Who Are the Ponca?
The Ponca are a Siouan-speaking people closely related to the Omaha, now divided into two federally recognized tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska (approximately 3,500 members) and the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma (approximately 4,000 members). They speak Omaha-Ponca, a Dhegiha Siouan language, critically endangered. The division reflects forced removal: in 1877, the US Army forcibly marched the Ponca from their Nebraska homeland to Indian Territory (Oklahoma). Chief Standing Bear's subsequent legal case (1879) established for the first time that Indians were "persons" under US law—a landmark in Native American civil rights.
Standing Bear's Case
In 1877, the federal government forcibly removed the Ponca to Indian Territory despite their peaceful relations with the US. The "Ponca Trail of Tears" killed nearly a third of the tribe, including Standing Bear's son. When Standing Bear left the reservation to bury his son in the ancestral homeland, he was arrested. Represented by attorneys who took the case pro bono, Standing Bear sued for a writ of habeas corpus. In Standing Bear v. Crook (1879), Judge Elmer Dundy ruled that "an Indian is a person within the meaning of the law"—the first such legal recognition. This victory allowed some Ponca to return to Nebraska.
Two Nations
The Standing Bear decision divided the Ponca. Those who returned to Nebraska eventually received a small reservation; those who remained in Oklahoma established a separate community. The Oklahoma Ponca developed differently—adopting elements of Southern Plains culture and eventually achieving federal recognition separately. The Nebraska Ponca, terminated in 1962, regained recognition in 1990 after years of advocacy. Today both tribes maintain separate governments, landholdings, and programs, though cultural connections persist. This division illustrates how federal policy created artificial separations within indigenous nations.
Contemporary Ponca
Modern Ponca tribes pursue distinct paths. The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, headquartered in Niobrara, operates health, housing, and social services across a service area without a contiguous land base. The Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, based in Ponca City, operates gaming facilities and cultural programs. Both work on language preservation; the Ponca Language Committee coordinates efforts. Annual powwows maintain traditions. Standing Bear's legacy is honored: his statue stands in the US Capitol's National Statuary Hall (2019), representing Nebraska. How both Ponca tribes preserve shared heritage while addressing separate community needs shapes this divided people's future.
References
- Starita, J. (2009). \"I Am a Man\": Chief Standing Bear's Journey for Justice
- Howard, J. H. (1965). The Ponca Tribe (Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 195)
- Tibbles, T. H. (1880). The Ponca Chiefs: An Account of the Trial of Standing Bear