National Nebraska Day – April 5, 2025

History of National Nebraska Day

The name ‘Nebraska’ is derived from the old ‘Otoe’ words ‘Ni Brasge’ or the Omaha words ‘Ni Bthaska.’ Meaning ‘flat water,’ it makes reference to the Platte River that flows through the state. Previously known as the Nebraska Territory, Nebraska became admitted to the Union as the 37th state on March 1, 1867. Before the era of European colonization, the area now known as Nebraska was inhabited by several indigenous people, such as the ‘Omaha,’ ‘Missouria,’ ‘Ponca,’ ‘Pawnee,’ ‘Otoe,’ and various parts of the Sioux.

Between the 17th and 18th centuries, both France and Spain fought for controlling interest in the region. While Spain first established trade connections in the 1690s, France developed similar relationships with the native people along the Missouri River in 1703. In 1794, the first European settlement was established in Nebraska by the Spanish government, under the command of James Mackay.

Nebraska officially became a territory under the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which was signed into law on May 30, 1854, by the U.S. Congress. At the time, the Nebraska Territory included the following states — North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. The territorial capital was Omaha. During the 1860s, most of the Native American tribes were forced to leave their homes and settle on reservations to make way for American and European settlers, who were awarded ‘free land’ by the U.S. government. This was done in pursuance of the Homestead Act of 1862. With the influx of more people into the territory, the population became large enough to apply for statehood.