today i was at swanson reservoir, west of mccook and right next to massacre canyon. of course, i had to find out why massacre canyon got that name and this is what i learned.
This narrow canyon feeding into the Republican River valley was the location of the final inter-tribal battle in Nebraska and includes, as well, the remains of an important prehistoric archeological site. On the annual summer bison hunt to the Republican valley in early August 1873, the Pawnee established a camp near present-day Trenton. On August 5 the Pawnee broke camp, traveled down river several miles, and then turned north up Massacre Canyon. During the bison hunt the Pawnee were attacked by over 1,000 Brule and Oglala Sioux warriors. Between 70 and 100 Pawnee were killed or wounded compared to only six Sioux casualties. The Massacre Canyon incident was the final communal bison hunt for the Pawnee, and within three years the entire tribe moved to a permanent reservation in Oklahoma.
The archeological site is a notable example of the Woodland Tradition, which flourished along the Republican and its tributaries from approximately A.D. 500- 1000. The site appears to be the remains of a small village containing hearths, storage or refuse pits, and a burial area.
2 comments:
Hmm. That's thrilling. No wonder you were selected Catty Girl!
wow, ive lived my whole life in nebraska and had no idea that we have this kind of history close by. tragic reality. i wonder what the future will think of us, a few hundred years from now, about OUR time here, and what will be left behind. its really very sad that most of us dont take any time or thought to look back and appreciate, or learn.
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