The Osage empire, as most histories claim, was built by Osage men’s prowess at hunting and war. But, as Tai S. Edwards observes in Osage Women and Empire, Osage cosmology defined men and women as necessary pairs. In their society, hunting and war, like everything else, involved both men and women. Only by studying the gender roles of both, can we hope to understand the rise and fall of the Osage empire.

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Author: Tai S. Edwards
Publisher: University Press of Kansas (May 7, 2018)

Synopsis:
In Osage Women and Empire, Tai S. Edwards challenges traditional narratives of the Osage empire by revealing the crucial, intertwined roles of men and women in its rise and fall. Examining Osage cosmology and gender complementarity, Edwards argues that Osage men and women worked together to build their society, with gender functioning as a central element in maintaining order and adapting to the challenges of U.S. settler colonialism. Drawing on diverse sources, Edwards offers a nuanced exploration of how gender shaped the Osage response to monumental changes, presenting a new perspective on their history and cultural resilience.

About the Author: Tai S. Edwards
Tai S. Edwards is an award-winning scholar and associate professor and director of the Kansas Studies Institute at Johnson County Community College.

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