Prairie Nationalist

Welcome to the Prairie! As a resident of a Great Plains state and the descendant of ranchers and farmers who settled this beautiful land, Prairie Nationalism has been an idea brewing in my mind for several years now. The culture of the Prairies is vibrant and diverse. Towns made up of German, Dutch, Anglo, Swedish and Danish pioneers sprang up from the grasslands in the mid-to-late 19th century. Before this settlement the only inhabitants of the stretching prairies were the Bison and the warlike, savage tribes of Plains Indians including the Blackfoot, Kiowa, Arapaho and Lakota.

Life on the Prairies was a struggle no matter the season. In winter blisteringly cold winds swept the prairie and snowfall buried landmarks and blinded settlers. In summer the scorching heat baked the earth and brought swarms of locusts that devoured everything in sight - even clothing, wagon covers and clotheslines. When the earth itself wasn’t presenting deadly hazards, the wild Indian tribes resisted the incursion of Old World settlers. European blood made the soil rich and fertile in those early years.

The heirs of this tradition of hardship and struggle owe everything to the first pioneers. A land that was previously barren of any human structure has been settled and civilized. However outside of city limits, the prairie still presents a harsh climate that still claims victims even with our modern conveniences when it catches travelers unawares.

We the sons and daughters of those bold pioneers claim these plains and prairies as our birthright. We honor the traditions of hard work, pragmatic spirit and familial loyalty that our ancestors passed down to us. This is: Prairie Nationalism.