before 1854 when the kansas-nebraska act opened up the territory for settlement, there were people living there. among these were several tribes of native americans. these included the plains indian tribes of the kansas, the osage and the pawnee people. they lived and moved throughout what is now the state of kansas. in the 1830s about 20 tribes living east of the mississippi river were relocated west of missouri. by 1854 most of these tribes had been forced to give up these land to the federal government and move into what is now oklahoma.