Omaha Sociology

Dorsey, James Owen, 1848-1895Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 486K words
Chapters: 49

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Omaha sociology (1884 N 03 / 1881-1882 (pages 205-370)) by James Owen DorseyAuthor: Dorsey, James Owen, 1848-1895,Language: English, Class: E011: History: America: America, Release Date: Aug 3, 2014

Editor's review

This is James Owen Dorsey's ethnographic text on the social organization of the Omaha Indians, originally published in the late nineteenth century and belonging to early documentary records of Native American studies. The book describes kinship relations, clan organization, social customs, and related topics, preserving field materials from the observer's perspective of that time; it is a useful reference for understanding Omaha social structure and early ethnographic writing. As a public-domain ebook released by Project Gutenberg, the English original is freely available and suitable as supplementary material for anthropology, ethnology, and American history research. Readers should note its historical limitations: its terminology and phrasing bear the marks of nineteenth-century ethnography, and it should be used in comparison with later scholarship rather than treated as the sole authoritative account.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Anthropology and ethnology students and researchers
Readers studying Native American social organization
Those interested in early ethnographic texts and field records
Students who need English public-domain material for coursework

Not a good fit for

General readers looking for popular stories or light reading
Beginners expecting a contemporary critical introduction
Readers unfamiliar with English and without translation aids

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and introduction first to grasp the framework of kinship and clan chapters
Keep a notebook to map kinship terms and organizational relations while reading
Read alongside contemporary ethnological research and distinguish period-specific phrasing
Read selectively by topic; linear cover-to-cover reading is not required

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Who is the subject of this book?

The subject is the Omaha Indians, focusing on their social organization, kinship relations, and social customs; it is an ethnographic record from the late nineteenth century.

Do I need a background in anthropology to read it?

Not strictly, but basic concepts of kinship systems and social organization will help; beginners may consult introductory ethnology materials first.

What are the historical limitations of the material?

The text dates from the nineteenth century, and its terminology and observational perspective reflect the ethnography of that era; readers should compare it with later research and avoid treating it as the sole authority.

How is the electronic edition best used?

It suits keyword searches and chapter-by-chapter selective reading, for course reference or research excerpts; taking notes on kinship terms and organizational relations is recommended.

Comments

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About the author

Dorsey, James Owen, 1848-1895 Author

James Owen Dorsey (1848–1895) was a nineteenth-century American ethnologist who devoted himself to the study of Native North Americans, especially the Siouan-speaking peoples. Five of his works are held here, including Omaha Sociology, A Study of Siouan Cults, Osage Traditions, Siouan Sociology, and Omaha Dwellings, Furniture and Implements. These writings center on the social organization, religious ceremonies, customs, traditions, and material life of peoples such as the Omaha and the Osage, and read as early ethnographic field records that emphasize kinship systems, clan structures, and oral traditions. Because public information is limited, details of his life and education cannot be confirmed; yet his surviving works offer relatively primary and concrete material for later study of Siouan culture and retain a certain reference value in North American ethnographic literature.