Interview with ORCA Award Winner Margaret Jacobs, UNL History; Indigenous Child Removal

Authors

• Mark Griep, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
• Margaret D. Jacobs, University of Nebraska LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2-16-2026

Document Type

Article

Citation

Transcript, January 16, 2026

Comments

Copyright 2026, Mark Griep. Used by permission.

Abstract

Dr. Margaret Jacobs was awarded the ORCA in 2021. She was born in San Pedro, California, but grew up in Colorado. Something in her youth must have sparked an interest in history because she earned a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate in that subject with a focus on the interactions between Indigenous peoples and settlers. Her bachelor’s was from Stanford University in California, while her master’s and doctorate were from the University of California, Davis. After teaching history at New Mexico State University, she joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2004 as professor of history and director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program. She has been very successful. In 2019, she was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Also in 2019, she received a three-year grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to gather materials related to the Genoa Indian Industrial School and then partner with two others make the materials available in a culturally sensitive way. In 2020, she became the Director of the UNL Center for Great Plains Studies where she has found ways to explore Great Plains culture, and to develop meaningful relationships with Nebraska’s current and former American Indian populations.