Enrollment

The Absentee Shawnee Tribal Enrollment is supervised by the Tribal Secretary’s Office. The duties of the Enrollment Department are set forth in the Constitution and the Enrollment Ordinance. We are located at the Absentee Shawnee Tribal Complex in Building 1, second floor.

The Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma (or Absentee Shawnee) is one of three federally recognized tribes of Shawnee people. Historically Shawnees resided in the Eastern United States. The Absentee Shawnee Tribal headquarters is in Shawnee, Oklahoma; its tribal jurisdiction area includes land properties in Oklahoma in both Cleveland County and Pottawatomie County.

Though it is not a formal division, there is a social separation within its current tribal membership between the traditionalist Big Jim Band, which kept cultural traditions and ceremonies who primarily reside in the Little Axe, Norman area, and the modernist White Turkey Band, which adopted European ways and began to favor modern tendencies, with many families based in the Shawnee area. Regardless of historical viewpoints, the bands cooperate for the future of the tribe.

As the Enrollment Department we are here to preserve our history, stay in tune with past and present traditions, and help the Absentee Shawnee people into the future.

The Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma Enrollment Department does not process genealogy requests or offer genealogy services to the public. There are many resources available online for researching and tracing your genealogy.