"The Indians who once held all the land in America, retain only about 200,000 square miles. The whites, who started out with no land at all, now hold about three million square miles. The first of 370 treaties between the United States and Indian tribes was signed in 1778 - The last was signed in 1868. In 1871 Congress declared that the U.S. would no longer view Indian tribes as separate nations and would sign no more treaties."

TREATY OF 1786 WITH THE SHAWANOE

January 31, 1786

Concluded at the Mouth of the Great Miami, on the north-west Bank of the Ohio, the thirty-first of January, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, between the Commissioners Plenipotentiary of the United States of America, of the one Part, and the Chiefs and Warriors of the Shawanoe Nation on the other Part.

Article 1: THREE hostages shall be immediately delivered to the commissioners, to remain in the possession of the United States, until all prisoners, white and black, taken in the late war from among the citizens of the United States, by the Shawanoe nation, or by any other Indian or Indians residing in their towns, shall be restored.

Article 2: The Shawanoe nation, do acknowledge the United States to be the sole and absolute sovereigns of all the territory ceded to them by a treaty of peace, made between them and the King of Great-Britain, the fourteenth day of January, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four.

Article 3: If any Indians of the Shawanoe nation, or any other Indian or Indians residing in their towns, shall commit murder or robbery on, or do injury to the citizens of the United States, or any of them, that nation shall deliver such offender, or offenders to the officer commanding the nearest post of the United States, to be punished according to the ordinances of congress, and in like manner any citizen of the United States who shall do an injury to any Indian of the Shawanoe nation, or to any other Indian or Indians residing in their towns, and under their protection, shall be punished according to the laws of the United States.

Article 4: The Shawanoe nation having knowledge of the intention of any nation or body of Indians to make war on the citizens of the United States, or of their counselling together for that purpose, and neglecting to give information thereof to the commanding officer of the nearest post of the United States, shall be considered as parties in such war, and be punished accordingly; and the United States shall in like manner inform the Shawanoes of any injury designed against them.

Article 5: The United States do recieve them into their friendship and protection.

Article 6: The United States do allot to the Shawanoe nations, lands within their territory to live and hunt upon, beginning at the fourth line of the lands allotted to the Wyandot and the Delaware nations, at the place where the main branch of the Great Miami which falls into the Ohio intersects said line -- then down the river Miami, to the fork of that river, next below the old fort, which was taken by the French in 1752; thence due west to the River de la Panse; -- then down that river, Wabash, beyond which lines, none of the citizens of the United States shall settle, nor disturb the Shawanoes in their settlement and possessions; and the Shawanoes do relinquish to the United States, all title or pretence of title they ever had to the lands east, west, and south, of the east, west, and south lines before described.

Article 7: If any citizens of the United States, shall presume to settle upon the lands allotted to the Shawanoes by this treaty, he or they shall be put out of the protection of the United States.

In Testimony whereof, the Parties hereunto have affixed their hands and seals, the day and year first above mentioned.
Attest,Alexander Campbell, Sec'y of Commissioners.

Witnesses.
W. FINNEY, Maj. B.B.
THOS. DOYLE, Capt. B.B.
NATHAN McDOWELL, Ens.
JOHN SAFFENGER,
HENRY GOVY,
KAGY GALLOWAY, his X mark,
JOHN BOGGS,
SAM. MONTGOMERY,
DANIEL ELLIOT,
JAMES RINKER,
NATHA. SMITH,
JOS. SUFFREIN, his X mark, or KEMEPHENO SHAWANOE,
ISAAC ZANE, (a WIANDOT) his X mark.
The HALF-KING of the WIANDOTS,) their XX marks.
The CRANE of the WIANDOTS,
Capt. PIPE of the DELAWARES, his X mark.
Capt. BOHONGEHELAS, his X mark.
TETEBOCKSHIEKA, his X MARK.
The BIG CAT of the DELAWARES, his X mark.
PIERRE DROULLAR. (Signed)
G.R. CLARKE,
RICHD. BUTLER.

"Treaty of Greenville" [ "Treaty of 1805"

"Treaty of 1815" [ "Treaty of 1817"

"The Paris Peace Treaty"United States/Great Britain

"Shawnee's Reservation" [ "Homepage"

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