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Rosalie LaFlesche Farley was the second daughter of Joseph LaFlesche, the last recognized Chief of the Omaha. LaFlesche wanted his people to maintain their tribal identity yet was convinced that they needed to look to the future. He urged them to become farmers and to seek education. He set the example through the formal education of his own children, all of whom were exceptional. They became part of the first generation to adapt to the new way.

It was Rosalie who stepped into the role of her father and served her people in the most direct way. Born in 1861, she received her primary education at the Presbyterian Mission School on the reservation and learned tribal values from her mother. In 1880, Rosalie married Ed Farley, the son of Irish immigrants. Because of her skills in English, Rosalie was called upon to act as an interpreter and mediator in both public meetings and personal business affairs. Native Americans and Whites respected and trusted her. In 1881, she met Alice Fletcher, an ethnologist from Pennsylvania, and assisted her in collecting and recording the traditions of the Omaha.

Rosalie and Ed created the cooperative grazing project in 1884. Rosalie took control of the endless details involved in leasing the land, advising tribal members and serving as a liaison between the Indian Council and the government agents. The project was planned to create income for the Omaha and result in self-sufficiency for the tribe. Instead, the leasing of Indian land resulted in lengthy legal battles over ownership rights and profits. It was a long, frustrating battle and the physical strain took its toll on Rosalie. She fell ill and died in 1900 at the age of 39. The case continued to the Nebraska Supreme Court, which, in 1907 ruled in favor of Rosalie.

When Rosalie died, Native Americans and Whites mourned her passing. The Omaha Bee eulogized her as "…a woman of rare business qualifications…but her influence among the Omaha was not due to her sagacity…She was the resource of the poor, sick and improvident. Her life was a benediction. Truly, she was one of the most remarkable women of the state."