Women Elders' Life Stories of the Omaha Tribe

L. Summers Wynne

Description

Eleanor Baxter, Alice Saunsoci, and Hawate (Wenona Caramony) are female elders of the Omaha Tribe in Macy, in the northeast corner of Nebraska. All three grew up on the Omaha reservation, moved away in later life, and held careers outside the reservation. Yet all returned to their community, bringing the skills they learned in the “white world” and the knowledge they gained as children from their own elders to contribute to the well-being of the Omaha people.

Eleanor Baxter was formerly the Omaha tribal chair, the first woman to serve in this capacity, and continues to be politically active; Alice Saunsoci is a language teacher at the Nebraska Indian Community College; and Hawate assists the Omaha community as an educator and language teacher. With a balanced focus on traditional culture and modern success, each of these three women guides the tribe in her own way toward a better understanding of what it means to be Omaha.

 

In this poetic account, Wynne L. Summers presents these women’s lives in their own voices, giving agency to their experiences both on and off the reservation.

Sujets

• Histoire
• USA
• Indigenous peoples
• États-Unis
• Nebraska

Informations

• Publié par: Nebraska
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780803228115
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Women Elders’ Life Stories of the Omaha Tribe

U N I V E R S I T YO FN E B R A S K AP R E S SL I N C O L NA N DL O N D O N |

Women Elders’ LifeStories oftheOmaha Tribe Macy, Nebraska, 2004–2005 | Wynne L. Summers

©2009 by the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Summers, Wynne L. Women elders’ life stories of the Omaha Tribe: Macy, Nebraska, 2004–2005/Wynne L. Summers. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-8032-2536-7 (cloth: alk. paper) 1. Omaha women—Nebraska—Macy— Biography.2. Older women—Nebraska— Macy—Biography.3. Omaha Indians—Ne- braska—Macy—Biography.4. Indian leader- ship—Nebraska—Macy.5. Baxter, Eleanor. 6. Saunsoci, Alice.7. Háwate.8. Omaha Indians —Nebraska—Macy—Social life and customs. 9. Macy (Neb.) —Biography.10. Oral history— Nebraska—Macy. I. Title. e99.o4s86 2009 978.2'004975253—dc22 2009029722

Set in Adobe Garamond and Futura by Kim Essman. Designed by R. W. Boeche.

Lines between worlds say much about who we are Who we are going to be Our lives in between White and Indian Indian and white Cultures drawn and interwoven between worlds shadow lands Borderlands Of life But I am caught in between Living in both Breathing in both Working in both Does that tell you Who I am? Stories spoke the first word and brought me from the edges of two places So carefully drawn Etched in stone In tobacco In smoke. I am the woman in the story And the story is me An Omaha woman A proud woman Weaver of dreams Woman of means Storyteller.

Contents

 List of Illustrations

 Preface

 Acknowledgments

 Omaha Language  Pronunciation Guide

1. Finding the Sacred

2.Language as Landscape

3.Eleanor Baxter Tribal Chair and Political Activist

4.Alice Saunsoci Language Bearer and Teacher

5.Háwate, Wenona Caramony Preserver of Community  and Language Advocate

viii

xi

xxi

xxv

1

15

31

53

75

 Conclusion

Notes

 Works Cited

Index

Illustrations  Omaha Hu’thuga ceremonial  encampment circle

 Eleanor Baxter

 Alice Saunsoci

 Háwate, Wenona Caramony

Following p.30

 Alice Saunsoci in the backyard  of her home in Macy

93

101

105

107

27

32

54

76

n n  Háwate at the Umó ho Nation Public School

 A signpost on a road near Macy

 One of the roads around Macy

 Macy countryside

 An old gravestone marker in the Macy cemetery

 Old gravestone markers, Macy cemetery

 The Missouri River near Macy

 Big Elk Park, Macy

 Big Elk Park, Macy

Map

 The countryside near Macy

n n  Umó ho Nation Public School

 McCauley School

 Eleanor Baxter’s home and  playground as a child, Macy

 West side of Eleanor Baxter’s home, Macy

 unlOmaha language class

 unlOmaha language class posing  with the shawls they made

 Emmaline Sanchez and  Mark Awakuni-Swetland

 Clan markers, Omaha tribal  council building, Macy

 Clan marker, Omaha tribal  council building, Macy

 Alice Saunsoci’s clan marker

 Close-up of Alice Saunsoci’s clan marker

 Clan marker, Omaha tribal council building,  Macy

 Nebraska, showing the Omaha  Indian Reservation in southeast  Thurston County

xxxii