East displays Native American artifacts

Caden Munderloh Web/Video Editor

What many students and even some staff at East don’t notice is the collection of Native American artifacts on display at the main entrance under the stairs. People who have noticed them before are probably wondering why they are there and what is their meaning. 

These artifacts are actually an important part of the school’s history, as well as Bellevue’s history, which is not often discussed in classes. 

“I do not know the purpose of the artifacts, but they should make it more available for students to learn about them since they are on display,” sophomore Matthew Holstein said. 

The reason the artifacts are in East school is because of the shared history with the Omaha Nation. The artifacts are the result of multiple actions to memorialize this history.

One of the ways Bellevue has  memorialized the history was when a group of middle school students that got together to raise money for the restoration of the Omaha nation’s graves, which included Chief Big Elk, Susan Fontenelle Neals, Lucien, and Meumbane Fontenelle, along with military graves which included over 1,000.  

The reason East has the artifacts is because of Rebecca’s Indian Trading Post. Rebecca’s Indian Trading Post donated the artifacts and created the display in the main entrance of East.

The artifacts are connected to the mascot the Chieftains, which is based on a Native American group belonging to the Omaha tribe. 

“The artifacts are in our school because we are the Chieftains and Native American artifacts like the spear are everywhere,” sophomore Erik Burnell said.

The reason we are the Chieftains is because the Omaha nation granted a large portion of land to early Nebraskan settlers. The land the Omaha Nation gave us started the first city in Nebraska; Bellevue. Then in commemoration, East was made to be the Chieftains.

Not everyone agrees with having a Native mascot for the schools. In a previous Tom Tom article, Native American and 2020 East graduate Kendra Dragon said that she thought that the mascot is disrespectful and that having a Native American mascot can have horrible effects on the students who are Native American because other students don’t recognize the culture behind the mascot. 

“I don’t think that Native American imagery is appropriate for schools or sports. These schools, specifically Bellevue East, I can tell you as a former student that the Native American culture is not taught how it should be,” Dragon said.   

For students who want to know more about the artifacts, there is a framed piece of paper, containing most information about the artifacts, which is located inside the display. 

“The history of the artifacts could be educational or interesting to people,” Holstein said. “I personally would like to know more about the artifacts.”