Eastern Shawnee Tribe Elects First-Ever Female Chief

SENECA, Mo. (AP) -- A Missouri woman is now the first female chief to ever lead the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.<br/><br/>Glenna Wallace was sworn in Wednesday as chief of the tribe based on the

Thursday, December 7th 2006, 10:06 am

By: News On 6

SENECA, Mo. (AP) -- A Missouri woman is now the first female chief to ever lead the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.

Glenna Wallace was sworn in Wednesday as chief of the tribe based on the Oklahoma-Missouri border. She was elected to the post in November.

The tribe traces its history to Ohio in the 1740s and is currently suing that state to reclaim land it wants to use for a casino. Wallace says the tribe wants to be recognized as a federal tribe and be restored in Ohio.

The tribe owns a 57,000-square-foot casino near its Oklahoma headquarters in Ottawa County.