Location: Northeast Nebraska
History: The Omaha probably migrated to Nebraska from the east near the Appalachian mountains. They were part of a larger group that split into separate tribes that share many similarities. Their language and traditions are very similar.
Language: Dhe'giha or The'giha (part of the Siouan family)
Daily Life: Agriculture and hunting were important parts of Omaha life. Both the men and women participated in agricultural activities. Ownership of a garden plot was recognized as long as the plot was being cultivated. Corn, beans, squash and melons were grown. Corn, squash and beans were grown in the same plot. Corn and squash were planted in alternating mounds that were two to three feet apart. The beans were planted among the corn and climbed the corn. Or, if there was enough room beans were grown in a separate garden that used willow poles as supports for the beans. The gardens were planted in spring and hoed twice in the early stages of growth. For the rest of summer, the gardens weren't tended as often as the people left for the annual buffalo hunt.
Men hunted many animals such as deer, buffalo, antelope and elk. The annual buffalo hunt was conducted in the summer months and provided the majority of the meat used by the Omaha. Everyone left the villages to participate in the annual buffalo hunt except for the very old. Aside from meat, hunting provided the people with furs that were used for clothing, moccasins, tent covers, robes and bedding. Bones were used as implements.
Duties among the men included hunting and warfare obligations, while women dressed skins, fashioned and sewed garments, embroidered and cooked. The people lived in earth lodges and teepees in villages. During the annual buffalo hunt, the teepees were packed and taken along to live in during the hunt.
Best Known Features: Some unique characteristics of the Omaha were that they had a sacred pole that would go with them from village to village. The Omaha are also the only Native American tribe left in Nebraska that were there before white people arrived.
Dorsey, Rev. J. Owen. Omaha Sociology. New York. Johnson Reprint Corporation. 1970.
Fletcher, Alice C. and La Flesche, Francis. The Omaha Tribe. New York. Johnson Reprint Corporation. 1970.
Fortune, R.F. Omaha Secret Societies. New York. AMS Press. 1932
Written by: Sally Lynch