University of Nebraska - American Indian Oral History and Omaha Folklore Project Oral History Collection

Title: American Indian Oral History and Omaha Folklore Project Oral History Collection

Collection Identifier: MSS-0018

Scope and Content: The American Indian Oral History and Omaha Folklore Project Oral History Collection contains oral history interviews of Native Americans in Omaha, Nebraska as well as interviews collected as part of a program called the Oral History Collection of the Omaha Folklore Project. The interviews cover the cultures and personal histories of interviewees in the U.S. as well as leaving Europe in the first half of the 20th Century. Topics of discussion include life in Omaha, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, and day-to-day life. Those interviewed were of Native American, Polish, German, Swedish, and other ethnic or national descents.

The following information about the Oral History Collection of the Omaha Folklore Project was provided by UNO History professor Michael Tate: "This collection of several dozen taped interviews was assembled during the mid-1970s by mostly undergraduate UNO students under the direction of Dr. Michael Tate of the History Department. These tapes have not been transcribed, but each tape has a file folder containing an outline of the main points of the interview. These contain unique and detailed information about Omaha, Nebraska and rural towns from WWI through WWII." Prof. Tate provided the following information about the American Indian Oral History Taped Interviews portion of the collection: "This collection of several dozen taped interviews was assembled during the mid-1970s. Virtually all were conducted by UNO graduate students under the direction of Dr. Michael Tate of the UNO History Department. Most of the interview were with Native Americans who talked about education, health care, reservation life, urban life and a host of other relevant topics. These were mostly interviews with Lakota (Sioux), Omaha, and Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) tribal people, but also include other tribal representations. A few of the interviews have been fully transcribed but the majority contain detailed outlines of what is contained in each separate interview. Many of the interviews deal with the militant activities of the American Indian Movement during that era. Several also were conducted with judges and law enforcement officers who dealt with the controversial trials following AIM's occupation of Wounded Knee."

Dates: circa 1970-1980

Creator: Tate, Michael L.

Language of Materials: English

Conditions Governing Access: The collection is open for research use. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the Nebraska Public Records Statutes (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 84-712 through 84-712.09), and other relevant regulations. Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of Nebraska Omaha assumes no responsibility.

Conditions Governing Use: The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, Archives & Special Collections will provide information about copyright owners and related information. Securing permission to publish or use material is the responsibility of the researcher. Note that unless specifically transferred to the University of Nebraska at Omaha, any applicable copyrights may be held by another individual or entity. Further information about copyright policy is available at http://libguides.unomaha.edu/library_policies.

Extent: 2.67 Cubic Feet (8 boxes)

Arrangement: The collection is physically organized into loose series: Interviewees; Additional Information; and Interview Audiotapes. The inventory listed in the online finding aid is for audiotapes digitized by the repository in 2017 and available online.

Subject(s):

Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana

Bellevue (Neb.)

Brulé Indians

Cherokee Nation

Chippewa Tribe

Depressions -- 1929

History

Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin

Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)

Immigrants -- Nebraska -- Omaha -- History

Immigrants -- Nebraska -- Omaha -- Interviews

Immigrants -- United States

Immigrants -- United States

Indians of North America

Indians of North America -- History

Indians of North America -- Interviews

Jews

Lakota Indians

Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin

Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico

National socialism

Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah

Oglala Sioux Tribe

Omaha (Neb.) -- History

Omaha Tribe of Nebraska

Rosebud Indian Reservation (S.D.)

Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota

Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska

Santee Sioux Nation, Nebraska

Seneca Nation of Indians

Sioux Nation

Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation, South Dakota

Vietnam War, 1961-1975

World War, 1939-1945

Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota

audiocassettes

oral histories (document genres)

sound recordings

Citation:

American Indian Oral History and Omaha Folklore Project Oral History Collection, MSS-0018. University of Nebraska at Omaha Archives & Special Collections.

GUIDE CREATOR NOTE: For more information on accessing and using these oral history interviews, please contact the University of Nebraska at Omaha Archives & Special Collections Repository. No Traditional Knowledge (TK) Labels are present on the collection information page.

For more information about the University of Nebraska Archives and Special Collections and their American Indian Oral History and Omaha Folklore Project Oral History Collection, please visit their website here.