Poncas divided by 1879 removal to reunite
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Filed Under:
National
The Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma and the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska will reuinte for the first time on Wednesday since they were divided by the United States 125 years ago.
The federal government removed the Poncas from their homelands in Nebraska and the Dakotas. In 1877, they were forced to march to Oklahoma, where they endured harsh conditions and lost nearly one-third of their people.
After eighteen months, Chief Standing Bear brought some of his people back to Nebraska in 1879. His arrest led to a landmark court ruling that said Indians had individual rights.
By 1882, the Ponca Tribe re-established itself in Nebraska. Those who remained in Indian Territory became the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma.
The councils of both federally-recognized tribes will now meet at their first official meeting on the campus of Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas. The tribes will discuss joint projects and shared legal, cultural and other concerns.
Relevant Links:
Ponca Tribe of Nebraska -
http://www.poncatribe-ne.org
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