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The Remnants: Tribes Passing Through Missouri The native tribes of Missouri held their territory in the central and western part of the state until the first quarter of the nineteenth century. In spite of the fact that the Osage gave up all claims to land in the central and eastern part of the state by the treaty of 1808, they continued to use much of the area described in the treaty until Missouri became a state. The Missouri tribe had left before 1800, and by 1808 the Osage permanent villages were all west of the Osage Line drawn due south from Fort Osage (Sibley, Missouri). The Delaware and Shawnee had moved into Missouri from the northeast at the invitation of the Spanish governors of Louisiana in 1789 to serve as a deterrent and buffer between the Spanish colonies and the hostile Osage Indians. They settled on Apple Creek between Cape Girardeau and St. Louis, at a safe distance from the Osage permanent villages, approximately two hundred miles away. In the 1790's the Delaware and Shawnee were two of several tribes making raids on the Osage at the instigation of the Spanish who, until 1794, intended to destroy the Osage. The Delaware and Shawnee were the first of the transient Indians to have absolute claims on lands in what is now Missouri. One band or village of the Shawnee moved to the mouth of the Bourbeuse River and maintained a town there for several years. 
There is evidence that the Shawnee helped supply St. Louis with meat at least until the War of 1812 and continued to live in villages west of St. Louis. Some of them were on Huzzah Creek in Crawford County in 1818. During the War of 1812 there were many movements of the Indian tribes that took part in the conflict either for or against the British. Among them were the Kickapoo who were given a reservation on the Pomme de Terre and Osage rivers in Benton, Hickory, and Greene counties in 1819. The Pomme de Terre River formed the eastern boundary of the reservation, and a major village was located where the city of Springfield is now. During the same period, the Delaware were located on a reservation to the south of the Kickapoo and established a village on the James Fork of White River. The Shawnee held land east of the Delaware reservation. The Delaware and Shawnee and the Kickapoo retained their reservations until 1829 and 1832, respectively. 
23VE4 "23VE4" is a site location reference for a Little Osage Indian village located in northern Vernon County, MO. Warren Glimpse, while a high school student, worked at the site two full summers as a part of a University of Missouri archaeology team. Pictured in white shirt on knees in photo at right. 23VE4 (23 state code, VE Vernon County, and site 4) was occupied for a few years in the early 1800's, about the same time the Lewis & Clark passed on the Missouri River about 80 miles north. Glimpse's work was focused on removing 6' x 6" or 10' x 10' squares of dirt to the plough share level to locate evidence of dwellings, trowel and brush refuse pit excavation, cataloging and related activities. During this work the team located the first known Osage lodge (as determined partly by post molds). 
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