Pawnee Proverbs

What happened in the past and cannot be stopped should not be lamented over.

Let us see—is this real, this life that I am living?

Native American Wisdom

The Pawnee used to live in what is now Nebraska and primarily farmed in their villages, but also went to the plains a couple times a year to live there and hunt buffalo. Pawnee men sported a very interesting look: they shaved their heads but left a small scalp lock that they stiffened with various materials, and pointed upwards.

The Pawnee were very religious, and much of their religious activity revolved around corn, which they viewed as a sacred gift. They also believed that some stars were gods. Additionally, like most other tribes, they had shamans that were regarded as having mystical and special powers.

In the late 1800s, attacks from other tribes and an influx of white settlers caused the Pawnee to move to what is now Oklahoma. Today, there are around 3,000 Pawnee, most of whom live in Pawnee, Oklahoma.