Betraying the Omaha Nation, 1790-1916

Betraying the Omaha Nation is the first comprehensive history during the years of 1790-1916. Tracing events from the Omahas' glory days under Chief Black Bird through the loss of most of their land during the World War I era. Judith A. Boughter brings to light the Omahas' complex and ultimately tragic story.

Unlike many Plains tribes, the Omahas never had a clash with the U. S. Army; instead, beginning in the nineteenth century, they became entangled in government red tape, waging losing battles with federal bureaucrats, reformers, land speculators, and Nebraska politicians. As Boughter demonstrates, the progressive tribal leaders led government officials and well-intentioned reformers to overestimate the Omahas' degree of acculturation. As a result, the Omahas became the prototype for several ill-advised government programs during the assimilationist era, each of which contributed to the loss of Omaha land and threatened to destroy their rich culture.