About the Omaha People
Birth of the
OmahaFrom the forests and
rivers of the Ohio valley the Omaha entered the prairies and
creeks of Northern Iowa. After traveling for many years,
knowledgeable elders and leaders realized that something was
needed to keep the people together in the face of aggressive
enemies.
While the council met to
consider how to conduct themselves in the future, a young
man lost his way. He saw a magnificent tree. The tree was
prepared and brought to the Omaha village as the sacred
pole. It became the symbol of Omaha Unity.
MigrationThe ancestors of the
Omaha, Ponca, Osage, Kansas, and Quapaw tribes lived
together in the Ohio valley 400-700 years ago. They migrated
west to the Mississippi where the group began to separate.
The Quapaw turned downstream and became known as the
"Downstream People." The rest headed north. The Omaha now
call themselves "Umonhon," or
"Upstream People."
Omaha culture constantly
changes and adapts to new circumstances. The culture
maintains a balance between tradition and change. Tradition
are renewed creatively in response to new
circumstances.
ReservationUnder pressure form the
government, the Omaha were forced onto a reservation in
1836. The annual buffalo hunt was abandoned in 1875.
Dramatic changes followed. The camp circle and village life
were forsaken. Only seven years later new federal laws ended
communal ownership. The Omaha became individual land owners.
Land was rented or sold at a fraction of its
value.
Shrinking
Reservation LandThe government and the
Presbyterian mission school tried to strip the Omaha of
their personal and cultural identify. In the mission school,
children were forced to speak English and wear American
clothing. Even their names were changed to American names
like George Washington and William T. Sherman.
RebirthThe Omaha rebirth began
in the 1880s. Some Omaha sought to preserve sacred articles
in museums, and to record music, history, legends, and
myths. Others chose to be buried with their sacred objects
and traditional knowledge. Certain objects were stolen for
museums and private collections.
The "HE' DEWACI" is a
time set aside to be thankful that we are able to survive
for one more year because of the harvest of corn, melons,
and squash. The buffalo hunt has been
good. People are content for one more year. Everyone comes
together to be thankful and to thank God as a pitiful
people, who can go for one more year. This is a time for
people to get together as a family. -An Omaha Grandmother
Cultural
RevivalThere is a renewed
interest in Omaha language, songs, spiritual practices,
history, legend, arts, crafts, and games. Elders teach Omaha
tradition in the reservation schools. The Native American
church holds regular services.
Traditional arts and
crafts are taught at the Omaha reservation campus, of the
Nebraska Indian Community College. Omaha drum groups play at
social gatherings.
Copyright 2008 Umonhon Nation Public School
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