The administrative offices of the Sac and Fox Nation are located on South Highway 99, about seven miles south of the town of Stroud. The Nation consists of all or part of the counties of Payne, Pottawatomie and Lincoln. The Sac and Fox Nation is a self-sufficient entity which controls its education, gaming, child care, judicial, environmental and other governmental areas. They operate a casino near the entrance to this administrative area.
[Excerpt from Sac and Fox website] "The Sac and Fox Nation is organized under the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act, which authorized the adoption of a tribal constitution, by-laws, and a Business Committee. This governing body consists of five elected officials, each serving four year terms: Principal Chief, Second Chief, Secretary, Treasurer, and Committee Member.
"Elections are held the last Saturday in August. Election for the Principal Chief, Second Chief, Secretary, Treasurer, Committee Member and Grievance Committee are all elected in odd-numbered years."
A famous Tribe member known to everyone was Jim Thorpe, one of the most famous and prestigious athletes in American history. Born in 1887, his Tribal name was Wa-Tho-Huk "Bright Path". And a bright path he had. He was the first Native American to win an Olympic Gold Medal, which he received in 1912. He played professional football, baseball and basketball. Thorpe died in 1953 but his name will live on forever.
This quotation from the Sac and Fox website addresses the origins and the ongoing issues between the U.S. and the Tribal sovereignty: "Originally, the Sac and Fox were governed by a clan system. Clans which continue are: Fish, Ocean, Thunder, Bear, Fox, Bear Potato, Deer, Beaver, Snow and Wolf. This traditional manner of selecting chiefs and governing themselves was forcibly replaced by United States appointees and an constitution patterned after the American form.
"Sac and Fox governments, traditional and new, have been challenged with threats to the sovereignty of the Nation over lands, resources, and the people's welfare. In 1832 Black Hawk defended the peoples' right to their homeland. Keokuk complied with U.S. demands to move "west of the Missouri Territory". In 1869 the Mokohoko Band led by Chief Pashepaho fought to remain in Kansas until the late 1880's.
"Recent tribal leadership has defended the right of the Sac and Fox Nation to tax businesses, issue license plates, protect sovereign control over lands, resources, and govern according to Sac and Fox modern law. Each generation is presented with new challenges to insure the best interest of future generations."
The Wikipedia website gives a detailed history of the Tribe and its changing lands over the years. Sac and Fox