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Betraying the Omaha Nation, 1790-1916

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Judith Boughter's book Betraying the Omaha Nation deals with the sufferings and hardships of the Omaha tribe at the hand of white settlement. The book follows the life of the Omaha Indians from the beginning of their interaction with French traders on the Missouri to their near destruction by 1916. Judith Boughter states in her book that although the Omaha Indians are not as well known as their neighbors the Sioux or the Poncas their story is an important reminder of the sins of our nation's past. Judith Boughter strives to give a voice to a people who have been ignored and ill-treated. Boughter's book is the comprehensive study of the once pride tribe of the Omaha. Betraying the Omaha Nation is not only a study of the Omaha tribe but it is an illustration of the detrimental abuses of the American policies of land expansion.
Judith Boughter wrote what became Betraying the Omaha Nation as her Master's Thesis while attending the University of Nebraska Omaha, it was awarded the prize was awarded the Outstanding Master's Thesis at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools meeting in 1996. She is currently an Instructor in the History Department of the University of Nebraska Omaha.
The author's thesis states that the Omaha Indians were severely abused by the immoral and ill-advised actions of whites that contributed to the demise of the Omahas. Betraying the Omaha begins with the account of the origins of the tribe. Author, Judith Boughter describes the roots of the tribe in eastern woodlands and their emigration to the banks of the Missouri in what is today eastern Nebraska. Boughter then discusses the "glory days" of the Omaha tribe under their powerful leader Chief Black Bird and their dominance of the Missouri. Judith Boughter stresses that by the late 18th century the Omahas were an advanced and culturally rich people. It is during this time that the Omaha first encountered white traders. The Omaha were able to use their strategic position on the Missouri to become the major force of Indian-White trade. This trade relationship allows the Omaha to gain guns and ammunition and gives them an opportunity to discourage their traditional enemy, the Sioux, from further raids. With their thriving trade connection with the whites and the peaceful life enjoyed by the tribe the Omaha were able to establish a strong culture and tradition that would be almost destroyed through years of suffering under white mistreatment. The prosperity of the Omaha would not last long. By the end of the 18th century Omaha power was dwindling. An epidemic of small pox killed their powerful leader and hundreds more of the Omaha. With the tribe weakened and their chief gone the Omaha were now susceptible to the coming ravages. White trade now shifted to the Sioux it became impossible for the destabilized Omaha to defend themselves from their foes.
It is important to note that the author emphasizes the ability of white traders to control the affairs of various tribes. The traders were able to play the Sioux and Omaha off of each other to their own advantage. The tribes were unaware that their "lucrative" dealings with whites would one day be their destruction. The author continues to follow the trail of white abuses and tribal corruption. Boughter details the white practice of setting up "paper chiefs" in place of traditional chiefs. She also brings to light the debilitating fur trade that devastated the ecosystem, and cultural ties on which the Omahas had built their way of life. Another contribution to decay of the Omaha was the removal of their traditional lands by misleading one sided treaties. The author states that the land cessions began in 1820 with the giving a small parcel of land to US agents in exchange for much needed supplies. By 1830 the government had taken control of all Omaha lands east of the Missouri River. Meanwhile, the attacks from the Sioux and Sauk Indians continued and in 1845 the Omaha had to move further south near what is today Bellevue, Nebraska. Not long after the Omaha had relocated their lives were once again interrupted by white interference. Mormons fleeing religious oppression decided to spend the winter of 1846 on Omaha lands. The Omaha agreed in exchange for protection from their enemies the Sioux and sharing of the food supply. This tentative agreement soon fell apart when arguments flared up among the two groups. The author reminds that the Mormons were not the only agitators of the Omaha. They also had to deal with corrupt agents set up by traders, and the traders themselves who sought to corrupt the already crumbling order of the tribe by giving the tribe whiskey and attempting to set up their own chiefs. As the 1850s arrived the United States government decided that it was necessity of the railroad took precedence over the rights of the Indians of Nebraska. In 1854 the Omaha were finally forced to sign away all tribal land in exchange for a paltry sum of money and an empty promise of protection. Judith Boughter clearly shows through her examples the antagonism of white expansionists in their dissipation of Omaha land and culture.
Despite protests from white bureaucrats and settlers the Omahas were able to settle in the fertile Black Bird Hills, in an area that was part of their traditional tribal lands. The suffering of the Omaha, however, did not end when the tribe was relocated to the reservation. Boughter states that the persecution Omaha continued, and carefully depicts the struggle of the Omaha under white agents and feuding missionaries. The author shows that the Omaha continued to have difficulty surviving. Despite the willingness of the tribe to comply with the white man's ways they find themselves perpetually mistreated. Of particular note are her mentions of the embezzlement of Indian funds by government agent J.B. Robertson who misappropriated as much as $25,000. With Indian agents proving untrustworthy the Omaha turned to Presbyterian and Quaker missionaries. Nevertheless, these groups quarreled with each other and more concerned with baptizing the Omaha into Western culture than helping them. As a result of these injustices the Omaha lost almost half of their reservation and found themselves worst off than they ever been.
By the 1880s, the US government was looking for a new policy of dealing with Indian affairs. In 1881, Alice Fletcher, a Boston anthropologist who had spent some time with the Omaha, suggested several measures for the "advance" of the Indians, specifically the idea of land allotment. These "reforms" and progressive actions actually forced many of the Omahas to give up their traditional culture and contributed to the erosion of their Native heritage. The practice of land allotment did more than just cause tribal controversy. In fact, argues Boughter, it threatened to undermine existence of the tribe. In the 1890s, during a Bureau of Indian Affairs investigation, it was discovered that much of the Omaha land had been taken over by whites in a one sided lease agreement that left many of the Omahas without land.
By 1916 many of the Omahas were destitute, landless, and due to the lawless and immoral actions of store owners in nearby white towns, alcoholics. Judith Boughter states that these events are the full effect of decades of government abuse and ignorance. The use of the Omahas as testing groups for government program after government program had left the Omahas barely recognizable as the once proud tribe that had controlled the Missouri.
There have been many books and articles written discussing the injustices of white expansion and control on the lives of Native Americans. Boughter's book, however, is the first in-depth record of the harsh story of the Omahas. In addition to the books groundbreaking account of the Omahas it is also a well written book. In Betraying the Omaha Nation Judith Boughter chronicles the wrongs committed against the Omahas by various organizations and groups in whom the tribe's faith was vested. She tells a tale of a beleaguered people who found hardship and adversity everywhere they turned. It is clear that Judith Boughter has great compassion for the struggles of the Omaha Nation. Her argument is carefully researched, and she gives numerous examples of white atrocities towards trusting members of the Omaha tribe. In fact Boughter should be esteemed not only for her book which ties so much information about Omahas, but for her compilation of the information itself. With sources ranging from anthropologist Alice Fletcher to various court documents it is certainly an impressive collection of details. The book does not put on airs nor does it seek to contradict current theories of 19th century United States expansion. Indeed, the books greatest achievement is in the unprecedented record of the peaceful Omahas who were forced to take the brunt of Western thought and experimentation time and time again.
Judith Boughter states that the demise of Omahas stems from the corrupt workings of white bureaucrats and the greed of settlers, also contributing, she notes is the ignorance of white "reformers" such as Alice Fletcher. Boughter's argument is difficult to discredit her seemingly endless bibliography and carefully documented examples certainly reveal her knowledge on the subject.
There are, however, a few instances where the book falls short. For the common reader the book may stray into detail to the excess. Boughter's discussion of court cases and various legal exchanges do tend to seem tedious and unnecessary. In addition to these complaints some of the maps are not as helpful as they should be particularly maps one and two. Map one is an illustration of the settlements of the Omaha and other eastern Nebraska tribes. The map shows the location of the settlements but neglects to record the dates they were settled. Map two shows the location of the mid-western Indian tribes but the map is crowded and it is difficult to distinguish the borders of the tribes.
Despite these complaints the book as a whole is a very well put together work. Boughter does an excellent job of tying together the different accounts of the Omahas into a well thought out careful illustration of the oppressed lives of the Omaha Nation. Her book is not just a historical account but is a living reminder of the sins committed by our country; it is a warning against the arrogant policies of enculturation.

On page 79 of this book, the author writes about one of the Omaha Agents. It states, "The politician appointed the agent, . . ." In this case the politician identified is the Nebraska Territorial Congressman.

One would assume; no, one would desperately hope that a supposed historian shedding light on this era of our history would know that Indian Agents were presidential appointees; and further that Congressmen did not appoint anyone to any position.

In this case, President Lincoln made the appointment. Given the patronage system of the day, there is a good chance that the President would have considered the recommendations of the local politicians of his party, of which Daily was one, but Lincoln made the appointment.

That leaves two alternatives. Either the author did not know that the Agents were presidential appointees, or worse, the author knew this and choose to report it otherwise to strengthen a point.

In either case, everything else the author writes must be subject to some doubt on the part of the reader.