Nebraska News
Omaha language dictionary revised
© Copyright 2010, NET Radio
(2005-08-16)
LINCOLN, NE
(NET Radio) -
The man who helped create the orginal language dictionary for the Omaha tribe in the 1970's is working to revise it. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Professor Mark Awakuni Sweatland is not a Native American, but he was adopted into the Omaha tribe as a teenager by tribal elders Elizabeth and Charles Stabler. It was Elizabeth who ignited his passion for the Omaha language. She was an Omaha language teacher who saw the need for a dictionary, and together they created one. Nearly 30 years later Awakuni Sweatland is working with the Omaha Language Center to update the dictionary, which is out of print. He says its a collaborative effort with the Omaha Nation School. Awakuni Sweatland's students are helping with the revision, which is expected to take several years to complete© Copyright 2010, NET Radio

