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Lower Plains: Kansas, Nebraska

Pawnee, Omaha, Oto, Ponca, Lakota (Sioux), Cheyenne, and Arapaho. The Pawnee were the largest Native American tribe in the area. At the time of the Louisiana Purchase, they numbered close to 10,000. They lived in central Nebraska, as did the Ponca. The Omaha and Oto lived pri- marily along the Missouri River, in eastern Nebraska. These tribes were semi-sedentary . For part of the year, they hunted buffalo. But for most of the year, they lived in permanent dwellings and raised crops.

bid for statehood. The Nebraska Legislature removed this restriction, and the territory entered the Union as the 37th state on March 1, 1867. Its state motto—”Equality before the law”—reflects this episode. Although the Civil War had drawn to a close, a different conflict was intensifying in Nebraska—a conflict between the new settlers and the orig- inal inhabitants of the land. Historically, the area that is now Nebraska was home to a number of dif- ferent indigenous tribes, including the

The first person to file a claim for land under the Homestead Act of 1862 was Daniel Freeman, who claimed 160 acres in Nebraska. Today, the National Park Service maintains Homestead National Monument at the location of Freeman’s claim. This national park includes a visitors center, where students can learn about homesteading and nature.