to place them in the appropriate course(s) based on their learning preferences […]
On Friday, September 20, tribal citizens and community members gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Shawnee Tribe’s newest facility and cultural resource—the Emma “Mock” Donaldson saawanwaatoweewika (Shawnee language house). A little more than ten minutes east of central Miami, OK, the facility boasts a large, open gathering space with high ceilings and a […]
On October 15, the Governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine and his wife, First Lady Frances “Fran” DeWine traveled to Miami, OK to visit with various Shawnee Tribal programs and leadership. “We were honored to receive Governor DeWine and his wife at our Shawnee language house, Cultural Center, and Administrative offices,” said Chief Ben Barnes. “We […]
In September, the Shawnee Tribe’s Gaming Commission staff received safety training from City of Guymon professionals including; Fire Marshall Jason Bond, Fire Chief Scott Lathrop, 911 Director Justin Carnagey, and Police Sergeant Jacob Bankston. “It was a very productive training day and was well received by the Gaming Commission staff,” said Otis Hughs, Executive Director […]
GILA RIVER, Ariz.—Chief Ben Barnes attended today’s event on the reservation of the Gila River Indian Community, where President Joe Biden delivered a historic speech and a formal presidential apology for 150 years of federal Indian boarding school policies which he called “a shame” and “a blot on American history.” “I’m delighted that President Biden’s […]