Ke-ma-ha: The Omaha Stories of Francis La Flesche [Paperback]

Francis La Flesche (Author), Daniel F. Littlefield Jr. (Editor), James W. Parins (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1998

Born on the Omaha Reservation in 1857, Francis La Flesche was raised in the years when federal policy encouraged Indians to assimilate. He learned English at a mission school, acquiring a fluency that prepared him for a career that moved between tribal and national concerns.

 

Most of the stories in Ke-ma-ha have never before been published. Written to bring public attention to the Omahas, they tell us about that culture in ways that anthropological treatises cannot.

 

Francis La Flesche collaborated with anthropologist Alice C. Fletcher on The Omaha Tribe and A Study of Omaha Indian Music. These titles, as well as La Flesche’s autobiographical The Middle Five: Indian Schoolboys of the Omaha Tribe, are available as Bison Books.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Born on the Omaha Reservation in 1857, La Flesche was well known in the late 19th century as an ethnologist and linguist. He began writing short stories in an attempt to widen knowledge of the Omaha (especially for the younger reader) and to play up the similarities rather than the differences between white people and Natives. Few of his stories were published during his lifetime, as publishers were looking for stories about the "wild" side of Native life. Although La Flesche's scholarly writing was well respected, the transition to fiction was difficult for him. As the editors state in the introduction, "he never arrived at a literary style that satisfied him," and his prose does not quite succeed at capturing the reader. Often stories make a strong start, but a successful finish is rare. Recommended as anthropology rather than fiction.?Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati State Technical & Community Coll.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"An intriguing selection . . . Aside from the stories, which alone would make this book worth reading, the editors have provided an excellent introductory sketch of La Flesche's life."-Annals of Iowa.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 134 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803279779
• ISBN-13: 978-0803279773
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,056,294 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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