Fontenelle features a Fontenelle

Logan Fontenelle enjoys talking about his family.

Tuesday, the descendant of fur trader Lucien Fontenelle and relative of the Omaha chief also named Logan Fontenelle, spoke about his family history to an audience at -- where else? -- the Fontenelle Forest Nature Center.

In a wide-ranging, hour-long speech, Fontenelle talked about the accomplishments the Omaha people and his family.

He focused on the lives of Lucien Fontenelle, his great-great-grandfather, who operated a fur-trading post in what is now Fontenelle Forest in the early 1800s, and on his namesake and great-grand-uncle, Chief Logan Fontenelle, who helped negotiate a treaty with the United States government in 1854 and for whom the forest is named.

Both are buried on Fontenelle Nature Association property. There are gravestones, Fontenelle said, although the exact sites of the graves are unknown.

“What makes it fun for me is, I want to educate people,” Fontenelle said after his speech. “A lot of people don't even know the City of Omaha was named after the Omaha tribe.

“The more I can inform them about Native Americans, and especially about my family the Fontenelles, the happier I am.”

Catherine Kuper, a naturalist with the Fontenelle Nature Association, said she was excited about the presentation, which drew more than 50 people.

“I'm very pleased we can provide Logan Fontenelle a place to talk about his rich ancestry,” she said.

Fontenelle's speech was part of the nature association's Seniors Understanding Nature (SUN) program, held the second Tuesday of each month at the nature center.

Upcoming events in the series include:

April 13: “Reptiles and Amphibians”

May 11: “Senior Camp”

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