30 Nebraskaland • October 2025
shaped earthen lodges in late winter to
begin another cycle of their variegated
lives on the Plains — according to the
Oklahoma Historical Society.
They called themselves Chatiks
si Chatiks, meaning "men of men."
Explorer Francisco Vásquez de
Coronado was the first European to
meet the Pawnee in 1541 and noted
the nation's powerful social and
governmental structure. In the early
1700s, the Pawnee began a lucrative
and mutually respectful trading
partnership with the French, with
whom they later allied to fight Spanish
expansion into the Great Plains.
However, following the Treaty
of Paris in 1763, which ended the
French and Indian War between
France and Great Britain over control
Regional Park Superintendent Laura Rose (left); gardener Ronnie O'Brien and her granddaughter, Louie Green,
of Shelton; and Fort Kearny State Historical Park Superintendent Gene Hunt stand near Arikara sunflowers.
Catlin, George. "Encampment of Pawnee Indians at Sunset." 1861-1869.
Oil on paperboard. 18½ x 24¾ in. Paul Mellon Collection.
