Nebraska as a fantasy map

The state of Nebraska reimagined as a fantasy map. This map is part of the Integral States Project, an art series that encourages reflection about the actual, pre-colonial history of these landscapes as well as the indigenous peoples who called them home. Proceeds benefit native charities.

 You’re very welcome to snag a free copy. Please rate if you like it to help others find these. Thanks! Prints are available at: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/alda-yuan

Project website: https://integralstatesproject.com. 

Most of the peoples who lived in what is now Nebraska were semi-nomadic, farming near permanent earthen lodge villages along rivers but also ranging to hunt. The name of the state comes from a Siouan word for what is now the Platte River. The Otoe called it the Nibrathka and the Omaha-Ponca called it Nibthaska, both of which mean “flat river.” The Umoho (Omaha) people lived in the Ohio River Valley before moving to the plains and splitting with the Quapaw, who settled in what is now Arkansas. Once in the plains, another division occurred, with the Usni (“cold” or Ponca) becoming an independent tribe though they continued to speak similar languages and remained geographically close. The Pawnee lived in the area along the North Platt River in four distinct bands and boast a cultural history that extends back 700 hundred years.