Welcome to the official website of the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma!
The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma is the center of a Sovereign Nation with inherent powers of self-government recognized as such by treaties and legislation located in Perkins, OK. In the Iowa language, we call ourselves Baxoje (Bah Kho-je), meaning “People of the Grey Snow”. The story of our name has been handed down from generation to generation. It was told that at one time the Iowa Tribe was ‘1100’ strong, meaning the warriors or men numbered that many. When men had to leave our village, upon their return, they looked down from a rise and they saw that our village had been burned. At this point, we had lost some of the translation to the story – it could have been another tribe or others that had burned it. But it appeared as though the village was covered with “Grey Snow, ” even though the winter season was not upon us. For you see, the ashes had settled over the village site and all that was visible to the warriors were the burned remnants of what used to be our homes. Other versions of this story have been printed, but this is the one that we have been told.
The Iowas lived for the majority of its recorded history in what is now the state of Iowa, therefore, the state of Iowa takes its name after the Ioway people. Also, our language is of the Chiwere dialect of the Sioux Nation. We began as a Woodland culture, but because of the migration to the south and west, we began to pick up elements of the Plains Culture. In the earliest historical period of 1600, the Ioways (descendants of the Oneota), were in the area of the Red Pipestone Quarry in southwestern Minnesota. In 1730 they were found living in villages in the Lake Okoboji and Spirit Lake Region of Northwest Iowa. They moved south to the vicinity of Council Bluffs, Iowa. In the middle of the 18th century, part of them moved up along the Des Moines River. The remainder established themselves on the Grand and Platte Rivers in Missouri. In treaties, they ceded their claims to lands in Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. The Treaty of 1836 assigned part of them to a reservation along the Great Nemaha River in Nebraska and Kansas. Later, some of the Ioways were moved to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. The original Iowa Reservation in Oklahoma was established by Executive Order dated August 15, 1883. The Iowa Nation is now divided into two tribes: The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma located in Perkins, Oklahoma; and the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska – their tribal headquarters are located in Whitecloud, Kansas.
The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma is complete with its own constitution and bylaws. There are many aspects of the Tribal Government, all necessary to ensure the best for our tribal community and members. As of today, we have over 800 members enrolled within the tribe and a jurisdictional area covering all or parts of Payne, Oklahoma, Lincoln, and Logan counties. We are also the largest employer in the area with over 160 employees in several different departments, including Administration, Accounting departments for the various Tribal Enterprises (including three casinos spread throughout our jurisdiction), and a tribally-operated Police and Fire Department.
Mission of the Iowa Nation: “To improve the economic and social quality of life, for our tribal members and the adjacent communities.”
Iowa Tribal Headquarters is located 3 miles South of Perkins, Oklahoma & one half mile West of US highway 177. For more information, call us at (405) 547-2402.
335588 E. 750 Road • Perkins, OK 74059 • 405-547-2402 or 800-336-IOWA
NEW — Press Release May 4, 2023 Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma Selects Caesars Entertainment as Management Partner
Scholarship Press Release: Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma Tribal Members Eligible for Increased Scholarship Funding
Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma Request for Proposal
Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma Library Receives Funds Through the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF)
UPCOMING EVENTS
March 1, 2023 11AM-1PM | Perkins Family Clinic Elder’s Health Fair at WhiteCloud Building
March 10, 2023 10AM- 2PM | Blood Drive at PFC Community Health
March 14, 2023 4PM-5PM | Higher Education – Talking Circle Digital Technology
March 15, 2023 10AM-Noon | Higher Education & Citizen Potawatomi Nation – Did You Know Event at ITO Library
March 31, 2023 3PM-4:30PM | ITO Library Vegetable and Flower Seed pick up
April 5, 2023 3PM-4:30PM | Peter Cottontail at ITO Library
April 7, 2023 | ITO Tribal Offices closed for Good Friday
April 21, 2023 10AM-Noon | ITO Higher Education – Employment Head Shots at Chena Building
April 27, 2023 Noon-4PM | Perkins Family Clinic Drug Take Back Event at Community Health Building
April 28 & 29, 2023 7PM | ITO Rodeo at ITO Outdoor Event Grounds
May 11, 2023 Noon – 4PM | PFC Community Health – Blood Drive at Community Health Building
May 29, 2023 | ITO Tribal Offices closed for Memorial Day
June 15, 2023 10AM-1PM | PFC Health Fair at Chena Building
June 16, 2023 | ITO Tribal Offices closed for Ioway Day
June 16, 2023 9AM | 14th Annual Vendor Appreciation Golf Tournament at Cimarron Trails
June 16-18, 2023 | Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma Annual Powwow
June 16, 2023 | ITO Tribal Offices closed for Junteenth
July 4, 2023 | ITO Tribal Offices closed for Independence Day
November 15, 2023 1-AM-2PM | ITO Higher Education College Fair at Chena Building
March 7, 2022 Noon | Monthly Meeting in Court Room
April 4, 2022 Noon | Monthly Meeting in Court Room
May 2, 2022 Noon | Monthly Meeting in Court Room
June 6, 2022 Noon | Monthly Meeting in Court Room
July 4, 2022 Noon | Monthly Meeting in Court Room (date subject to change)
August 1, 2022 Noon | Monthly Meeting in Court Room
September 5, 2022 Noon | Monthly Meeting in Court Room
October 3, 2022 Noon | Monthly Meeting in Court Room
November 7, 2022 Noon | Monthly Meeting in Court Room
December 5, 2022 Noon | Monthly Meeting in Court Room
March 1, 2023 11AM – 1PM | Elders Health Fair at WhiteCloud Building
March 16, 2023 10AM-1PM | Ioway Casino Day
March 24, 2023 10AM-1PM | Cimarron Casino Day
April 20, 2023 11AM-2PM | Ioway Casino Day
April 28, 2023 10AM-1PM | Cimarron Casino Day
March 18, 2022 | Monthly Meeting at Chena Building
April 15, 2022 | Monthly Meeting at Chena Building
May 20, 2022 | Monthly Meeting at Chena Building
June 17, 2022 | Monthly Meeting at Chena Building
July 15, 2022 | Monthly Meeting at Chena Building
August 19, 2022 | Monthly Meeting at Chena Building
September 16, 2022 | Monthly Meeting at Chena Building
October 21, 2022 | Monthly Meeting at Chena Building
November 18, 2022 | Monthly Meeting at Chena Building
December 16, 2022 | Monthly Meeting at Chena Building
Vendor Permit Application PowWow