Who Are the Omaha?
The Omaha are a Siouan-speaking people of the Great Plains, with approximately 6,000 enrolled members in the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska (federally recognized). Their name "Umoⁿhoⁿ" means "Those Who Go Against the Current" or "upstream people"—referring to their migration up the Missouri River from the Ohio Valley. They speak Omaha-Ponca, a Dhegiha Siouan language with fewer than 50 fluent speakers remaining. Traditional Omaha territory included northeastern Nebraska along the Missouri River. The Omaha lent their name to Nebraska's largest city, founded on their former lands. They are known for their sophisticated social organization and the Sacred Pole, a revered tribal symbol.
Social Organization
The Omaha developed complex social organization documented by anthropologist Alice Fletcher and Omaha collaborator Francis La Flesche in the 19th century. The tribe was divided into two moieties (halves)—Earth and Sky—each containing five clans. Social position, ceremonial duties, and marriage rules followed clan membership. The Hethu'shka (Grass Dance), Omaha in origin, spread across the Plains, influencing powwow culture continent-wide. Village layout reflected cosmic order; the Sacred Pole (Umoⁿhoⁿ'ti, "the Venerable Man") embodied tribal unity. When Fletcher took the Pole to Harvard's Peabody Museum (1888), the Omaha endured its absence for a century before securing its return.
La Flesche Family
The La Flesche family exemplifies Omaha adaptation and resistance. Joseph La Flesche (Iron Eye), last recognized chief, navigated between cultures. His children achieved remarkable things: Susette La Flesche (Bright Eyes) became a nationally known advocate for Indian rights; Susan La Flesche Picotte became the first Native American woman to earn a medical degree (1889); Francis La Flesche became an ethnographer documenting Omaha and Osage culture. These achievements came despite—and in response to—colonization. The family demonstrates how Omaha maintained identity while engaging American institutions on their own terms.
Contemporary Omaha
Modern Omaha face challenges common to reservation communities. The 30,000-acre Omaha Reservation in Nebraska's Thurston County experiences poverty, unemployment, and limited services. The tribe operates gaming facilities and various enterprises to generate revenue. The Sacred Pole's return (1989) symbolized cultural resurgence; the Hethu'shka society continues. Language revitalization works urgently with remaining speakers; the University of Nebraska has supported documentation efforts. Housing, healthcare, and education remain pressing needs. How the Omaha address economic challenges while maintaining the cultural traditions they preserved through centuries of pressure shapes this upstream people's future.
References
- Fletcher, A. C. & La Flesche, F. (1911). The Omaha Tribe (27th Annual Report, Bureau of American Ethnology)
- Ridington, R. & Hastings, D. (1997). Blessing for a Long Time: The Sacred Pole of the Omaha Tribe
- Starita, J. (1995). The Dull Knifes of Pine Ridge: A Lakota Odyssey