A History of the Osage People

By Louis F. Burns

Traces 400 years of Osage culture from prehistoric times to the group's current status as an officially recognized tribe.

Osage traditional lands are located in mid-continental America encompassed by the present-day states of Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Major waterways through these lands and the defensible terrain of the Ozark range provided the tribe a distinct advantage in prehistoric and early historic times. A warlike people, the Osage long encroached on neighboring tribal lands, especially those of the Caddo to the southwest. Yet good natural boundaries and centuries of success in warfare afforded the tribe little advantage in attempts to forestall Euro-American westward expansion. Three major routes to the West--the Missouri and Arkansas Rivers and the Continental Trail--crossed Osage land, so conflict with the newcomers was inevitable.

Louis Burns draws on ancestral oral traditions and research in a broad body of literature to tell the story of the Osage people. He writes clearly and concisely, from the Osage perspective. First published in 1989 and for many years out of print, this revised edition is augmented by a new preface and maps. Because of its masterful compilation and synthesis of the known data, A History of the Osage People continues to be the best reference for information on an important American Indian people.

Louis F. Burns, of Osage-French-Scottish heritage, is a member of the Mottled Eagle Clan and author of six books, including Symbolic and Decorative Art of the Osage People.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0817350187
• ISBN13: 9780817350185
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: University Alabama Press
• Length: 592 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

An Osage Writes about the Osage

Burns has written an interesting and thorough history of the Osage Indians from their origins up until about 1950. To those who aren't familiar with them the Osage were one of the most powerful American tribes. They ruled over a shadowy empire in the 18th century that included most of the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma, and held the French and Spanish at bay. Their downfall came with the tidal wave of Anglo and Indian emigrants from the east, disease, and the destruction of the buffalo herds in the mid to late 19th century. Today, the Osages live in Oklahoma and are among the richest and best educated of Indians. (Truth in advertising: I have a smidgin of Osage blood, as well as that of three other Indian tribes.) I have a few complaints about this book. The author probably over-estimates the influence of the Osages on American culture. Similarly, I thought his statement that the survival of tribe was due to the Jesuits was a statement unsupported by any facts he presented. As the Jesuits were missionaries to the tribe during its period of decline in the late 19th century one might legitimately ask what benefits they brought. The author's connection of the Osage with the early explorations of DeSoto is probably off the mark -- in the opinion of most scholars. I also wish his footnotes were more ample. For example, he tells me the name -- which I hadn't known -- of my g-g-g-g grandmother but doesn't tell us where he discovered this bit of genealogical treasure. However, points of disagreement aside, this book delves deeply into the society and history of the Osage. It covers just about every aspect of the tribe -- war, religion, agriculture, hunting, character, folklore, and population. Perhaps the most interesting section of all is about the early 20th century when the newly-tamed and "civilized" Osage became rich with oil money which led to both amusing and tragic consequences. The author relates a number of ancedotes from the period. "A History of the Osage" is written with grace and conviction. Many maps supplement the text which is dotted with a great number of interesting tidbits of information. Smallchief