Dance Lodges of the Omaha People

This is the first comprehensive examination of the history of the Omaha dance lodges, circular structures that blended earth lodge design and symbolism with late-nineteenth century Euro-American architectural materials and elements on the Omaha Reservation in northeastern Nebraska. These structures protected and nurtured ritual space through years of external assault by federal Indian policies, government officials, and missionary zealots. This study is drawn from oral histories of over 40 elders building up a rich and powerful picture of cultural maintenance, resistance and innovation.