Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-10-23
4 Letter from the Rev. ]. oven Dorsey.
OMAHA AGENCY. NEB.
Aug. 10. '7S

Aug. ~. 'io.
DEAR A.
1t is too warm this afternoon
to do aught in the shape OF work, so |
shall try to keep csol by giving you
some account of the people among whom
we are Lying. The Omaha reservation
Is in Blackbird Co., Nebraska, 26 miles
north Of Tskanea, the present terminus
Of the Omaha and Northwestern II. r.
Two tribes are living on the reserve
both being under the coutrol Of the
Society Of Friends; the Omahas and
the Winnebagoes. The Omahas are
closely related TO the POnkas, the latter
being all offshoot Of the former. Both
speak the same language and have ex-
pressed desire to live together again.
That desire tosk the form Of a regular
petition 10 the Indian Department,
signed oy all the chiefs OF both tribes and
by my informant Barclay White, then
Superintendent Of Indian affairs in
Nebraska, why that petition was not
granted is te me a mystery, but no doubt
some Of our statesmen could solve 1t. a
great wrong was committed by the
ferclble removal OF the former tribe to
the Indian Territory to make room for
hostile Brule.. In consequence Of this
action the Omaha. desire TO have moth
ing to do with soldiers, and have oc-
casional fears of similar treatment.
Although they as well as the POnkas,
have not been hostile but farming In
dlan.. The Omahas haYe tradition
that many years ago they lived with
other Indian. on the Ohio river. They
moved Westward until they came to the
Mississippi. There the Indians divided,
part moved up stresm ; encamped Oh
the site Of st. Louis and became known
as W-na-ha, up stream people. The
others were known as the dorm stream
people, (n Omaha W-ga-ha) now called
Qua-paws.
Early historians tell Of powerful
confederation which once lived on the
Ohio, and gave their name to that
stream, the A-kan-sa (whencc Arkan'
sas). The Omahas are nsted for then
honesty and industry. Mr. Robt
Ashley and wife have known the tribe
for more than fifteen years. They say
that twelve years ago not an Omaha
cultivated much he.idcs corn, and The
work was done by the women (Wa-u)
But since 1868 they have been grow
ing wheat, and ether signs Of improve
ment are new manifest. In 1877, al
though the grasshsppers we're bad, they
managed TO save 10000 bushels OF whea
and this year as doubled the amount o
land was cultivated, the lowest yielC
shsuld have been 10000 bushels. ayerag
ing 20 bushels to the acre. But ewing
to season and the delay IN obtaining {
suGclent supply Of reapers (not th'
agents fault however,, there will be
los, of mere than 10000 bushels. Las
year they sold the agent half Of hi
supply Of seed wheat. They rais'
onions, vatermslOns, potatoes ant
various kinds Of vegetables and keel
their Geld. clear of weeds. Strange Il
say the Omahas have sor
Of msnspoly as market gardeners
, being the only perssns whe furnish tn
=, supple. for the market at Decatur.
. Approaching tsc reservation frsm tn
south in few moments after leayln
Decatur we camc 10 the farm Of Nr
! Henry Fontenelle. half caste Omaha
Mr.. rsntenelle isa gentleman who
+ well known to the citizens Of this sec
g ton Of Nebraska, as man OF cultur
r and one who welds an influence for goo
, among hi. people. He and his famil
5 attend the services Of our church a
t Decatur (Rev. Mr.. jacob, RectOr) III
t wife being communicate, as a farme
+. he will compare favorably with many {
d his white brethren, and have see
g nearly twenty horses grazing in one
S his. fields, ascending the bluffs the sy
is delighted with the vast eXpanse
# rolling prairie, and the occasiona
e glimpses through ravines Of the lo
= land and the river hey yosd. BY and b
+ we came TO a lofty bluff upsn which "
II see two frame. structures about seve
e feet high. These are Indian graves,
d being the general custsn amsng Om'
IS has and Pcnkas to bury on the highe
j. bluffs or else in the tops Of trees. On
lr Of these is the grave of Wa zln-gasa-l
k (Blackbiro) a celebrated chief who die
it from the small pox. about forty yea
e ago, according 10 his last wishes,
1t wa. after death arrayed in the full dre
is Of a head chief. carried to the bluG aT
mounted en- his faverite psny. The
n he was held by some Of the men, viii
,r the others covered with earth both &
,r dead chief and the living horse, over Il
,e mound frame covering was erecte
of and frem that time It was believed tn
A. the spirits Of Blackbird looked dow
is upon the haunts Of his people. CTl
.. Slosx or Dakotas believe that eve
le human beng has three spirits, one
,s which remains with the body aft
at death. The IIidatsa think that the pr
n portion is four souls to each person.
re The Omahas have in common WI
E. most Of the neighboring tribes, dive
I'd supershuons concerning lightning, som
" time ago Va-shu-she's brother w
n driving a two horse wagon, boy ben
q, q, -. ...JJ.n1- tt,or. rae a him lii