Lincoln resident Eric Bigham used to teach his kids about native plants in a serene environment on unbroken land about 5 miles south of Lincoln.
The plot is near the intersection of U.S. 77 and Hickman Road, which was commemorated in 1976 with a bicentennial prairie marker.
Pawnee Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Matt Reed found it peculiar that the tribe’s history and land were commemorated on the bicentennial of America’s founding.
“Our culture and history is not the United States,’†he said.
Within the past year, two hoop buildings storing salt and winter materials were built for the Nebraska Department of Transportation on the property directly between the prairie and its entrance at 1400 Hickman Road. The fence of the NDOT reload site borders a majority of the sidewalk to the prairie.
“You feel like you’re in the city next to a prairie,†he said.
Bigham, 43, often rides his motorcycle around Southeast Nebraska and takes photos of nature to prove Nebraska isn’t a "flyover state." He discovered the prairie about three years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was trying to get out of the city to just avoid people because no one knew what was going on with the virus right then and I figured the countryside was a great way to keep a distance, but actually do stuff,†he said.
According to the Nebraska State Historical Society website, most of the state resembled this prairie before settlers took over the land originally owned by the Pawnee Nation and Otoe-Missouria Tribe.
Lincoln resident, teacher and historian Elinor Brown was the sponsor for the marker.
The prairie marker is on land William Mitchell had purchased in the early 1880s and his grandson, Charlton Mitchell, had sold to the State of Nebraska.
Autumn Langemeier, the coordinator for the Historical Markers Program, said there are almost 600 markers in Nebraska, but only a handful are for prairies.
Bigham — who worked for NDOT as a temporary worker in the past — said the department has taken away a peaceful area for the community to enjoy native plants.
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Even before the recent construction, which blocks the view of the prairie from the road, there was no signage for the historical marker. Passersby would never know that they were driving past land that had been designated to preserve history that predates the founding of the United States.
Now, there is only room for a few cars to park. There had never been an accessible ramp to the sidewalk, but now there is even less access to the sidewalk that leads to the prairie.
“It has taken away the ambience and the real meaning of what a prairie is,†Bigham said. “It is untouched, unfazed and protected.â€
The District Operations and Maintenance Manager for NDOT District 1, Bob Rankin, helped choose the location for the storage buildings. Since the state already owned the property and it’s close to several of the department’s yards, he said it was the best option.
Rankin said planners had purposefully left some parking and sidewalk space for visitors to access the prairie. An accessible ramp is planned to be built in 2028.
An environmental review evaluated possible effects on wetlands, threatened and endangered species, water quality and cultural resources. Rankin said the site was only approved after no effects were found.
“We want to be good stewards to the property and the environment,†Rankin said.
Bigham said the area used to feel as though visitors were shielded by nature. Now, he said it feels like visitors are surrounded by industrial buildings and he worries the prairie will be taken over.
“It's just another stain on what we have done to some of the native land and species of the state and it's just another place that’s probably going to fade away,†Bigham said.
Rankin said there are currently no plans to develop the prairie.
Reed, who is also the head chief of the Pawnee Nation's Chaui band, said the prairie has no cultural significance and was most likely hunting land.
The Pawnee Nation’s homeland is what is now Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota, Missouri, Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska. Considering larger projects — like Omaha being built over multiple earth lodges — the construction bordering the prairie is not a worry to the tribe.
“So much of our history has been plowed over and paved under in the last 150 years,†he said. “It's ridiculous and nobody gives any of that a second thought.â€
Reed said the tribe, along with many other tribes, has dealt with erasure from the state, but being back on their homeland is indescribable.
“Our folks have lived there for so long and they've turned into dust,†he said. “That dirt up there is literally our ancestors, so we have a strong connection to Nebraska.â€
Reed said the tribe still owns some land in Nebraska and it intends to purchase more.
Two recently built Nebraska Department of Transportation hoop buildings are located next to a historical prairie marker near the U.S. 77 and Hickman Road intersection.
Fencing runs along the perimeter of two recently built Nebraska Department of Transportation hoop buildings at 1400 Hickman Road. The buildings and the fence limit parking and block the view of a historical prairie marker.
The prairie marker is on land William Mitchell had purchased in the early 1880s and his grandson, Charlton Mitchell, had sold to the State of Nebraska. Autumn Langemeier, the coordinator for the Historical Markers Program, said there are almost 600 markers in Nebraska, but only a handful are for prairies.
Two recently built Nebraska Department of Transportation hoop buildings are seen at 1400 Hickman Road. The buildings limit parking and block the view of a historical prairie marker.