Modern Experiences
With the beginning of the 21st Century, Native Americans across the United States had new experiences that contributed to their culture. Through the passage of the Citizenship Act in 1924, Native Americans were officially given citizenship, and in 1968 the Indian Civil Rights Act passed, giving them rights they did not previously have - such as free speech or the right to hire an attorney. The tribes that were once in this area - including the Sac and Fox and the Missouria were forced to relocate and moved to new land. The Sac and Fox began to inhabit areas in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska, while the Missouri mainly relocated to Oklahoma. Even though the tribes were forced to relocate, the Indigenous peoples were still able to maintain their culture despite different forms of suppression. Through powwows, the passing down of oral histories, and the teaching of Native languages to indeginous children, Native Americans are able to maintain their Native identity, while also being able to pass their culture down.
- Preservation of Culture
Click to watch a video of a local Ioway man, Robert Burnsides, play the drums
Click to watch a video of an Otoe-Missouri descendant cook a traditional meal.
- What's in a Name?
Many areas and landmarks in Northwest Missouri have names derived from Native American languages. This map of Northwest Missouri shows a circle in every spot that has a name from a Native term or phrase. The blue represents a body of water and red a town or location.
1. Tarkio, a town in Atchinson County, deriving from the Sac and Fox word for walnut.
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2. Nodaway, both the county and the river are from the Otoe-Missouri term for “jump over water.”
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3. and 4. Both White Cloud township and White Cloud Creek are named after Ioway Chief White Cloud, who signed the Platte Purchase
- Recent Controversy
