Omaha | History, Customs, & Facts | Britannica (original) (raw)

Omaha, North American Indian people of the Dhegiha branch of the Siouan language stock. It is thought that Dhegiha speakers, which include the Osage, Ponca, Kansa, and Quapaw as well as the Omaha, migrated westward from the Atlantic coast at some point in prehistory and that their early settlements were in the present U.S. states of Virginia and the Carolinas. After a time they moved to the Ozark Plateau and the prairies of what is now western Missouri. There the five tribes separated, with the Omaha and the Ponca moving north to present-day Minnesota, where they lived until the late 17th century. At that time the two tribes were driven farther west by the migrating Dakota Sioux. The Omaha and Ponca separated in present-day South Dakota, with the former moving on to Bow Creek in present-day Nebraska. In 1854, under the pressure of encroaching settlers, the Omaha sold most of their land to the U.S. government. In 1882 the government allotted land in Nebraska that prevented the removal of the tribe to Oklahoma; somewhat later they received U.S. citizenship.

As with many other Plains Indian tribes, the traditional Omaha economy combined corn (maize) agriculture with hunting and gathering. In spring and autumn the people lived in permanent villages of dome-shaped earth lodges, moving into portable tepees for the hunting seasons. Omaha social organization was elaborate, with a class system of chiefs, priests, physicians, and commoners. Rank was inherited through the male line, although individuals could raise their status by distributing horses and blankets or providing feasts.

Traditional Omaha kinship was organized into 10 clans within two larger groups, representing earth and sky. Earth clans had charge of ceremonies concerning war and food supply, while the ceremonies overseen by the sky clans were designed to secure supernatural aid. When the entire tribe camped together during the summer bison hunt or on migrations, tepees were arranged in a large circle symbolizing the tribal organization. The Omaha, like many other Plains peoples, awarded special insignia for such daring war exploits as touching an enemy in battle, touching a dead enemy surrounded by his tribesmen, and removing a trained horse from the enemy’s camp. Killing the enemy was considered a lesser exploit.

Early 21st-century population estimates indicated more than 5,000 individuals of Omaha descent.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.