Decorah, Iowa (RI) — Members of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe in Oklahoma visited Iowa on Monday to see portions of their ancestral homeland, retracing their removal path through Kansas and Nebraska.
Staff member Naomi Roubeadoux Quiroga says it can be painful returning to the land their ancestors knew.
During their stop in Decorah, Quiroga says the experience is especially important for younger tribal members.
Staff member Annette Arkeketa says seeing these sites feels like a homecoming.
The group visited sites near Council Bluffs and Okoboji, and will stop at Effigy Mounds National Monument in eastern Iowa before continuing into Wisconsin.
