WHAT IS THE NAME OF YOUR TRIBE, AND WHERE IS IT LOCATED?
I am a member of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska. The Omaha Nation's
reservation is located in Thurston County, Nebraska, about an hour and a half north of Omaha, Nebraska.
DO YOU PREFER THE TERM TRIBE OR NATION?
The official name by which my Tribe is known is the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska. Either term is appropriate. However, many Native Americans like to use the term “Nation” because a Tribe is more than just a group of people; it is a culture, an ethnic group, and a government, or a sovereign nation. That means that the Tribe or Nation is a political entity over a geographic area.
WHAT IS THE CORRECT TERMINOLOGY: AMERICAN INDIAN, INDIAN, NATIVE AMERICAN, OR ANOTHER TERM?
This is a tricky question because some people would rather go by Native American while others prefer “Indigenous.” Some people like to be identified as a member of their Tribe or Nation.
IS IT WRONG TO CALL A NATIVE PERSON INDIAN? WHY?
Many people do not like the word because it originates with Christopher Columbus who thought he'd landed in India. Columbus called the people “Indians,” but the Natives he encountered were, of course, not Indians. The term “American Indian” was meant to distinguish the Indigenous people in America from the people from India. However, there are laws in the U.S. that refer to Native Americans as “Indians,” and some Tribal Nations have the term “Indian” in their names.
DO TRIBES HAVE THEIR OWN LANGUAGES?
The United States government recognizes nearly 600 Tribes, but many others are not officially “approved.” Most of those Tribes have unique languages that are similar, but there may be differences. Sadly, other Indigenous languages are dying, meaning not many Native people are left who speak that language. And when the people who speak the language die, there will be no more Native speakers for that particular Tribe. It's important for people to think of ways to preserve these languages, like creating apps or developing courses for Tribal members to learn.
DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC ROLE THAT YOU PLAY WITHIN YOUR TRIBE?
I am the Chief Judge for a Tribe, but I am not a member of the Tribe I work for.
WHAT IS A CHIEF JUDGE?
A Chief Judge is the main judge for a court. The Chief Judge might oversee and assign court cases to other judges. A Chief Judge will do management work for the court and be in charge of any emergencies that come before the court and need to be handled quickly.
ARE THERE ANY BIG ISSUES FACING NATIVE PEOPLE TODAY?
A big issue facing Native people who live on or near reservations is access to fresh and affordable food. Many reservations are far away from large cities, so the people have to drive to nearby cities to go shopping. If a person or family can't travel for groceries, they might purchase
gas station food. This type of food isn't very nutritious, and any healthy foods at these stores are very expensive.
WHAT IS SOMETHING KIDS CAN DO TO HELP SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICAN ISSUES?
Kids can learn about the Tribes that live by them and who used to live on the land. Kids can also learn about the contributions of Native Americans to their state's history and communities.
IS IT OKAY FOR PEOPLE TO DRESS AS NATIVE AMERICANS FOR HALLOWEEN?
Traditional clothes for Native Americans have special meaning. Headdresses are only worn by Tribal leaders. Feathers are often given in a special ceremony. Traditional clothes are not called costumes, but “regalia.” Therefore, it is not respectful to dress up as a Native American for Halloween.
DO YOU HAVE ANY NATIVE AMERICAN ROLE MODELS?
I love learning about Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte and Secretary Deb Haaland. Dr. La Flesche was a member of the Omaha Tribe, like me, and was the first Native American
to go to medical school. She was incredibly smart and worked very hard to help her people and others in her community. I also look up to Secretary Haaland.
She is the first Native American to be in the Cabinet for the United States, and she leads the United States Department of the Interior. That means that Secretary Haaland has the important job of supervising all the public lands, like national parks, in the United States.