One other criticism is the need for an ethnographic chapter on the importance of Omaha culture and values as these were challenged by federal and state actions. 2 Scherer's effort is to demonstrate the resilience of the Omaha tribe in their legal struggle during a changing federal-Indian policy aimed at eradicating all tribes. Scherer has documented that the survival of the Omahas came at great cost, although the tribal community held together. The Omahas learned a bitter lesson from the federal government, and from the implementation of Public Law 280, which imposed Nebraska state jurisdiction over the tribe. The book is a revelation of the cultural and legal complexities of modern tribal existence.
Sovereignty is at issue, as well as self-goverence by the tribe, as in the example of the Omaha.
This book offers both an outsider's view and an insider's view of the factionalism and turmoil within the Omaha tribe. The author has presented a complex story in an understandable manner. For those keeping abreast of modern federal-Indian relations, his book is an important contribution. 4 Donald L. Fixico University of Kansas Content in the History Cooperative database is intended for personal, noncommercial use only. You may not reproduce, publish, distribute, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale of, modify, create derivative works from, display, or in any way exploit the History Cooperative database in whole or in part without the written permission of the copyright holder.