Whe'wahchee

Whe'wahchee (He'dewachi; Dance of Thanksgiving)

AugustWhe'wahchee is the annual dance and celebration of the Omaha Indian tribe of Nebraska, held on the Omaha Reservation in northeastern Nebraska. The ceremonies take place near a pole, usually made out of a cottonwood or willow tree, which represents numerous sacred beliefs.
The 188th dance was held in 1991, making this the oldest powwow in the United States. Lewis and Clark encountered the Omahas in 1803 and mentioned the Omaha Dance of Thanksgiving in their journal.
CONTACTS:
Omaha Tribe of Nebraska
P.O. Box 368
Macy, NE 68039
402-837-5391; fax: 402-837-5308
www.indianaffairs.state.ne.us
SOURCES:
EncyNatAmerRel-2001, p. 119