The Nation - News from Aug. 21, 1989

A sacred pole topped with a human scalp and said to have the power of life and unity was presented to the Omaha Tribe in Macy, Neb., after being held 101 years in a Boston museum. The pole, believed to be more than 300 years old, is a symbol of unity for the American Indian tribe. Its last keeper, Yellow Smoke, entrusted it to the Peabody Museum at Harvard University because he doubted younger generations of Omahas would cherish it. Tribal officials recently negotiated its return. “It will take up where it left off in 1888,” tribal chairman Doran Morris said last month. “It is a central part of our lives. It will influence our children and grandchildren.” The pole, more than 5 feet long and 4 inches thick, is made of pine believed to have been cut in northern Nebraska in the 1600s or 1700s. At its top is a human scalp. Animal skin webbing wrapped around the middle of the pole contains feathers and down from cranes. A stake made from ash is at the bottom.