in 1825 the osage nation was given a reservation in eastern indian territory in what is now kansas. in the treaty of new echota, may 23, 1836, the northern border of the cherokee nation's land was set as the southern border of the osage lands. when congress passed the kansas–nebraska act on may 30, 1854, it set the southern border of the kansas territory as the 37th parallel north. it was thought at the time that the osage northern border was also the 37th parallel.