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Mari Sandoz

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98-527: Mari Susette Sandoz (May 11, 1896 – March 10, 1966) was a Nebraska novelist , biographer , lecturer , and teacher . She became one of the West 's foremost writers, and wrote extensively about pioneer life and the Plains Indians . Marie Susette Sandoz was born on May 11, 1896, near Hay Springs, Nebraska , the eldest of six children born to Swiss immigrants, Jules and Mary Elizabeth (Fehr) Sandoz. Until

196-698: A Book of the Month Club selection. Some readers were shocked at her unromantic depiction of the Old West , as well as her strong language and realistic portrayal of the hardships of frontier life. In 1937, Sandoz published Slogum House , a novel set in the Sandhills that warned about the rise of fascism . The novel was criticized for being dirty, and both the Nebraska cities of McCook and Omaha banned it from their respective libraries in 1938. During this time, Sandoz moved to

294-755: A Native American people. Also known as the Teton Sioux (from Thítȟuŋwaŋ ), they are one of the three prominent subcultures of the Sioux people, with the Eastern Dakota (Santee) and Western Dakota (Wičhíyena). Their current lands are in North and South Dakota . They speak Lakȟótiyapi —the Lakota language , the westernmost of three closely related languages that belong to the Siouan language family. The seven bands or "sub-tribes" of

392-646: A semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk ). The entire state experiences wide seasonal variations in both temperature and precipitation. Average temperatures are fairly uniform across Nebraska, with hot summers and generally cold winters. However, chinook winds from the Rocky Mountains provide a temporary moderating effect on temperatures in the state's western portion during the winter. Thus, average January maximum temperatures are highest at around 43 °F or 6.1 °C in southwestern Dundy County , and lowest at about 30 °F or −1.1 °C around South Sioux City in

490-463: A $ 60-million land-rights settlement in 2008. The Lakota are among tribal nations that have taken actions, participated in occupations, and proposed independence movements, particularly since the era of rising activism since the mid to late 20th century. They filed land claims against the federal government for what they defined as illegal taking of the Black Hills in the nineteenth century. In 1980,

588-437: A 0.06% loss ( Frontier County ) to a 17.04% loss ( Hitchcock County ). More urbanized areas of the state have experienced substantial growth. In 2000, the city of Omaha had a population of 390,007; in 2005, the city's estimated population was 414,521 (427,872 including the recently annexed city of Elkhorn ), a 6.3% increase over five years. The 2010 census showed that Omaha has a population of 408,958. The city of Lincoln had

686-550: A 2000 population of 225,581 and a 2010 population of 258,379, a 14.5% increase. As of the 2010 census, there were 530 cities and villages in the state of Nebraska. There are five classifications of cities and villages in Nebraska, which are based upon population. All population figures are 2017 Census Bureau estimates unless flagged by a reference number. Metropolitan Class City (300,000 or more) Primary Class City (100,000–299,999) First Class City (5,000–99,999) Second Class Cities (800–4,999) and Villages (100–800) make up

784-641: A ban on the issuance of driver's licenses to adults who had entered the United States illegally as children (also known as Dreamers). The state legislature lifted the ban in December 2016. Mexico , India , China , Guatemala , and El Salvador are top countries of origin for Nebraska's immigrants. As of 2011, 31.0% of Nebraska's population younger than age   one were minorities. Note: For 2013–2015, births in table don't add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving

882-653: A competition for resources, and also because some settlers had encroached on their lands. The Fort Laramie Treaty acknowledged Lakota sovereignty over the Great Plains in exchange for free passage for European Americans on the Oregon Trail for "as long as the river flows and the eagle flies". The U.S. government did not enforce the treaty restriction against unauthorized settlement, and Lakota and other bands attacked settlers and even emigrant trains as part of their resistance to this encroachment. Public pressure increased for

980-491: A higher overall number. Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. The religious affiliations of the people of Nebraska are predominantly Christian, according to a 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center. At the 2020 Public Religion Research Institute survey, 73% of the population identified as Christian. At

1078-456: A non-fiction contest held by Atlantic Press, after fourteen rejections. Finally, her book would be published. Before that happened, however, she had to fight her editor to retain the distinctive Western idiom in which she had written the book, as her publishers wanted her to standardize the English used in the book. The book was well received critically and commercially when it was issued, and became

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1176-467: A pioneer, his hard work chiselling out a life on the prairie, his leadership within the pioneer community, and his friendship with the local Indians in the area. The resulting book was Old Jules , published under the name Mari Sandoz, which she had resumed using in 1929. In 1933, malnourished and in poor health, she moved back home to the Sand Hills to stay with her mother. Every major publishing house in

1274-524: A point formed by the intersection of the western boundary of the State of Missouri, with the fortieth degree of north latitude; extending thence due west along said fortieth degree of north latitude, to a point formed by its intersection with the twenty-fifth degree of longitude west from Washington [the Southern border]; thence north along said twenty-fifth degree of longitude, to a point formed by its intersection with

1372-463: A regular trade with native peoples along the Missouri River in Nebraska, and by 1719 had signed treaties with several of these peoples. After war broke out between the two countries, Spain dispatched an armed expedition to Nebraska under Lieutenant General Pedro de Villasur in 1720. The party was attacked and destroyed near present-day Columbus by a large force of Pawnee and Otoe, both allied with

1470-529: A sovereign nation with property rights over thousands of square miles in South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana. The group stated that they do not act for or represent the tribal governments "set up by the BIA or those Lakota who support the BIA system of government". "The Lakota Freedom Delegation" did not include any elected leaders from any of the tribes. Means had previously run for president of

1568-582: A subject you know well, and write about it." Sandoz kept writing, even within a month of her death from bone cancer in 1966. By her request, she was buried south of Gordon, Nebraska , on a hillside overlooking her family's Sandhills ranch. A bust of Sandoz along with other members of the Nebraska Hall of Fame is displayed in the Nebraska State Capitol . Sandoz was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1976. An historical marker, placed by

1666-472: A total of 6,000 registered members. They are recognized as First Nations but are not considered "treaty Indians". As First Nations they receive rights and entitlements through the Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada department. But because they are not recognized as treaty Indians, they did not participate in the land settlement and natural resource revenues. The Dakota rejected

1764-539: A white women. The Great Depression also had greatly affected the residents of Nebraska at the time. From 1930 to 1936 the dust bowl was common in the state due to there being a drought, wind, and dirt being dug up throughout all of the Midwestern United States . Residents in Nebraska had passed an initiative in 1934, then the first session in the unicameral was held in 1937. Kay Orr was elected Nebraska's first female governor on November 4, 1986. The state

1862-564: A withdrawal of the Lakota Sioux from all treaties with the United States government. These activists had no standing under any elected tribal government. Official Lakota tribal leaders issued public responses to the effect that, in the words of Rosebud Lakota tribal chairman Rodney Bordeaux, "We do not support what Means and his group are doing and they don't have any support from any tribal government I know of. They don't speak for us." Means declared "The Republic of Lakotah", defining it as

1960-515: Is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, across the Missouri River ; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwest; and Wyoming to the west. The state has 93 counties and is split between two time zones , with the majority of the state observing Central Time and the Panhandle and surrounding counties observing Mountain Time . Three rivers cross

2058-550: Is composed of two major land regions: the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains . The Dissected Till Plains region consists of gently rolling hills and contains the state's largest cities, Omaha and Lincoln. The Great Plains region, occupying most of western Nebraska, is characterized by treeless prairie . Eastern Nebraska has a humid continental climate while western Nebraska is primarily semi-arid . The state has wide variations between winter and summer temperatures;

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2156-590: Is crossed by many historic trails, including that of the Lewis and Clark Expedition . The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad through Nebraska and passage of the Homestead Acts led to rapid growth in the population of American settlers in the 1870s and 1880s and the development of a large agriculture sector for which the state is known to this day. Nebraska's name is the result of anglicization of

2254-706: Is in Polk County , in the city of Shelby . According to HUD 's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report , there were an estimated 2,246 homeless people in Nebraska . The table below shows the racial composition of Nebraska's population as of 2022. According to the 2016 American Community Survey , 10.2% of Nebraska's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): Mexican (7.8%), Puerto Rican (0.2%), Cuban (0.2%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (2.0%). The largest ancestry groups were: German (36.1%), Irish (13.1%), English (7.8%), Czech (4.7%), Swedish (4.3%), and Polish (3.5%). Nebraska has

2352-514: Is no longer accurate, since the Keya Paha River and the Niobrara River no longer form the boundary of the state of Nebraska. Instead, Nebraska's Northern border now extends east along the forty-third degree of north latitude until it meets the Missouri River directly.): The State of Nebraska shall consist of all the territory included within the following boundaries, to-wit: Commencing at

2450-405: Is one of only two counties in the nation with a Czech-American plurality. In recent years, Nebraska has become home to many refugee communities. In 2016, it welcomed more refugees per capita than any other state. Nebraska, and in particular Lincoln, is the largest home of Yazidis refugees and Yazidi Americans in the United States. Notably, Nebraska was the last of all 50 states to maintain

2548-770: Is still headquartered in Nebraska City , with some offices in Lincoln. In the late 19th century, African Americans migrated from the South to Nebraska as part of the Great Migration . Eventually, they lived primarily to Omaha which offered working-class jobs in meat packing , the railroads and other industries. Omaha has a long history of civil rights activism. Blacks encountered discrimination from other Americans in Omaha and especially from recent European immigrants who were also competing for

2646-703: Is subject to tax and all other personal property is exempt from tax. Inheritance tax is collected at the county level. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates of Nebraska's gross state product in 2010 was $ 89.8 billion. Per capita personal income in 2004 was $ 31,339, 25th in the nation. Nebraska has a large agriculture sector, and is a major producer of beef , pork , wheat , corn (maize) , soybeans , and sorghum . Other important economic sectors include freight transport (by rail and truck), manufacturing , telecommunications , information technology , and insurance . Lakota people The Lakota ( [laˈkˣota] ; Lakota : Lakȟóta/Lakhóta ) are

2744-663: The American Civil War increasing illegal settlement by whites on the Plains resulted in war again with the Lakota. The Black Hills were considered sacred by the Lakota, and they objected to mining . Between 1866 and 1868 the U.S. Army fought the Lakota and their allies along the Bozeman Trail over U.S. forts built to protect miners traveling along the trail. Oglala Chief Red Cloud led his people to victory in Red Cloud's War . In 1868,

2842-624: The Battle of the Little Bighorn at the Crow Indian Reservation (1868 boundaries). Custer attacked an encampment of several tribes, which was much larger than he realized. Their combined forces, led by Chief Crazy Horse , killed 258 soldiers, wiping out the entire Custer battalion and inflicting more than 50% casualties on the regiment. Although the Lakota beat Custer's army, the Lakota and their allies did not get to enjoy their victory over

2940-788: The Black Hills (the Paha Sapa ), then the territory of the Cheyenne . Ten years later, the Oglála and Brulé also crossed the Missouri. Under pressure from the Lakota, the Cheyenne moved west to the Powder River country. The Lakota made the Black Hills their home. Initial United States contact with the Lakota during the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804–1806 was marked by a standoff. Lakota bands refused to allow

3038-551: The Cheyenne River Reservation , one of the poorest communities in the United States . Unemployment , addiction , alcoholism , and suicide are all challenges for Lakota on the reservation. The name Lakota comes from the Lakota autonym, Lakota "feeling affection, friendly, united, allied". The early French historic documents did not distinguish a separate Teton division, instead grouping them with other "Sioux of

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3136-543: The Great Lakes : "The tribes of the Dakota before European contact in the 1600s lived in the region around Lake Superior . In this forest environment, they lived by hunting, fishing, and gathering wild rice. They also grew some corn, but their locale was near the limit of where corn could be grown." In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Dakota-Lakota speakers lived in the upper Mississippi Region in territory now organized as

3234-538: The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. They operate with the federal government. These relationship are negotiated and contested. Most Lakota tribal members are also citizens of the United States. They can vote in local, state/provincial and federal elections. They are represented at the state and national level by officials elected from the political districts of their respective states and Congressional Districts. Tribal members living both on and off

3332-502: The Missouri River . However, the great smallpox epidemic of 1772–1780 destroyed three-quarters of the members of these tribes. The Lakota crossed the river into the drier, short-grass prairies of the High Plains. These newcomers were the Saône, well-mounted and increasingly confident, who spread out quickly. In 1765, a Saône exploring and raiding party led by Chief Standing Bear discovered

3430-466: The United Methodist Church (109,283). Nebraska has a progressive income tax . The portion of income from $ 0 to $ 2,400 is taxed at 2.56%; from $ 2,400 to $ 17,500, at 3.57%; from $ 17,500 to $ 27,000, at 5.12%; and income over $ 27,000, at 6.84%. The standard deduction for a single taxpayer is $ 5,700; the personal exemption is $ 118. Nebraska has a state sales and use tax of 5.5%. In addition to

3528-451: The University of Nebraska , thanks to a sympathetic dean. During those years, she claimed to have received over a thousand rejection slips for her short stories. In 1928, when she received word her father was dying, she visited her family, and was stunned by his last request: he asked her to write his life story. She began extensive research on his life, and documented his decision to become

3626-894: The Wounded Knee Massacre . Today, the Lakota are found mostly in the five reservations of western South Dakota: Lakota also live on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in northeastern Montana , the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation of northwestern North Dakota, and several small reserves in Saskatchewan and Manitoba . During the Minnesota and Black Hills wars, their ancestors fled for refuge to "Grandmother's [i.e. Queen Victoria's] Land" (Canada). Large numbers of Lakota live in Rapid City and other towns in

3724-401: The prairies , many of the first farming settlers built their homes of sod , as had Native Americans such as the Omaha. The first wave of settlement gave the territory a sufficient population to apply for statehood. Nebraska became the 37th state on March 1, 1867, and the capital was moved from Omaha to the center at Lancaster, later renamed Lincoln after the recently assassinated President of

3822-477: The "kidnapping" of Lakota children from their homes by the state of South Dakota's Department of Social Services (D.S.S.). It was noted by NPR that over half of the children in foster care in South Dakota were of Native descent. Lakota activists such as Madonna Thunder Hawk and Chase Iron Eyes , along with the Lakota People’s Law Project , have alleged that Lakota grandmothers are illegally denied

3920-753: The 2014 Pew Research Center's survey, 20% of the population were religiously unaffiliated; in 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute determined 22% of the population became religiously unaffiliated. The largest single denominations by number of adherents in 2010 were the Roman Catholic Church (372,838), the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (112,585), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (110,110) and

4018-493: The Black Hills, and in metro Denver . Lakota elders joined the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) to seek protection and recognition for their cultural and land rights. Legally and by treaty classified as a "domestic dependent nation" within the United States, the federally recognized Lakota tribes are represented locally by officials elected to councils for the several reservations and communities in

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4116-556: The Dakotas, Minnesota, and Nebraska. These tribes have government-to-government relationships with the United States federal government, primarily through the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Department of Interior. As semi-autonomous political entities, tribal governments have certain rights to independent of state laws. For instance, they may operate Indian gaming on their reservation based on

4214-747: The French. The massacre ended Spanish exploration of the area for the remainder of the 18th century. In 1762, during the Seven Years' War , France ceded the Louisiana territory to Spain. This left Britain and Spain competing for dominance along the Mississippi River; by 1773, the British were trading with the native peoples of Nebraska. Spain dispatched two trading expeditions up the Missouri River in 1794 and 1795;

4312-562: The Keya Paha river; thence down the middle of the channel of said river, with its meanderings, to its junction with the Niobrara River; thence down the middle of the channel of said Niobrara River, and following the meanderings thereof to its junction with the Missouri River [the Northern border]; thence down the middle of the channel of said Missouri River, and following the meanderings thereof to

4410-610: The Lakota Sioux with an additional modifier, such as Sioux of the West, West Schious, Sioux des prairies, Sioux occidentaux, Sioux of the Meadows, Nadooessis of the Plains, Prairie Indians, Sioux of the Plain, Maskoutens-Nadouessians, Mascouteins Nadouessi, and Sioux nomades. Today many of the tribes continue to officially call themselves Sioux . In the 19th and 20th centuries, this was the name which

4508-601: The Lakota are: Notable Lakota persons include Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake ( Sitting Bull ) from the Húnkpapȟa, Maȟpíya Ičáȟtagya ( Touch the Clouds ) from the Miniconjou; Heȟáka Sápa ( Black Elk ), Maȟpíya Lúta ( Red Cloud ), and Tamakhóčhe Theȟíla ( Billy Mills ) - all Oglála; Tȟašúŋke Witkó ( Crazy Horse ) from the Oglála and Miniconjou, and Siŋté Glešká ( Spotted Tail ) from the Brulé. Activists from

4606-431: The Lakota people the White Buffalo Calf Pipe. Around 1730 Cheyenne people introduced the Lakota to horses , which they called šuŋkawakaŋ ("dog [of] power/mystery/wonder"). After they adopted horse culture , Lakota society centered on the buffalo hunt on horseback. In 1660 French explorers estimated the total population of the Sioux (Lakota, Santee , Yankton , and Yanktonai ) at 28,000. The Lakota population

4704-414: The Mari Sandoz Heritage Society is at the location where she lived while writing Old Jules. Nebraska Nebraska ( / n ə ˈ b r æ s k ə / nə- BRASS -kə ) is a landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States . It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River ; Kansas to

4802-536: The Oglala Sioux tribe and twice been defeated. Several tribal governments – elected by tribal members – issued statements distancing themselves from the independence declaration. Some said that they were watching the independent movement closely. No elected tribal governments endorsed the declaration. The Lakota People made national news when NPR 's "Lost Children, Shattered Families" investigative story aired regarding issues related to foster care for Native American children. It exposed what many critics consider to be

4900-421: The Saône, who moved to the Lake Traverse area on the South Dakota–North Dakota–Minnesota border, and the Oglála-Sičháŋǧu, who occupied the James River valley. However, by about 1750 the Saône had moved to the east bank of the Missouri River , followed 10 years later by the Oglála and Brulé (Sičháŋǧu). The large and powerful Arikara , Mandan , and Hidatsa villages had long prevented the Lakota from crossing

4998-430: The Shurtleff Arms at 645 South 17th Street. This is the only extant Lincoln residence of Sandoz. There she wrote her second novel Capital City (1939), which brought her notoriety of a different nature: hate mail and threats. Slogum House was considered an attack on the character of rural Nebraskans, and Capital City was perceived as an assault on the city of Lincoln. In 1940, Sandoz moved to Denver , partly to escape

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5096-446: The Supreme Court ruled in their favor and decided in United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians to award US$ 122 million to eight bands of Sioux Indians as compensation for their Black Hills land claims . The Sioux have refused the money, because accepting the settlement would legally terminate their demands for return of the Black Hills. The money remains in a Bureau of Indian Affairs account, accruing compound interest . As of 2011,

5194-466: The U.S. Army for long. The U.S. Congress authorized funds to expand the army by 2,500 men. The reinforced U.S. Army defeated the Lakota bands in a series of battles, finally ending the Great Sioux War in 1877. The Lakota were eventually confined to reservations, prevented from hunting buffalo beyond those territories, and forced to accept government food distribution. They were largely distributed amongst North and South Dakota, as well as other places around

5292-429: The U.S. Army to punish them. On September 3, 1855, 700 soldiers under U.S. Brevet Major General William S. Harney avenged the Grattan massacre by attacking a Lakota village in Nebraska , killing about 100 men, women, and children. A series of short "wars" followed, and in 1862–1864, as Native American refugees from the " Dakota War of 1862 " in Minnesota fled west to their allies in Montana and Dakota Territory. After

5390-406: The US government applied to all Dakota/Lakota people. However, some tribes have formally or informally adopted traditional names: the Rosebud Sioux Tribe is also known as the Sičháŋǧu Oyáte (Brulé Nation), and the Oglala often use the name Oglála Lakȟóta Oyáte , rather than the English "Oglala Sioux Tribe" or OST. (The alternate English spelling of Ogallala is deprecated, even though it is closer to

5488-544: The United States had rejected Old Jules . Before she left Lincoln, Sandoz tossed over 70 of her manuscripts into a wash tub in her backyard and burned them. Yet she continued to write, and began work on her next novel, Slogum House , a gritty and realistic tale about a ruthless Nebraska family. By January 1934, she returned to Lincoln, and got a job at the Nebraska State Historical Society , where she became associate editor of Nebraska History magazine. In 1935, she received word that her revised version of Old Jules had won

5586-428: The United States signed the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 , exempting the Black Hills from all white settlement forever. But four years later gold was discovered there, and prospectors descended on the area. The Lakota attacks on settlers and miners were met by military force conducted by such army commanders as Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer . General Philip Sheridan encouraged his troops to hunt and kill

5684-399: The United States, Abraham Lincoln . The battle of Massacre Canyon , on August 5, 1873, was the last major battle between the Pawnee and the Sioux . During the 1870s to the 1880s, Nebraska experienced a large growth in population. Several factors contributed to attracting new residents. The first was that the vast prairie land was perfect for cattle grazing. This helped settlers to learn

5782-624: The United States. In 1877, some of the Lakota bands signed a treaty that ceded the Black Hills to the United States; however, the nature of this treaty and its passage were controversial. The number of Lakota leaders who backed the treaty is highly disputed. Low-intensity conflicts continued in the Black Hills. Fourteen years later, Sitting Bull was killed at Standing Rock reservation on December 15, 1890. The U.S. Army attacked Spotted Elk (aka Bigfoot)'s Minicoujou band of Lakota on December 29, 1890, at Pine Ridge, killing 153 Lakota (tribal estimates are higher), including numerous women and children, in

5880-666: The West," Santee and Yankton bands. The names Teton and Tetuwan come from the Lakota name thítȟuŋwaŋ , the meaning of which is obscure. This term was used to refer to the Lakota by non-Lakota Sioux groups. Other derivations and spelling variations include: ti tanka, Tintonyanyan, Titon, Tintonha, Thintohas, Tinthenha, Tinton, Thuntotas, Tintones, Tintoner, Tintinhos, Ten-ton-ha, Thinthonha, Tinthonha, Tentouha, Tintonwans, Tindaw, Tinthow, Atintons, Anthontans, Atentons, Atintans, Atrutons, Titoba, Tetongues, Teton Sioux, Teeton, Ti toan, Teetwawn, Teetwans, Ti-t’-wawn, Ti-twans, Tit’wan, Tetans, Tieton, and Teetonwan. Early French sources call

5978-420: The account has grown to over $ 1 billion. In September 2007, the United Nations passed a non-binding Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples . Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand refused to sign. On December 20, 2007, a small group of people led by American Indian Movement activist Russell Means , under the name Lakota Freedom Delegation, traveled to Washington D.C. to announce

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6076-422: The age of eighteen, Sandoz married a neighboring rancher, Wray Macumber. She was unhappy in the marriage, and in 1919, citing "extreme mental cruelty," divorced her husband and moved to Lincoln . For the next sixteen years, Mari held a variety of low-paying jobs, while writing—to almost no success—under her married name, Marie Macumber. Despite her lack of a high school diploma, she managed to enroll at

6174-493: The age of nine, she spoke only German. Her father was said to be a violent and domineering man, who disapproved of her writing and reading. Her childhood was spent in hard labor on the home farm, and she developed snow blindness in one eye after a day spent digging the family's cattle out of a snowdrift. She graduated from the eighth grade at the age of 17, secretly took the rural teachers' exam, and passed. She taught in nearby country schools without ever attending high school. At

6272-400: The archaic Otoe Ñí Brásge (contemporary Otoe: Ñíbrahge ; pronounced [ɲĩbɾasꜜkɛ] ), or the Omaha Ní Btháska , (pronounced [nĩbɫᶞasꜜka] ), meaning "flat water", after the Platte River which flows through the state. Indigenous peoples lived in the region of present-day Nebraska for thousands of years before European colonization . The historic tribes in

6370-469: The autumn. Eighty-nine percent of the cities in Nebraska have fewer than 3,000 people. Nebraska shares this characteristic with five other Midwestern states: Kansas , Oklahoma , North Dakota and South Dakota , and Iowa . Hundreds of towns have a population of fewer than 1,000. Regional population declines have forced many rural schools to consolidate. Fifty-three of Nebraska's 93 counties reported declining populations between 1990 and 2000, ranging from

6468-401: The backlash, and also for better research facilities. Later, in 1943, she settled in New York City so she could access the research material on the West, and have proximity to her publishers. In 1942 her monumental biography of the great Lakota leader Crazy Horse was published. It is entitled Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of the Oglalas . Sandoz proved to be ahead of her time by writing

6566-483: The biography from within the Lakota world-view, using Lakota concepts and metaphors, and even replicating Lakota patterns of speech. Some critics consider it her greatest work. As she says in her preface to Crazy Horse : I have used the simplest words possible, hoping by idiom and figures and the under-lying rhythm pattern to say some of the things of the Indian for which there are no white-man words, suggest something of his innate nature, something of his relationship to

6664-421: The buffalo as a means of "destroying the Indians' commissary." The allied Lakota and Arapaho bands and the unified Northern Cheyenne were involved in much of the warfare after 1860. They fought a successful delaying action against General George Crook 's army at the Battle of the Rosebud , preventing Crook from locating and attacking their camp. A week later they defeated the U.S. 7th Cavalry in 1876 at

6762-461: The correct pronunciation.) The Lakota have names for their own subdivisions. The Lakota also are the most western of the three Sioux groups, occupying lands in both North and South Dakota. Today, one half of all enrolled Sioux live off reservations . Lakota reservations recognized by the U.S. government include: Some Lakota also live on other Sioux reservations in eastern South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska: In addition, several Lakota live on

6860-452: The earth and the sky and all that is between. Her meticulous attention to detail, her in-depth research, and her admiration of the Plains Indian culture is also noticeable in later works such as Cheyenne Autumn (1953), The Horsecatcher (1957), and The Story Catcher (1963). Three other books of her Great Plains series, The Buffalo Hunters (1954), one of her best known, and The Cattlemen (1958) and The Beaver Men (1964) each develop

6958-455: The earth lodges. The next time the Lakota inflicted a blow so severe to the Pawnee would be in 1873, during the Massacre Canyon battle near Republican River. Nearly half a century later, after the United States had built Fort Laramie without permission on Lakota land, it negotiated the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 to protect European-American travelers on the Oregon Trail . The Cheyenne and Lakota had previously attacked emigrant parties in

7056-563: The explorers to continue upstream, and the expedition prepared for battle, which never came. Some bands of Lakota became the first indigenous people to help the United States Army in an inter-tribal war west of the Missouri, during the Arikara War in 1823. In 1843, the southern Lakota attacked the village of Pawnee Chief Blue Coat near the Loup in Nebraska, killing many and burning half of

7154-732: The fort in 1827 as migration moved further west. European-American settlement was scarce until 1848 and the California Gold Rush . On May 30, 1854, the U.S. Congress created the Kansas and the Nebraska territories, divided by the Parallel 40° North , under the Kansas–Nebraska Act . The Nebraska Territory included parts of the current states of Colorado , North Dakota , South Dakota , Wyoming , and Montana . The territorial capital of Nebraska

7252-565: The forty-first degree of north latitude; thence west along said forty-first degree of north latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west from Washington; thence north along said twenty-seventh degree of west longitude, to a point formed by its intersection with the forty-third degree of north latitude [the Western border, which is the Panhandle]; thence east along said forty-third degree of north latitude to

7350-411: The history of the West in relation to an animal species. Sandoz liked to encourage other writers. She presented summer writing workshops at institutions such as the University of Wisconsin–Madison , reviewed manuscripts sent to her by aspiring authors and provided helpful comments, and taught creative writing through programming produced by Nebraska Educational Television . She advised writers to "pick

7448-490: The individual reservations are eligible to vote in periodic elections for that tribe. Each tribe has its own requirements for citizenship, as well its own constitution, bylaws, and elections. or articles of incorporation . Most follow a multi-member tribal council model, with a chairman or president elected at-large , directly by the voters. Nine bands of Dakota and Lakota reside in Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan , with

7546-563: The largest Czech American and non-Mormon Danish American population (as a percentage of the total population) in the nation. Nebraska is also home to the largest Polish American population in the Great Plains. German Americans are the largest ancestry group in most of the state, particularly in the eastern counties. Thurston County (made up entirely of the Omaha and Winnebago reservations) has an American Indian majority, and Butler County

7644-582: The late twentieth century to present include Russell Means (Oglála), and William Hawk Birdshead (Hunkpapa, Oglala, Cheyenne, and Arapaho) Siouan language speakers may have originated in the lower Mississippi River region and then migrated to or originated in the Ohio Valley . They were agriculturalists and may have been part of the Mound Builder civilization during the 9th–12th centuries CE. Lakota legend and other sources state they originally lived near

7742-646: The management of the National Forest Service include: Two major climatic zones are represented in Nebraska. The eastern two-thirds of the state has a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ), although the southwest of this region may be classed as a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) using the −3 °C or 26.6 °F near the Kansas state line, analogous to the predominantly humid subtropical climate of Kansas and Oklahoma . Western Nebraska, including The Panhandle and adjacent areas bordering Colorado have

7840-486: The northeast. Average annual precipitation decreases east to west from about 31.5 inches (800 mm) in the southeast corner of the state to about 13.8 inches (350 mm) in the Panhandle. Humidity also decreases significantly from east to west. Snowfall across the state is fairly even, with most of Nebraska receiving between 25 and 35 inches (0.64 and 0.89 m) of snow each year. Nebraska's highest-recorded temperature

7938-646: The place of beginning [the Eastern border, which is the Missouri River]. Nebraska is composed of two major land regions: the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains . The easternmost portion of the state was scoured by Ice Age glaciers ; the Dissected Till Plains were left after the glaciers retreated. The Dissected Till Plains is a region of gently rolling hills; Omaha and Lincoln are in this region. The Great Plains occupy most of western Nebraska, with

8036-676: The region consisting of several smaller, diverse land regions, including the Sandhills , the Pine Ridge , the Rainwater Basin , the High Plains and the Wildcat Hills . Panorama Point , at 5,424 feet (1,653 m), is Nebraska's highest point; though despite its name and elevation, it is a relatively low rise near the Colorado and Wyoming borders. A past tourism slogan for the state of Nebraska

8134-419: The rest of the communities in Nebraska. There are 116 second-class cities and 382 villages in the state. Metropolitan areas 2017 estimate data Micropolitan areas 2012 estimate data Other areas The 2020 United States Census reported that the population of Nebraska was 1,961,504 on April 1, 2020, a 7.4% increase since the 2010 United States census . The center of population of Nebraska

8232-402: The right to foster their own grandchildren. They are working to redirect federal funding away from the state of South Dakota's D.S.S. to new tribal foster care programs. This would be a historic shift away from the state's traditional control over Lakota foster children. A short film, Lakota in America , was produced by Square. The film features Genevieve Iron Lightning, a young Lakota dancer on

8330-578: The same jobs as well. During the early 20th century, In 1912, African Americans founded the Omaha chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to work for improved conditions in the city and state. During the Omaha Race Riots in 1919 , many white rioters protested throughout Omaha due to there being an incident in which a black man was accused of sexually assaulting

8428-470: The second, under James Mackay, established the first European settlement in Nebraska near the mouth of the Platte River. Later that year, Mackay's party built a trading post, dubbed Fort Carlos IV (Fort Charles), near present-day Homer . In 1819, the United States established Fort Atkinson as the first U.S. Army post west of the Missouri River, just east of present-day Fort Calhoun . The army abandoned

8526-402: The south; Colorado to the southwest; and Wyoming to the west. Nebraska is the 16th-largest state by land area , with just over 77,220 square miles (200,000 km ). With a population of over 1.9 million, it is the 38th-most populous state and the eighth-least densely populated . Its capital is Lincoln , and its most populous city is Omaha , which is on the Missouri River . Nebraska

8624-568: The state from west to east. The Platte River , formed by the confluence of the North Platte and the South Platte , runs through the state's central portion, the Niobrara River flows through the northern part, and the Republican River runs across the southern part. The first Constitution of Nebraska in 1866 described Nebraska's boundaries as follows (The description of the Northern border

8722-533: The state included the Omaha , Missouria , Ponca , Pawnee , Otoe , and various branches of the Lakota ( Sioux ), some of which migrated from eastern areas into the region. When European exploration, trade, and settlement began, both Spain and France sought to control the region. In the 1690s, Spain established trade connections with the Apache , whose territory then included western Nebraska. By 1703, France had developed

8820-418: The state tax, some Nebraska cities assess a city sales and use tax, in 0.5% increments, up to a maximum of 1.5%. Dakota County levies an additional 0.5% county sales tax. Food and ingredients that are generally for home preparation and consumption are not taxable. All real property within the state of Nebraska is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. Since 1992, only depreciable personal property

8918-460: The states of Minnesota , Wisconsin , Iowa , and the Dakotas . Conflicts with Anishnaabe and Cree peoples pushed the Lakota west onto the Great Plains in the mid- to late-17th century. Early Lakota history is recorded in their winter counts ( Lakota : waníyetu wówapi ), pictorial calendars painted on hides, or later recorded on paper. The 'Battiste Good winter count' records Lakota history to 900 CE when White Buffalo Calf Woman gave

9016-492: The unfamiliar geography of the area. The second factor was the invention of several farming technologies. New agricultural innovations such as barbed wire, windmills, and the steel plow, combined with fair weather, enabled settlers to transform Nebraska into prime farming land. By the 1880s, Nebraska's population had soared to more than 450,000 people. The Arbor Day holiday was founded in Nebraska City by territorial governor J. Sterling Morton . The National Arbor Day Foundation

9114-475: The variations decrease in southern Nebraska. Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes occur primarily during spring and summer, and sometimes in autumn. The Chinook wind tends to warm the state significantly in the winter and early spring. Indigenous peoples, including Omaha , Missouria , Ponca , Pawnee , Otoe , and various branches of the Lakota ( Sioux ) tribes, lived in the region for thousands of years before European discovery and exploration . The state

9212-551: Was Omaha . Late 19th century In the 1860s, after the U.S. government forced many of the American Indian tribes to cede their lands and settle on reservations , it opened large tracts of land to agricultural development by European immigrants and American settlers . Under the Homestead Act , thousands of settlers migrated into Nebraska to claim free land granted by the federal government. Because so few trees grew on

9310-516: Was "Where the West Begins" (it has since been changed to "Honestly, it's not for everyone"). Locations given for the beginning of the "West" in Nebraska include the Missouri River, the intersection of 13th and O Streets in Lincoln (where it is marked by a red brick star), the 100th meridian , and Chimney Rock . Areas under the management of the National Park Service include: Areas under

9408-561: Was 118 °F (48 °C) in Minden on July 24, 1936. The state's lowest-recorded temperature was −47 °F (−44 °C) in Camp Clarke on February 12, 1899. Nebraska is located in Tornado Alley . Thunderstorms are common during both the spring and the summer. Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes happen primarily during those two seasons, although they also can occur occasionally during

9506-410: Was admitted into the United States in 1867, two years after the end of the American Civil War . The Nebraska Legislature is unlike any other American legislature in that it is unicameral , and its members are elected without any official reference to political party affiliation . Nebraska is one of only two states that divide electoral college votes by district, and is not winner-take-all. Nebraska

9604-500: Was estimated at 8,500 in 1805; it grew steadily and reached 16,110 in 1881. They were one of the few Native American tribes to increase in population in the 19th century, a time of widespread disease and warfare. By 2010 the number of Lakota had increased to more than 170,000, of whom about 2,000 still spoke the Lakota language ( Lakȟótiyapi ) . After 1720, the Lakota branch of the Seven Council Fires split into two major sects,

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