View source for Quapaw

{{Short description|Native American tribe}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2013}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = Quapaw
| native_name      = Ogáxpa
| native_name_lang = qua
| image            = 
| image_caption    = 
| population       = 6,000<!-- 2011 Oklahoma Indian Nations Pocket Pictorial Directory Archived 12 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission, 2011: 30. Retrieved 28 Jan 2012. -->
| popplace         = {{Flag|United States}} ({{Flag|Oklahoma}})
| langs            = [[English language|English]], [[Quapaw language|Quapaw]]<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/14/show_language.asp?code=QUA "Quapaw."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210171812/http://www.ethnologue.com/14/show_language.asp?code=QUA |date=10 December 2007 }} ''Ethnologue.'' Retrieved 28 Jan 2012.</ref>
| rels             = [[Christianity]] ([[Catholic Church|Catholicism]]), traditional tribal religion, Big Moon and Little Moon [[Native American Church]]
| related          = [[Dhegihan languages|Dhegihan peoples]]: [[Osage Nation|Osage]], [[Omaha people|Omaha]], [[Ponca]], [[Kaw people|Kansa]]
}}

<!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please do not change the first paragraph without prior consensus—see [[Talk:Quapaw]]. Thank you. -->The '''Quapaw''' ({{IPAc-en|"|k|w|O:|p|O:}} {{respell|KWAW|paw}},<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Chambers Dictionary|publisher=Chambers|year=2003|isbn=0-550-10105-5|edition=9th|chapter=Quapaw}}</ref> [[Quapaw language|Quapaw]]: {{lang|qua|Ogáxpa}}) or '''Arkansas''', officially the '''Quapaw Nation''',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bia.gov/tribal-leaders/quapaw-nation |title=Quapaw Nation |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not dated--> |website=Indian Affairs |publisher=[[United States Department of the Interior|U.S. Department of the Interior]] |access-date=September 30, 2023}}</ref> is a [[List of federally recognized tribes in the United States|U.S. federally recognized tribe]] comprising about 6,000 citizens. Also known as the Ogáxpa or “Downstream” people, their ancestral homelands are traced from what is now the [[Ohio River]], west to the [[Mississippi River]] to present-day [[St. Louis]], south across present-day [[Arkansas]] and eastern and southern [[Oklahoma]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Spears |first=Nancy Marie |date=October 21, 2021 |title=Quapaw Nation's reservation affirmed as Indian Country under federal law |url=https://gaylordnews.net/7158/news/native-american/quapaw-nations-reservation-affirmed-as-indian-country-under-federal-law/ |work=Gaylord News |location=Norman, Oklahoma |access-date=September 30, 2023}}</ref> The government [[Trail of Tears|forcibly removed them]] from [[Arkansas Territory]] in 1834. The [[Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area|tribal]] [[Capital city|capital]] is [[Quapaw, Oklahoma|Quapaw]], Oklahoma.<!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please do not change the first paragraph without prior consensus, see [[Talk:Quapaw]]. Thank you. -->

== Etymology ==
The Quapaw broke from the other [[Dhegiha]] tribes and migrated down the Mississippi River into present-day Arkansas many generations before European contact. After that, the tribe began to refer to themselves Ogáxpa, which means the “Downstream” people."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Origin of Tribal Name {{!}} Quapaw Tribe, OK - Official Website |url=https://www.quapawtribe.com/401/Tribal-Name |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=www.quapawtribe.com}}</ref> This was the name of their primary village or tribal band. Historically, it was more common for the people to identify by the name of their village or band. However, Ogáxpa would also sometimes be used to refer to the entire tribe. Overtime it would become the accepted name for the entire tribe. Colonial French would sometimes write this name as "Kappa".

[[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]]-speaking people originally referred to the Quapaw as ''Akansa'', an [[Illinois Confederation|Illini]] word for “People of the South Wind”.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/quapaw-550/ |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}</ref> As French explorers [[Jacques Marquette]] and [[Louis Jolliet]] encountered and interacted with the Illinois before they did the Quapaw, they adopted this [[exonym]]. Later the French ''[[voyageurs]]'' continued to use this term and adapted it as ''Arcansas''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bright|first1=William|title=Native American Placenames of the United States|date=2007|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|isbn=978-0-806135984|page=47|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&q=Akancea%2C+Acansea&pg=PA47}}</ref> The French named the [[Arkansas River]] and [[Arkansas Post]] after the Quapaw.<ref name=":1" /> Other spellings in historical use included ''Akanza'', ''Acansa'', ''Acansea'', ''Acansia'', ''Accance'', and ''Accancea''.<ref name="clark">{{cite book |last1=Clark |first1=Patricia Roberts |title=Tribal Names of the Americas: Spelling Variants and Alternative Forms, Cross-Referenced |date=21 October 2009 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-5169-2 |pages=10–11 |language=en}}</ref>

English-speaking settlers who arrived later in the region adopted the name used by the French, adapting it to English spelling conventions. The term "Quapaw" comes from the American English attempt to say Ogáxpa.

== History ==
=== Beginnings (before 1682) ===
The Quapaw are descended from a historical group of Dhegiha-speaking people who lived in the lower Ohio River valley area. The modern descendants of this language group include the [[Omaha people|Omaha]], [[Ponca]], [[Osage Nation|Osage]] and [[Kaw people|Kaw]], who are all independent tribal nations today. All Dhegiha-speaking tribes are believed [[Dhegihan History and Separation|to have migrated]] west and south from the [[Ohio River valley]] after 1200 [[Common Era|CE]].

Scholars are divided as to whether they think the Quapaw and other related groups left before or after the [[Beaver Wars]] of the 17th century, in which the Five Nations of the Iroquois (based south of the Great Lakes and to the east of this area), drove other tribes out of the Ohio Valley and retained the area for hunting grounds.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Osage: An Enthnohistorical Study of Hegemony on the Prairie-Plains|last=Rollins|first=Willard|publisher=Columbia: University of Missouri Press|year=1995|pages=96–100}}</ref><ref name="ohs">Louis F. Burns, [http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/O/OS001.html "Osage"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102050914/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/O/OS001.html |date=2 January 2011 }} ''Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', retrieved 2 March 2009</ref> The oral history of the Quapaw people describes that the Quapaw separated from the Omaha, Ponca, Osage, and Kaw, near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, due to a lack of game. No correlation with gun bearing Iroquois running the Quapaw into Arkansas along with the Omaha, Ponca, Osage and Kaw is described by historic or modern Quapaw sources, and appears to be an entirely modern conjecture by scholars which is unsupported by the Quapaw.<ref>{{cite book | last=Nuttall| first=Thomas | title=Nuttall's Journal of Travels Into the Arkansa Territory October 2, 1818-February 18, 1820 | publisher= A. H. Clark| year = 1905}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite book | last=Bandy| first=Everett| title=O-ga-xpa Ma-zhoⁿ Quapaw Country| publisher= Quapaw Nation| year = 2022}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{cite book | last=Henning| first=Dale| title=Dhegihan and Chiwere Siouans in the Plains: Historical and Archaeological Perspectives Part Two| publisher= Plains Anthropologist Vol. 49, Number 192 Memoir 192| year = 2004}}</ref> Similar and supporting oral history is well documented and supported by other Dhegiha tribes.<ref>{{cite book | last=Headman| first=Louis| title=Walks On the Ground: A Tribal History of the Ponca Nation| publisher= University of Nebraska Press| year = 2020}}</ref> It is also notable that there are carbon dated sites which are strongly correlated to the Dhegiha which demonstrate they were split and moved to the respective regions by 1500.<ref name="auto2"/>

The Quapaw reached their historical territory, the area of the [[confluence]] of the [[Arkansas River|Arkansas]] and [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] rivers, at least by the mid-17th century. The timing of the Quapaw migration into their ancestral territory in the historical period has been the subject of considerable debate by scholars of various fields. It is referred to as the "Quapaw Paradox" by academics. Many professional archaeologists have introduced numerous migration scenarios and time frames, but none has conclusive evidence.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The Transformation of the Southeastern Indians, 1540–1760|last=Ethridge|first=Robbie|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|year=2008}}</ref> Glottochronological studies suggest the Quapaw separated from the other Dhegihan-speaking peoples in a period ranging between AD 950 to as late as AD 1513.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2004|title=Dhegihan and Chiwere Siouans in the Plains: Historical and Archaeological Perspectives|journal=Plains Anthropologist|page=394}}</ref> Linguistic studies also support an earlier separation date, within a few generations of the initial introduction of corn and long before the introduction of the horse.<ref>{{cite book | last=Taylor| first=Francis| title=Histories of Maize: Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Prehistory, Linguistics, Biogeography, Domestication, and Evolution of Maize}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/>

[[File:DeSoto Map Leg 3 HRoe 2008.jpg|thumb|left|Map of the [[Hernando de Soto|De Soto]] expedition through [[Mississippi]] and [[Arkansas]]]]

In 1541, when the Spanish explorer [[Hernando de Soto (explorer)|Hernando de Soto]] led an expedition that came across the town of ''[[Pacaha]]'' (also recorded by Garcilaso as ''Capaha''), between the [[Mississippi River]] and a lake on the Arkansas side, apparently in present-day [[Phillips County, Arkansas|Phillips County]]. His party described the village as strongly [[palisade]]d and nearly surrounded by a ditch. [[Archaeology|Archaeological]] remains and local conditions bear out the description. If the migration from the Ohio Valley preceded the ''entrada'', these people may have been the proto-Quapaw. It is notable that the only chronicler of Indigenous heritage described this people as the Capaha. It is notable that this chronicler was often more accurate when recording tribal information. Regardless, Dr. Rankin hypothesized that the Capaha may have been Tunica based on limited evidence of a single name found in a later Portuguese account, for which the original cursive is not recorded. <ref name=":0" /> Archeological sites around 1300 in the region have produced pipes, hides, and other items which are strongly associated with an influx of Dhegiha people that would be the Quapaw. <ref>{{Cite book|title=Arkansas Before the Americans: Origin of the Quapaw|last=Morse|first=Dan|publisher=Arkansas Archeological Survey Research Series No. 40|year=1991}}</ref>

The first certain encounters with Quapaw by Europeans occurred more than 130 years later. In 1673, the Jesuit Father [[Jacques Marquette]] accompanied the French commander [[Louis Jolliet]] in traveling down the Mississippi by canoe. He reportedly went to the villages of the ''Akansea'', who gave him warm welcome and listened with attention to his sermons, while he stayed with them a few days. In 1682, [[René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle|La Salle]] passed by their villages, then five in number, including one on the east bank of the Mississippi. [[Zenobius Membre|Zenobius Membré]], a [[Recollects|Recollect father]] who accompanied the LaSalle expedition, planted a cross and attempted to convert the Native Americans to Christianity.

La Salle negotiated a peace with the tribe and formally "claimed" the territory for [[France]]. The Quapaw were recorded as uniformly kind and friendly toward the French. While villages relocated in the area, four Quapaw villages were generally reported by Europeans along the Mississippi River in this early period. They corresponded in name and population to four sub-tribes still existing, listed as ''{{lang|qua|Ugahpahti}}'', ''{{lang|qua|Uzutiuhi}}'', ''{{lang|qua|Tiwadimañ}}'', and ''{{lang|qua|Tañwañzhita}}''. The French transliterations were: Kappa, Ossoteoue, Touriman, and Tonginga.

=== Colonial era (1682–1803) ===
{{Main|Arkansas Post}}
[[File:Stati uniti, valle del mississipi, quapaw, pelle dipinta da indossare per la danza del bufalo, 1750 ca.jpg|thumb|Robe of the Buffalo Dancers, {{circa|1750|lk=yes}}. [[Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac|Musée du Quai Branly—Jacques Chirac]], [[Paris]], [[France]].]]

In 1686, at the request of the Quapaw, the French commander [[Henri de Tonti]] built a post near the mouth of the Arkansas River, which was later known as the [[Arkansas Post]]. This was the very first European settlement along the Mississippi River. This settlement was established at the Quapaw's design and request, primarily because the Quapaw wanted European firearms to use against their enemies who had already received them from the British.<ref name="auto">{{cite book | last=Duval| first=Kathleen| title=Native Nations: A Millennium in North American | publisher= Random House| year = 2024}}</ref> Tonti arranged for a resident [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] [[missionary]] to be assigned there, but apparently without result. About 1697, a [[smallpox]] [[epidemic]] killed the greater part of the women and children of two villages. In 1727, the Jesuits, from their house in [[New Orleans]], again took up the missionary work.

The Quapaw were staunch allies of the French and backed them in regional conflicts. In 1729, the Quapaw allied with French colonists against the [[Natchez people|Natchez]] during the Natchez War, which was also referred to as the [[Natchez Revolt]]. This conflict ultimately involved multiple tribes allying with the French against the Natchez, ultimately resulting in the practical extermination of the Natchez tribe. The Quapaw also allied with France during the [[Chickasaw Wars]], which spanned from 1721 to 1763.<ref name="auto"/>

[[File:Louisiana Indians Walking Along a Bayou - Alfred Boisseau (New Orleans Mus of Art 56.34).jpg|thumb|right|300px|''Louisiana Indians Walking Along a Bayou (note the tribe is not identified for this portrait. It is thought to be Choctaw, but could be Quapaw and if not, is very similar to what the Quapaw would have dressed in this period'' ([[Alfred Boisseau]], 1847)]]

The French relocated the Arkansas Post upriver, both to avoid flooding and to maintain close proximity to the Quapaw who were also moving up the river for defensive purposes. After France was defeated by the British in the [[Seven Years' War]], it ceded its North American territories to Britain. This nation exchanged some territory with Spain, which took over "control" of Arkansas and other former French territory west of the Mississippi River. The Spanish built new forts to protect its valued trading post with the Quapaw. Relationships with the Spanish were more strained than they had been with France due to a variety of complications. Eventually the Spanish and the Quapaw would come into good terms however, and the Quapaw even signed a treaty during this time.<ref>{{cite document| last=| first=| title=Treaty between the Quapaw Great Chief and the Commandant of the Arkansas Post, October 15, 1769 | publisher= Louisiana State Museum| year = 1769}}</ref><ref name="auto"/>

During the early years of colonial rule, many of the ethnic [[French people|French]] fur traders and ''[[voyageurs]]'' had an amicable relationship with the Quapaw, as they did with many other trading tribes.<ref>{{cite book | last=Havard| first=Gilles | title=Histoire de l'Amérique française | publisher= Flamarion| location=Paris| year = 2003 }}</ref> Many Quapaw women and French men cohabitated. [[Pine Bluff, Arkansas]], was founded by Joseph Bonne, a man of Quapaw-French ancestry.

=== 19th century ===
Shortly after the United States acquired the territory in 1803 by the [[Louisiana Purchase]], it recorded the Quapaw as living in three villages on the south side of the Arkansas River about {{Convert|12|mi|km}} above Arkansas Post. In 1818. as part of a treaty negotiation, the U.S. government acknowledged the Quapaw as rightful owners of approximately {{convert|32|e6acre|e6ha|abbr=unit}}, which included all of present-day Arkansas south and west of the [[Arkansas River]], as well as portions of [[Louisiana]], [[Mississippi]], and [[Oklahoma]] from the [[Red River of the South|Red River]] to beyond the Arkansas and east of the Mississippi.<ref>{{ cite book |title= The Jungles of Arkansas |first=Bob |last=Lancaster |publisher=[[University of Arkansas Press]] |location=Fayetteville |year=1989 |page=40 |isbn=1557281084 |oclc=19321691 |ref={{harvid|"Lancaster"|1989}} }}</ref> The treaty required the Quapaws to cede almost {{convert|31|e6acre|e6ha|abbr=unit}} of this area to the U.S. government, giving the Quapaw title to {{convert|1.5|e6acre|e6ha|abbr=unit}} between the Arkansas and the [[Saline River (Ouachita River)|Saline]] in [[Southeast Arkansas]]. In exchange for the territory, the U.S. pledged $4,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|4000|1818|r=-3}}}} in today's dollars) and an annual payment of $1,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|1000|1818|r=-3}}}} in today's dollars).<ref>{{ Cite encyclopedia |title= Quapaw |first=Joseph |last=Key |date=January 18, 2023 |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/quapaw-550/ |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas]] |publisher=[[Butler Center for Arkansas Studies]] at the [[Central Arkansas Library System]] |access-date= February 1, 2023 }}</ref> A transcription error in Congress later removed most of [[Grant County, Arkansas]] and part of [[Saline County, Arkansas]] from the Quapaw claim.<ref>{{harvp|"Lancaster"|1989|p= 41}}.</ref>

[[File:Quapaw mocs 1900 okla.jpg|thumb|left|Quapaw men's beaded moccasins, {{circa|1900|lk=yes}}. [[Oklahoma History Center]].]]

Under continued U.S. pressure, in 1824 they ceded this also, excepting {{convert|80|acre|m2}} occupied by the chief [[Saracen (Quapaw chief)|Saracen]] below [[Pine Bluff, Arkansas|Pine Bluff]]. They expected to incorporate with the [[Caddo]] of [[Louisiana]], but were refused permission by the United States. Successive floods in the Caddo country near the Red River pushed many of the tribe toward starvation, and they wandered back to their old homes.

''Sarrasin'' (alternate spelling Saracen), their last chief before the removal, was a [[Roman Catholic]] and friend of the [[Lazarists|Lazarist]] missionaries (Congregation of the Missions), who had arrived in 1818. He died about 1830 and is buried adjoining St. Joseph's Church, Pine Bluff. A a memorial window in the church preserves his name. Fr. John M. Odin was the pioneer Lazarist missionary among the Quapaw; he later served as the Catholic Archbishop of New Orleans.

In 1834, under another treaty and the federal policy of [[Indian Removal]], the Quapaw were removed from the Mississippi valley areas to their present location in the northeast corner of Oklahoma, then [[Indian Territory]].

In 1824, the Jesuits of [[Maryland]], under Father Charles Van Quickenborne, took up work among the native and migrant tribes of [[Indian Territory]] (present-day [[Kansas]] and Oklahoma). In 1846, the Mission of [[Francis Xavier|St. Francis]] was established among the Osage, on [[Neosho River]], by Fathers John Shoenmakers and John Bax. They extended their services to the Quapaw for some years.

=== 20th century ===
The Quapaw, together with other nearby tribes, the [[Miami (tribe)|Miami]], [[Seneca (tribe)|Seneca]], [[Wyandot people|Wyandot]] and [[Ottawa (tribe)|Ottawa]], were served from the Mission of "Saint Mary of the Quapaws", at [[Quapaw, Oklahoma]]. Historians estimated their number at European encounter as 5000. The ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' noted the people had suffered from high fatalities due to epidemics, wars, removals, and social disruption. It documented their numbers as 3200 in 1687, 1600 in 1750, 476 in 1843, and 307 in 1910, including people of [[Multiracial people|mixed-race]].

The following passages are taken from the public domain ''Catholic Encyclopedia'', written early in the 20th century. It describes the Quapaw from the non-native perspective of that time.

[[File:Peter Clabber, Principal Chief of Quapaws - NARA - 251688.jpg|thumb|Peter Clabber, Principal Chief of Quapaws, 1905. [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]].]]

<blockquote>A tribe now nearly extinct, but formerly one of the most important of the lower [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] region, occupying several villages about the mouth of the [[Arkansas River|Arkansas]], chiefly on the west ([[Arkansas]]) side, with one or two at various periods on the east ([[Mississippi]]) side of the Mississippi, and claiming the whole of the Arkansas River region up to the border of the territory held by the [[Osage Nation|Osage]] in the north-western part of the state. They are of [[Dhegiha language|Siouan]] linguistic stock, speaking the same language, spoken also with dialectic variants, by the Osage and Kansa ([[Kaw (tribe)|Kaw]]) in the south and by the [[Omaha (tribe)|Omaha]] and [[Ponca]] in [[Nebraska]]. Their name properly is ''Ogaxpa'', which signifies "down-stream people", as distinguished from ''Umahan'' or Omaha, "up-stream people". To the [[Illinois (tribe)|Illinois]] and other [[Algonquian peoples|Algonquian]] tribes, they were known as 'Akansea', whence their French names of ''Akensas'' and ''Akansas''. According to concurrent tradition of the cognate tribes, the Quapaw and their kinsmen originally lived far east, possibly beyond the [[Allegheny Mountains|Alleghenies]], and, pushing gradually westward, descended the [[Ohio River]] – hence called by the Illinois the "river of the Akansea" – to its junction with the Mississippi, whence the Quapaw, then including the [[Osage Nation|Osage]] and [[Kaw (tribe)|Kansa]], descended to the mouth of the Arkansas, while the [[Omaha]], with the [[Ponca]], went up the [[Missouri River|Missouri]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mooney |first1=James |title=Quapaw Indians |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12591b.htm |access-date=23 July 2022 |work=[[The Catholic Encyclopedia]] |publisher=[[New Advent]] |date=1911}}</ref></blockquote>

== Government ==
The Town of [[Quapaw, Oklahoma|Quapaw]], Oklahoma serves as the [[Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area|tribal]] [[Capital city|capital]] of the Quapaw Nation, which has a {{convert|13000|acre|km2|adj=on}} [[tribal jurisdictional area]]. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nondoc.com/2021/10/22/court-affirms-existence-of-quapaw-nation-reservation/|title=Court affirms existence of Quapaw Nation Reservation|first=David|last=Bartle|date=October 22, 2021}}</ref>

The Quapaw people elect a tribal council and the tribal chairman, who serves a two-year term. The governing body of the tribe is outlined in the governing resolutions of the tribe, which were voted upon and approved in 1956 to create a written form of government. (Prior to 1956 the Quapaw Tribe operated on a chief system).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.quapawtribe.com/index.aspx?nid=450|title="Quapaw Tribe Governing Resolutions."}}</ref> The Chairman is Wena Supernaw.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.quapawnation.com/91/Business-Committee | title=Business Committee &#124; Quapaw Tribe, OK - Official Website }}</ref>  The Fourth of July weekend is also when the tribe convenes the annual general council meeting, during which important decisions regarding the policies and resolutions of the Quapaw tribe are voted upon by tribal members over the age of eighteen.

The tribe operates a Tribal Court, Tribal Police Department and a Fire Department. The tribe also operates the Quapaw Emergency Operations Center (EOC) which handles both all fire and [[Emergency medical services|EMS]] calls within the reservation, and within Ottawa County.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/oklahoma/quapaw-nation-and-ottawa-county-leaders-open-new-emergency-operation-center/|title=Quapaw Nation and Ottawa County leaders open new emergency operation center}}</ref> The Quapaw Nation Marshal Service has also cross deputized with many local entities, including Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Miami Police, Miami Tribe, Commerce Police, Quapaw Police, and Grand River Dam Authority. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/local/quapaw-nation-set-to-cross-deputize-local-law-enforcement-officers/|title=Quapaw Nation set to cross deputize local law enforcement officers}}</ref>

The tribe issues their own [[tribal vehicle tags]] for tribal members, and governmental vehicles. They also have their own housing authority, and tribal cemetery .<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/20120512000000/http://www.ok.gov/oiac/documents/2011.FINAL.WEB.pdf |date=12 May 2012 }}, Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission, 2011: 30. Retrieved 28 Jan 2012.</ref>

== Economy ==
The tribe owns two smoke shops and motor fuel outlets, known as the Quapaw C-Store and Downstream Q-Store.<ref>[https://www.quapawtribe.com/index.aspx?NID=35 "Quapaw Businesses."], Quapaw tribal website, 2013 (retrieved 8 February 2013)</ref> They also own and operate the Eagle Creek Golf Course and resort, located in [[Loma Linda, Missouri]].<ref>[http://www.downstreamcasino.com/Golf.aspx "Golf"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130128073956/http://www.downstreamcasino.com/Golf.aspx |date=28 January 2013 }}, Downstream Casino Resort website, 2013 (retrieved 8 February 2013)</ref>

Their primary economic drivers have been their gaming casinos, established under federal and state law. The first two are both located in Quapaw: the Quapaw Casino and the Downstream Casino Resort. These have generated most of the revenue for the tribe, which they have used to support welfare, health and education of their members.<ref>[http://www.downstreamcasino.com/About_Directions.aspx "Directions."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100827180215/http://www.downstreamcasino.com/About_Directions.aspx |date=27 August 2010 }} ''Downstream Casino Resort.'' 2008 (retrieved 12 August 2010)</ref><ref name="impact"/> In 2012 the Quapaw Tribe's annual economic impact in the region was measured at more than $225,000,000.<ref name="impact">[http://www.neoshodailynews.com/article/20130119/NEWS/130118567#art-tit "Casino Pumps 1 Billion: Downstream Casino Economic Impact"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000052/http://www.neoshodailynews.com/article/20130119/NEWS/130118567#art-tit |date=March 4, 2016 }}, ''Neosho Daily News'', 19 January 2013 (retrieved 8 February 2013)</ref>

In 2020 they completed a third casino, [[Saracen Casino Resort]], located in [[Pine Bluff, Arkansas]]. It was the first purpose-built casino in the state. Constructed at a cost of $350 million, it will employ over 1,100 full-time staff.<ref>{{cite news | date = October 20, 2020 | title = Quapaw Nation Cuts Ribbon on Casino Resort | url = https://www.kark.com/news/local-news/quapaw-nation-cuts-ribbon-on-casino-resort/ | work = KARK.com}}</ref>

The Quapaw Nation was also the first tribal nation in the United States to open and operate a USDA certified meat processing plant located on tribal territory, owned and operated by a tribal nation.<ref>{{cite news | date = November 7, 2019| title = An Enriching Agriculture Collaboration with Native Americans | url = https://news.missouristate.edu/2019/11/07/quapaw/#:~:text=The%20Quapaw%20Nation%20Meat%20Processing,a%20tribe%20owns%20and%20operates. | work = missouristate.edu/}}</ref>

In the 20th century, the Quapaw leased some of their lands to European Americans, who developed them for industrial purposes. Before passage of environmental laws, toxic waste was deposited that has created long-term hazards. For instance, the [[Tar Creek Superfund site]] has been listed by the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] as requiring clean-up of environmental hazards. The Quapaw Nation took over cleanup of this superfund site in October of 2023, when it would become the first tribal nation in the united states to lead remedial operations at a property on a superfund site.<ref>{{cite news | date = April 19, 2024| title = Celebrating 10 years of Tribe's Cleanup Partnership at Tar Creek Superfund Site | url = https://www.epa.gov/mo/celebrating-10-years-tribes-cleanup-partnership-tar-creek-superfund-site | work = epa.gov/}}</ref>

== Demographics ==

=== Population ===
The Quapaw Nation has over 6,000 enrolled tribal members.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/oklahoma/quapaw-tribe-deannounces-protrayl-of-tribe-in-tulsa-king-television-show/|title="Quapaw Nation denounces portrayal of tribe in "Tulsa King" television show"}}</ref> Approximately 1,000 live in the state of Oklahoma. Many tribal members live on the reservation, on family allotments, and in the towns of [[Quapaw, Oklahoma]], and in [[Commerce, Oklahoma]]. A number of tribal members live in [[Miami, Oklahoma]] which is located just off the Quapaw reservation, on land that originally belonged to the Quapaw Nation before the Treaty of 1867. There are also a number of tribal members who live further away in Oklahoma, particularly in [[Tulsa]] and [[Oklahoma City]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tcc/Tribes/plns_Quapaw|title=Tribes: Quapaw Nation - Tribes & Climate Change}}</ref> Many of the tribal members who live in those cities are often there because of their family seeking opportunities for employment and education, a process sometimes called [[urbanization]].

Besides those living in Oklahoma, a significant number of tribal members live in nearby cities in Kansas and Missouri, with [[Baxter Springs]] and [[Joplin, Missouri|Joplin]] being especially close to the Quapaw reservation. A number of tribal members  also live in urban areas such as [[Chicago]] and in [[southern California]] as a result of the [[Indian Relocation Act of 1956]] also known as Public law 959. Membership in the tribe is based on lineal descent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.quapawtribe.com/FAQ.aspx?QID=73|title=FAQs • How do I enroll in the Quapaw Tribe?|website=www.quapawtribe.com}}</ref>

== Culture and society ==
The Quapaw people maintain traditions and culture which are present in all stages of life. The Quapaw people, culture, language, and land are all primarily centered today in Quapaw, OK. Native American people such as the Quapaw often view all four of these items as being interconnected and non-separable. Many Quapaw families carry on traditions which connect them to the countless generations of Quapaw who came before. In order to maintain and promote their way of life, some of these traditions take place in community events, and there are community classes and services which are offered by community members and by branches of the tribal government as well.

===Tribal events and gatherings===
The Quapaw people's primary annual event is a dance which is held during the Fourth of July weekend. This powwow was organized shortly after the [[American Civil War]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Baird|first=David|title=The Quapaw People|year=1975|publisher=Indian Tribal Series}}</ref> It began as an annual gathering of local tribes with the Quapaw who had finally received rations. It continued as a traditional Quapaw dance and gathering hosted by various tribal families throughout the years. It was eventually hosted and funded by the Devils Promenade Indian Club. Ultimately the Quapaw Nation government would fund the gathering, and it is currently ran by an individual who is elected by the Quapaw people for their ability to organize the event, which includes traditional camping, gathering, and also features a large contest powwow which attracts participants from other tribes. 2022 was the 150th anniversary of this dance happening annually in the same general location.<ref>[http://quapawtribe.com/index.aspx?nid=88 "Powwows."], Tribal website. 2011 (retrieved 10 September 2011)</ref><ref name="auto3">[https://showmetheozarks.com/2022/06/25/150th-annual-quapaw-powwow-combines-history-celebrations/ "150th Annual Quapaw Powwow."], 2022 (retrieved October 29, 2024)</ref> Common features of this [[Pow wow|powwow]] include [[gourd dance]], war dance, [[stomp dance]], and 49s. Other activities take place such as traditional Quapaw games including Indian football, [[handgame]], traditional Quapaw footraces, Quapaw traditional dinners, [[turkey dance]], Indian Dice, and other dances such as Quapaw Dance, and dances from other area tribes.

The Quapaw Nation also hosts additional events throughout the year, one of the largest events besides the annual powwow is the Quapaw Fall Gathering. This gathering began in 2020 as a way to have a social distanced annual gathering, as the July 4th event had been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Following this it has grown into an annual social event for the Quapaw people featuring historical and cultural discussions, as well as traditional games, and traditional foods. In 2024, the Quapaw Nation Culture Division in partnership with the Arkansas State Archives was able to feature a display of the 1824 Quapaw Treaty with the United States, on the 200th anniversary of the signing of this treaty.  In addition to the treaty viewing, the event also featured a speeches, Quapaw Jeopardy, a Quapaw Nation Art Competition, a 5k and fun run, and a traditional Quapaw foot race, hand game, food, and dice game. <ref name="auto3"/><ref>[https://quapawtribe.com/Calendar.aspx?EID=3922 "Quapaw Nation Fall Gathering"], Quapaw Nation Calendar. 2024 (retrieved 29 October, 2024)</ref>

===Cultural classes===
The Quapaw host cultural events throughout the year, which are primarily held at the tribal museum. These include Indian dice games, traditional singing, and classes in traditional arts, such as finger weaving, shawl making, and flute making. In addition, Quapaw language classes are held there.<ref>[http://quapawtribe.com/calendar.aspx?CID=14& "Calendar"], Quapaw Tribe Website, 2008 (retrieved 12 August 2010)</ref> The Quapaw Nation also hosts also efforts to maintain their culture. A significant manner of engaging Quapaw youth is the Camp Quapaw, an annual summer program that brings together Quapaw youth and other area community members. <ref>[https://www.quapawtribe.com/Calendar.aspx?EID=3790&month=7&year=2024&day=4&calType=0 "Calendar"], Quapaw Nation Website, 2024 (retrieved 29 October 2024)</ref>

=== Language ===
{{Main|Quapaw language}}
The traditional [[Quapaw language]] is part of the [[Dhegihan|Dhegiha]] branch of the [[Siouan languages|Siouan language family]]. Quapaw was well documented in fieldnotes and publications from many individuals, including [[George Izard]] in 1827, Lewis F. Hadley in 1882, 19th-century [[linguist]] [[James Owen Dorsey]], Frank T. Siebert in 1940, and linguist Robert Rankin in the 1970s. In the 21st century, there are few remaining native speakers.<ref>[http://www.quapawtribalancestry.com/quapawhistoricalwrittenworks.htm Quapaw Historical Written Works], Quapaw Tribal Ancestry</ref> In the early 20th century, an account noted that the [[Dhegiha language]], a branch of Siouan including the "dialects" of the Omaha, Ponca, Osage, Kansa, and Quapaw, has received more extended study. Rev. J.O. Dorsey published material about it under the auspices of the [[Bureau of American Ethnology]], now part of the [[Smithsonian Institution]].<ref>Pilling, ''Siouan Bibliography''</ref>

Other efforts at language preservation and revitalization are being undertaken. In 2011 the Quapaw participated in the first annual Dhegiha Gathering. The [[Osage language]] program hosted and organized the gathering, held at the Quapaw tribe's Downstream Casino. Language-learning techniques and other issues were discussed and taught in workshops at the conference among the five cognate tribes.<ref>[http://www.osagetribe.com/language/welcome_sub_page.aspx?subpage_id=9 "Dhegiha Gathering"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119183740/http://www.osagetribe.com/language/welcome_sub_page.aspx?subpage_id=9 |date=19 November 2011 }}, ''Dhegiha Gathering Article.'' 2011, Osage Tribe website (retrieved 10 September 2011)</ref> The 2012 Annual Dhegiha Gathering was also held at Downstream Casino.<ref>[http://www.quapawtribe.com/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1412 "2nd Dhegiha Gathering."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222145640/http://www.quapawtribe.com/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1412 |date=December 22, 2015 }} ''2nd Dhegiha Gathering Notice.'' 2013, Quapaw Tribe website (retrieved 8 February 2013)</ref> To revive the language, the tribe is conducting classes in Quapaw at the tribal museum.<ref>[http://quapawtribe.com/index.aspx?nid=89 "Quapaw language"], Quapaw Tribal website, 2011 (retrieved 10 September 2011)</ref> An online audio lexicon of the Quapaw language was created by editing old recordings of first language speakers speaking the language.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.quapawtribalancestry.com/quapawlanguage/index.htm|title=Quapaw Language- Quapaw Tribal Ancestry|website=www.quapawtribalancestry.com}}</ref>

In 2024 the Quapaw Nation Culture Division formed a Language Department. This resulted in the hiring of a Language Department Director and the re-initiation of community language classes and services.

== In popular culture ==
* The 2009 documentary ''[[Tar Creek (film)|Tar Creek]],'' about the [[Tar Creek Superfund Site]] located on Quapaw tribal lands, explored what at one time was considered to be the worst environmental disaster in the country. The film discusses the alleged racism of environmental and governmental practices that led to the neglect and lack of regulation that produced the hazards of this site. It is credited with causing the lead poisoning of a high percentage of children.
* In 2018, Infinite Productions produced a documentary titled ''The Pride of the Ogahpah'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGWqPx65jRM|title=The Pride Of The Ogahpah The Downstream Casino Resort Documentary|date=May 10, 2019|via=YouTube}}</ref> about the development of the Downstream Casino Resort, which is operated by The Quapaw Nation.

== Notable people ==
* [[Louis Ballard]], (Quapaw/Cherokee, 1931–2007) composer, artist, and educator
* [[Betty Gaedtke]], traditional potter<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Karen |title=Reviving an artistic tradition |url=https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2019/sep/08/reviving-an-artistic-tradition-20190908/ |access-date=28 December 2024 |work=Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette |date=8 September 2019}}</ref>
* [[Victor Griffin (Quapaw)|Victor Griffin]] ({{Circa}} 1873–1958), chief, interpreter, and peyote roadman
* [[Barbara Kyser-Collier]], tribal governmental figure
* [[Ardina Moore]] (Quapaw/Osage), language teacher, regalia maker/textile artist
* [[Saracen (Quapaw chief)|Saracen]], war chief and recipient of a presidential medal<ref>{{cite news |last=Matheson |first=Luke |date=August 13, 2019 |title=Who Was Chief Saracen of the Quapaw Tribe? |url =https://www.pbcommercial.com/news/20190813/who-was-chief-saracen-of-quapaw-tribe |work=Pine Bluff Commercial}}</ref>
* [[Tall Chief]] ({{circa}} 1840–1918), chief, peyote roadman
* [[Guy Barker (politician)]] Quapaw-American Politician
* [[Joseph Tali Byrd]] Quapaw-Cherokee Politician

== See also ==<!-- EDITORS NOTE: This section should primarily contain lists linked to the main article which are directly related to the ethnic group. Thank you. -->
* [[Mitchigamea]]
* [[Quapaw Indian Agency]]
* [[USS Quapaw|USS ''Quapaw'' (AT-110)]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Quapaw}}
{{AmCyc Poster|Arkansas (tribe)|Quapaw}}
<!--
  ===============================================================================
   WIKIPEDIA IS NOT A COLLECTION OF LINKS. Only a limited number of new links
   should be added to this article. PLEASE DO NOT ADD external links to sites with
   information already in the article or in its sources.

See [[Wikipedia:External links]] and [[Wikipedia:Spam]] for further details
  ===============================================================================
-->
*{{official website}}
*[http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/quapaw/quapawhist.htm Quapaw Indian Tribe History] at [[Access Genealogy]]
*[http://www.quapawtribalancestry.com/quapawlanguage/index.htm Quapaw Language], official tribal sanctioned site with language information, words, audio clips, and source information
*[http://www.quapawtribalancestry.com/ Quapaw Tribal Ancestry], official tribal sanctioned site with genealogy information, pictures, and stories
<!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please follow the [[WP:EL]] guideline where possible and consider discussing on the talk page. Thank you. -->

{{Native American Tribes in Oklahoma}}
{{Portal bar|Arkansas|Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Oklahoma}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quapaw}}
[[Category:Quapaw| ]]
[[Category:American Indian reservations in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Dhegiha Siouan peoples]]
[[Category:Federally recognized tribes in the United States]]
[[Category:Native American tribes in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Native American tribes in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Arkansas placenames of Native American origin]]
[[Category:Oklahoma placenames of Native American origin]]