Politics and Culture of the Great Plains: an Introduction

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Great Plains Quarterly Great Plains Studies, Center for Spring 1997 Politics And Culture Of The Great Plains: An Introduction John C. Comer University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsquarterly Part of the Other International and Area Studies Commons Comer, John C., "Politics And Culture Of The Great Plains: An Introduction" (1997). Great Plains Quarterly. 1939. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsquarterly/1939 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Great Plains Studies, Center for at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Plains Quarterly by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. POLITICS AND CULTURE OF THE GREAT PLAINS: AN INTRODUCTION In April 1996 the Center for Great Plains guaranteed representation in Parliament. The Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln indigenous peoples of North America were sponsored its twentieth interdisciplinary sym and continue to be sovereign nations. Agree posium, "Politics and Culture of the Great ments negotiated between them and national Plains." From papers and presentations by governments are still valid, and national gov scholars from the United States and Canada, ernments are obligated to honor them, albeit dealing with Indian rights, women's suffrage, in a contemporary context. Guaranteed par education, the economy, elections, social liamentary representation is an intriguing idea, movements, and historical and contemporary though perhaps unlikely to be implemented. personalities, four are presented in this issue Ladner's essay encourages us to consider this of Great Plains Quarterly. and other alternatives that will enable na "Treaty Seven and Guaranteed Represen tional governments to fulfill their obligations tation: How Treaty Rights Can Evolve into to North America's first peoples. Parliamentary Seats" deals with relations be National boundaries rarely prevent people tween sovereign nations-the Blackfoot Con and ideas from moving in or out. Ideas, of federacy of southern Alberta and the national course, are the most mobile. In "Liberal Edu government of Canada. Kiera Ladner argues cation on the Great Plains: American Experi that the Indians had a fundamentally differ ments, Canadian Flirtations, 1930-1950," ent view than national authorities of Treaty Kevin Brooks focuses on the spread of liberal Seven. Concerned about rapid westward ex education to American and Canadian univer pansion in the US in the 1870s, Canadian sities of the Great Plains in the 1930s and authorities encouraged their own westward 1940s. He distinguishes between the ora expansion. Authorities viewed treaties as a torical tradition, dedicated to inculcating tra way to secure title to the land and bring the ditional values and insuring social stability, Indians under control, but the tribes intended and the philosophical tradition of seeking new to protect their land and life style. knowledge in the hope of improving society. What is the legal standing and meaning of Universities in the Midwest and Prairies sought treaty rights today? How can the tribes "main to make education "useful," combining the tain peace and good order" as they agreed to philosophical liberal education tradition with do in the treaty? Ladner suggests one way: vocational and professional training. 83 84 GREAT PLAINS QUARTERLY, SPRING 1997 In spite of the strong commitment of the common problems will lead to common solu universities in eastern Canada to the oratori tions. cal tradition and the recruitment of college Carmen Heider in "Conceptions of the N e educators from these institutions to oversee braska Voter in 1882: Paradoxes and Com the development of prairie universities, it was plexities Among 'Women'" tells us about the the midwestern model, with its emphasis on little known midwestern suffrage movement the practical as well as the general, that took of the late 1800s. Suffrage activism began in hold. Brooks argues lack of resources, distance, Nebraska in 1856, and prominent suffragists and the demand that education focus on the such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. practical foreclosed other options. His study Anthony toured the state in 1867, the year suggests that regional identities are sometimes Nebraska entered the Union, but male voters as important as national ones in explaining defeated suffrage in 1871 and again in 1882. the spread and adoption of ideas. The study Heider identifies those who supported and also helps define the Great Plains as a distinct opposed the measure and reconstructs their region, where environmental constraints en understandings of the "woman voter." sure common responses to social problems, in In general, the suffrage debate, both na this case sufficient to overcome the power of tionally and in Nebraska, was framed in terms national identity and national boundaries. of "separate spheres," how women were differ Where a border is open, one might expect ent from men. Others described women as simi persons, particularly those involved in protest lar to men, and some suggested that women movements, to seek support and cooperation were different from men but also different from across the border. In "Cross-Border Ties each other. Some dwelt on what they consid Among Protest Movements: The Great Plains ered women's limitations, pointing out that Connection," Mildred A. Schwartz examines women could not compete with the "more the link between agricultural, labor, ethnic, robust and opposite sex." environmental, and ideological movements The analysis suggests that the power and in the Great Plains region of the US and influence of women was enhanced by newspa Canada in the twentieth century. per coverage of their efforts to win the vote, United States farm organizations and co but that coverage tended to portray women in operatives typically spread to Canada, while traditional and stereotypical ways. While innovative Canadian farm policies served as women remain constrained by conservative models for the US. Farm organizers from the conceptions of what it means to be a man or US often helped found Canadian organiza woman, things have changed. Today, thirteen tions. In the 1920s, hard times made annex of forty-nine Nebraska state legislators are ation to the US attractive to some farmers in women and one woman has served as gover western Canada. US labor unions were orga nor. nized in Canada, and farmers and workers in The four articles provide a taste of Great Minnesota interacted and cooperated with Plains politics and culture. Lay readers who their counterparts in Saskatchewan. Even the find them interesting will seek out more of the Communist party had its cross-border connec vast literature describing the region and its tions as did the Ku Klux Klan, New Left, people, and the community of scholars who Green Movement, and Native Americans. study the Great Plains will find them a contri Social movements are free to move, and bution to research and a foundation upon the US and Canada, both democracies with a which to build additional study. British heritage, are culturally compatible. Resource-dependent Plains people are vulner JOHN COMER able to the same kinds of economic problems Department of Political Science on both sides of the line, so they assume that University of Nebraska-Lincoln .

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