Ponca Reservation
Encyclopedia
The Ponca Reservation of the Ponca tribe is located in northeast Nebraska
, with the seat of tribal government located in Niobrara
, Knox County
. The reservation is also the location of the historic Ponca Fort
called Nanza.
Established by a treaty dated March 12, 1858 and a supplemental treaty on March 10, 1865, the reservation was re-established by an Act of Congress
dated March 2, 1899. There were 27202.08 acres (110.1 km²) allotted to 167 Indians for settlement. An Indian agency and school buildings were reserved 160 acre (0.6474976 km²).
, with whom they were sworn enemies. In 1875 a Ponca agent visited President Ulysses S. Grant
to discuss moving the Ponca to the Indian Territory
in present-day Oklahoma
. Grant agreed to the move if the Ponca were willing. When the agent returned to Nebraska, Standing Bear
and other tribal members signed an agreement to move to the Indian Territory. The agreement also allowed several Ponca chiefs to select a new reservation there. In 1877 the Ponca leaders made arrangements to visit the Indian Territory and select a site for a new reservation.
leaders present, so no land agreements were signed. Standing Bear and the other leaders decided they wanted to return home, which infuriated the Indian agent who accompanied them. In February the group of chiefs decided to return on their own. The group spent much of their travels on the open prairie, going for days without rations. They arrived at the Ponca Reservation more than three months later in April 1877.
On their arrival, the group met with their Indian Agent, who had orders to remove the tribe by force to Oklahoma. The tribe was split about leaving; those willing left in mid-April. A month later Standing Bear and the remainder of the tribe left after a military unit from Fort Omaha
arrived. Nine people died on the journey, including Standing Bear's daughter. Prairie Flower died of consumption and was buried at Milford, Nebraska
. White Buffalo Girl, daughter of Black Elk and Moon Hawk, also died and was buried near Neligh, Nebraska
, with the people of Neiligh providing a Christian burial for the girl and crafting an oak cross over the gravesite. Black Elk asked that the grave of his daughter be honored, and in 1913 the town of Neligh erected a marble monument that is still there.
Several of the leaders of the tribe went back to Nebraska, only to be imprisoned at Fort Omaha
. General George Crook
, commander of the Department of the Platte
, imprisoned the contingent against his own best concerns. He tipped off Thomas Tibbles
of the Omaha Daily Herald, who brought national attention to the plight of the tribe. This eventually led the U.S. government to grant the tribe two reservations; one in Nebraska and one in Oklahoma.
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, with the seat of tribal government located in Niobrara
Niobrara, Nebraska
Niobrara is a village in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 370 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Niobrara is located at ....
, Knox County
Knox County, Nebraska
-History:The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through the area on 4 September 1804.The US Treaty with the Ponca tribe was signed at White Paint Creek on 9 June 1825.Knox County was formed in 1854. It was named after Major General Henry Knox.-Demographics:...
. The reservation is also the location of the historic Ponca Fort
Ponca Fort
Nanza is the Ponca name for what is now called Ponca Fort. It was a fortified village built by the Ponca in the vicinity of present-day Niobrara, Nebraska, USA, in circa 1700 and occupied until about 1865....
called Nanza.
Established by a treaty dated March 12, 1858 and a supplemental treaty on March 10, 1865, the reservation was re-established by an Act of Congress
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
dated March 2, 1899. There were 27202.08 acres (110.1 km²) allotted to 167 Indians for settlement. An Indian agency and school buildings were reserved 160 acre (0.6474976 km²).
History
Despite their original reservation having been established in 1858, the Ponca suffered decades of broken treaties, a lack of financial support from the U.S. Government, and ongoing attacks by the neighboring SiouxSioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
, with whom they were sworn enemies. In 1875 a Ponca agent visited President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
to discuss moving the Ponca to the Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
in present-day Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. Grant agreed to the move if the Ponca were willing. When the agent returned to Nebraska, Standing Bear
Standing Bear
Standing Bear was a Ponca Native American chief who successfully argued in U.S...
and other tribal members signed an agreement to move to the Indian Territory. The agreement also allowed several Ponca chiefs to select a new reservation there. In 1877 the Ponca leaders made arrangements to visit the Indian Territory and select a site for a new reservation.
Ponca Trail of Tears
In early 1877, ten Ponca leaders left for the Osage Reservation in Indian Territory to select a site for the new Ponca Reservation. Upon arriving, they found no OsageOsage
The Osage Nation, a Native American tribe in the United States, is the source of most other terms containing the word "osage".Osage can also refer to:*The Osage language, a Siouan language traditionally spoken by the Osage Nation...
leaders present, so no land agreements were signed. Standing Bear and the other leaders decided they wanted to return home, which infuriated the Indian agent who accompanied them. In February the group of chiefs decided to return on their own. The group spent much of their travels on the open prairie, going for days without rations. They arrived at the Ponca Reservation more than three months later in April 1877.
On their arrival, the group met with their Indian Agent, who had orders to remove the tribe by force to Oklahoma. The tribe was split about leaving; those willing left in mid-April. A month later Standing Bear and the remainder of the tribe left after a military unit from Fort Omaha
Fort Omaha
Fort Omaha, originally known as Sherman Barracks and then Omaha Barracks, is an Indian War-era United States Army supply installation. Located at 5730 North 30th Street, with the entrance at North 30th and Fort Streets in modern-day North Omaha, Nebraska, the facility is primarily occupied by ...
arrived. Nine people died on the journey, including Standing Bear's daughter. Prairie Flower died of consumption and was buried at Milford, Nebraska
Milford, Nebraska
Milford is a city in Seward County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,070 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Milford is located at ....
. White Buffalo Girl, daughter of Black Elk and Moon Hawk, also died and was buried near Neligh, Nebraska
Neligh, Nebraska
Neligh is a city in Antelope County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,651 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Antelope County. The city's name is pronounced .-History:...
, with the people of Neiligh providing a Christian burial for the girl and crafting an oak cross over the gravesite. Black Elk asked that the grave of his daughter be honored, and in 1913 the town of Neligh erected a marble monument that is still there.
Several of the leaders of the tribe went back to Nebraska, only to be imprisoned at Fort Omaha
Fort Omaha
Fort Omaha, originally known as Sherman Barracks and then Omaha Barracks, is an Indian War-era United States Army supply installation. Located at 5730 North 30th Street, with the entrance at North 30th and Fort Streets in modern-day North Omaha, Nebraska, the facility is primarily occupied by ...
. General George Crook
George Crook
George R. Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
, commander of the Department of the Platte
Department of the Platte
The Department of the Platte was a military administrative district established by the U.S. Army on March 5, 1866, with boundaries encompassing Iowa, Nebraska, Dakota Territory, Utah Territory and a small portion of Idaho...
, imprisoned the contingent against his own best concerns. He tipped off Thomas Tibbles
Thomas Tibbles
Thomas Henry Tibbles was a journalist and author from Omaha, Nebraska who became an activist for Native American rights in the United States during the late nineteenth century.- Life :Born in Ohio, he moved to Illinois with his parents...
of the Omaha Daily Herald, who brought national attention to the plight of the tribe. This eventually led the U.S. government to grant the tribe two reservations; one in Nebraska and one in Oklahoma.