Under a Shared Sky and More

Under a Shared Sky One hundred seventy years after they were taken from the site of a massacre, the belongings of Sicangu Lakota have been returned to their descendants under the Smithsonian Institution’s updated ethics policy. The items were gathered in September 1855, after U.S. Army forces attacked Lakota families camped along Blue Water Creek (near present-day Lewellen), killing more than 80 men, women, and children in the first Plains Indian massacre. A young Army lieutenant collected belongings scattered across the prairie and later donated many of them to the nation’s largest museum, where they remained until their recent return. The Spirit of Gravel Founded in 2008 by a small group of friends who simply wanted to ride without rules, Gravel Worlds grew out of a DIY spirit that valued adventure over competition. First known as The Goodlife Gravel Adventure, the event evolved into Gravel Worlds in 2010 when about 100 riders tackled an unmarked, unsupported course using cue sheets and trust to guide them. It has since grown into a global gravel cycling gathering, adding structure while keeping its original spirit of open roads, good stories, and riding for the love of it. A New Life for Old Paintings The historic painting “Freeman Homestead Cabin” painted by Gusta Strohm that depicts the first homesteader, and is held at Homestead National Monument, was recently restored at the Ford Conservation Lab in Omaha. We follow the restoration to learn how innovative techniques helped preserve this historic painting. Signal Butte, in Plain Sight Discover one of Nebraska's hidden archaeological gems in "Signal Butte: Hidden in Plain Sight." While iconic landmarks like Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff Monument dominate the western landscape, Signal Butte quietly rises above the plains, holding secrets dating back thousands of years. Stunning drone footage showcases the butte's natural beauty and towering presence, offering a breathtaking view of this National Historic Landmark. As one of the first sites to use radiocarbon dating, Signal Butte revealed layers of ancient human activity. Though lesser-known and tucked away on private land, it remains a significant window into Nebraska's prehistoric past.