Creighton’s Founder’s Week is usually spent celebrating the memory of the Creighton brothers and their spouses who helped found the university. In addition to these activities, however, this year Creighton has the privilege to celebrate the Native American who founded the land before this university ever existed.
A historical marker was presented to Creighton University on Tuesday that acknowledges Native American, past and present, who were here before the university. A dedication and Native American memorial prayer service recognized the seven tribes and nations who have been an important part of the history here in Omaha.
Most markers only acknowledge the past, but there are still native people and people of all cultures on the campus today, director of the Native American Studies Program Rev. Raymond Bucko, S.J., said.
“Everyone has heard about Creighton’s background and mainly about the Creighton brothers, but no one thinks about the people who founded the land before them,” Bucko said. “There was a tradition before Creighton.”
Bucko played a vital role to get the historical marker for the campus. He said it was an important issue not just because he looks at every situation through the eyes of a Jesuit and an anthropologist, but because it had support from the Creighton community. Bucko was able to raise the money for the marker in just a few days.
“This is one step of visibility,” Bucko said. “One problem is most markers use past tense: while [Native Americans] are still a part of the population, they are still a part of the Creighton Community.”
Historically, the Omaha native people have lived in the city for hundreds of years, professor of native studies, sociology and anthropology, Rudi Mitchell said.
“There is no marker in the city as far as I know that gives tribute and recognizes the native people that once lived here before the first immigrants came to Omaha,” Mitchell said. “This marker and the dedication will pay tribute to the native people that once lived here and those native people that are still here.”