- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Center for Great Plains Studies and the Otoe-Missouria Tribe will receive a three-year, $1.58 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to embark on initiatives that honor past and present Indigenous peoples in Southeast Nebraska.
The state of Nebraska gets its name from the Otoe-Missourias (two Otoe-Missouria words “Ni Brathge” meaning “water flat”, according to the tribe’s website). The tribe lived in the area—along with Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas—until the U.S. government eventually pushed them off their land and first moved tribal members onto a reservation in 1854, and then later to the state of Oklahoma, where they remain today.
Planned activities for the project include a survey of area residents, an audit of current commemorations, a lecture series on decolonizing museums slated for spring 2024, and updates to commemorative signage in area parks and roadsides, among other activities.
Otoe-Missouria Chairman John Shotton called the project “very important [in] reconnecting the Otoe-Missouria Tribe with our former homelands in Nebraska,” in a statement.
Make A Donation Here
Margaret Jacobs, Charles Mach Professor of History and director of the center, will serve as co-director and principal investigator for “Walking in the Footsteps of our Ancestors.” As a historian of Native peoples, she was working on the multimedia project “Reconciliation Rising” several years ago and was surprised to learn the history of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and its connection to Southeast Nebraska.”
Christina Faw Faw Goodson, a member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and Native language specialist with the National Indian Education Association, will co-direct the project with history professor Margaret Jacobs.
“I believe this project has the power to create lasting connections between the people and communities of Southeastern Nebraska and our Jiwere-Nut’achi people in Oklahoma and throughout the world,”Faw Faw Goodson said in a statement.
"Walking in the Footsteps of Our Ancestors: Re-Indigenizing Southeast Nebraska." This is a unique program that will bring together multiple partners to commemorate Native culture and history in the area.”
More Stories Like This
Nearly 150 Community Members Celebrate Running and Dance Medicine with the Zuni Youth Enrichment ProjectMattaponi Indian Tribe Files for Federal Recognition
Honoring Heritage in Uniform: Native American Soldier Granted Religious Accommodation to Grow Hair, Embrace Lakota Identity
ACHP Approves Landmark Exemption Allowing Native Hawaiian-Led Cultural Preservation Activities Without Federal Review
Main Street to be Renamed Pawnee Nation
Support Independent Indigenous Journalism That Holds Power to Account
With the election now decided, Native News Online is recommitting to our core mission: rigorous oversight of federal Indian policy and its impact on tribal communities.
The previous Trump administration’s record on Indian Country — from the reduction of sacred sites to aggressive energy development on tribal lands — demands heightened vigilance as we enter this new term. Our Indigenous-centered newsroom will provide unflinching coverage of policies affecting tribal sovereignty, sacred site protection, MMIR issues, water rights, Indian health, and economic sovereignty.
This critical watchdog journalism requires resources. Your support, in any amount, helps maintain our independent, Native-serving news coverage. Every contribution helps keep our news free for all of our relatives. Please donate today to ensure Native News Online can thrive and deliver impactful, independent journalism.
