A new bill that would legally transfer ownership of the Shawnee Indian Mission site in Fairway to the Shawnee Tribe has been introduced in the Kansas Statehouse — this time with the backing of other Native American tribes in Kansas.
House Bill 2384 is similar to a bill introduced two years ago. It aims to transfer ownership, or “convey” in the bill’s parlance, of the historic site just off Shawnee Mission Parkway from the state of Kansas to the Shawnee.
This new bill specifies that if the land is transferred to the tribe, then it will not be used for a casino. The Shawnee would also be required to consult with the four other federally recognized tribes in Kansas on rehabilitation at the site.
State Rep. Tom Kessler, a Republican from Sedgwick County who is also the chair of the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs, which will conduct a hearing on the bill this week, emailed the Post to say that the four federally recognized tribes in Kansas “signed a joint resolution supporting the transfer of the property to the Shawnee Tribe,” which is based in Oklahoma.
Those Kansas-based tribes include the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska and the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska.
In 2023, then-Rep. Adam Thomas, a Johnson County Republican who is now a state senator, introduced a similar bill to transfer the mission’s ownership.
That bill gained little traction in the state legislature over its two-year lifespan, getting as far as a hearing before a legislative committee in 2024.
Last year, the Shawnee Tribe and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation supported the conveyance of the Shawnee Indian Mission to the tribe.
The city of Fairway, the Shawnee Indian Mission Foundation, the Kansas State Historical Society and the Kaw Nation — the original inhabitants of the land that is now the Shawnee Indian Mission — all opposed conveying the land to the Shawnee.
Last month, the city, state historical society and the foundation all entered a nearly 10-year management agreement for running the Shawnee Indian Mission site.
The bill in 2023 was introduced after a rift grew between the Shawnee Tribe and the city over ongoing ownership of the mission.
Bills with the same goal were introduced in 2023
In 2023, Thomas, at that time a state representative from Olathe, introduced a bill to the Kansas House that aimed to convey the land to the Shawnee Tribe.
The bill also clarified that the tribe needed to abide by state and federal historic preservation laws, which the tribe has previously said meant the land would not become a casino under tribal ownership.
After falling short in 2023, the bill came back before lawmakers in 2024.
During a January 2024 hearing, testimony turned personal at times between Fairway city officials and Shawnee Tribe leaders.
Shawnee Tribe Chief Ben Barnes said during that 2024 hearing that “the truth is that the site is in peril,” and the bill will allow the tribe to “save” the Shawnee Indian Mission.
A tribe-commissioned report conducted more than three years ago by California-based Architectural Resources Group, a firm specializing in historic preservation, found the need for roof replacements and foundation repointing at all three of the mission’s remaining buildings. The report also found that the West Building was “uninhabitable and in need of extensive repair.”
Previously, city officials have pushed back on statements that the site is in “distress,” noting that the site has been preserved to the highest standards by the state.
Fairway Mayor Melanie Hepperly during the same 2024 hearing said that she is “not convinced the Mission will continue to operate in sharing its history with the public” under ownership of the Shawnee Tribe.
In a January 2023 city newsletter emailed to the public, the city raised concerns about local governments losing a stake in how the tribe uses the land if its ownership is transferred to the tribe, “whether it be for historic preservation, housing, economic development or even a casino.”
Barnes has refuted the idea that the tribe would use the land for economic development purposes, such as a casino.
An ‘urgent need for rehabilitation,’ tribe says
Previously, Barnes has been vocal about concerns that the Shawnee Indian Mission site is in disrepair without a clear plan to restore it.
In 2023, the Shawnee Tribe committed to a $15 million “Save the Shawnee Indian Mission” multi-year plan that called for repairing the current buildings on the site and for new exhibits, displays and other additions.
Now, HB 2384 — like the bill from 2023 — calls for the state to transfer ownership of the Shawnee Indian Mission to the Shawnee Tribe, with the tribe “to pay all costs related to the conveyance.”
Maggie Boyett, chief communication officer for the Shawnee Tribe, told the Post via email that the 2025 bill “is substantially the same text” as the previous one.
“We’re excited about its reintroduction and tribal leadership looks forward to discussing our plan to preserve and improve the site with committee members on Tuesday,” Boyett told the Post. “It’s inspiring to see a growing recognition of the site’s urgent need for rehabilitation and growing support for the Shawnee Tribe’s vision to do so.”
This bill, like the 2023 bill, also explicitly states that the mission site and surrounding land, which abuts residential neighborhoods, a Catholic parish and Bishop Miege High School, “shall not be used as a casino or other gaming facility.”
A new clause in the bill, different from the 2023 bill, states that regarding rehabilitation of the land, the Shawnee Tribe will “engage in formal consultations” with the four federally recognized tribes who had children attend the manual labor school in the 1800s.
Another new clause in the 2025 bill states that over 10 years, the tribe will update the state-tribal relations committee every two years on property rehabilitation and management. The state-tribal relations committee is listed as an “on-call” committee in the legislature, and Kessler is one of the lawmakers on that committee for the current session.
Read HB 2384 in its entirety in the embedded document below.
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Open in new tab Fairway, others want land to stay in state’s hands
Fairway and other opponents are concerned that the site’s history, which includes the Shawnee Indian Manual Labor school as well as the “Bleeding Kansas” era, would be in jeopardy if it is conveyed to the tribe.
The city sent a newsletter last week alerting residents to the upcoming legislative hearing on the new bill, urging them to email testimony in opposition to the conveyance effort to lawmakers.
“If the Kansas Legislature gives the site away, they are giving away educational opportunities for generations to come,” the newsletter said.
The city said it’s also concerned about “future use of the land,” because “Chief Barnes and the Shawnee Tribe cannot commit or guarantee what tribal leaders, now or in the future, will decide what to do with the land if it is conveyed to them.”
“There are pathways for the Shawnee Tribe to attempt to immediately or in the future claim the land as sovereign,” the newsletter said. “In doing so, both the State of Kansas and the City of Fairway could lose jurisdictional authority over how the land is used.”
When asked to comment on this story, the Kansas State Historical Society told the Post that they would share new testimony during the hearing. The city of Fairway declined further comment beyond the newsletter it sent to residents.
Next steps:
- A hearing for HB 2384 is set for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, before the House Committee for Federal and State Affairs, which includes several Johnson County lawmakers.
- A potential final action, or a vote on the bill by the committee, is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Feb. 27, according to the city’s email newsletter.
- If the bill passes out of committee it could then go before the full House of Representatives for debate and further discussion.
Keep reading Shawnee Indian Mission news: What could happen if tribe takes over Shawnee Indian Mission?
