Near Niobrara in Knox County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Ponca Tribe

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 7, 2021

1. The Ponca Tribe Marker

Inscription. This has been the homeland of the Ponca Indians since earliest recorded history. In 1868 the federal government signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie, which transferred the land to the Sioux without the permission of the Ponca. Treaties made with the government in 1858 had guaranteed their land to them. The Ponca were forcibly removed to Indian Territory in 1877. Unable to adjust to the climate of the South, many died, including the son of Chief Standing Bear.

In January 1879 Standing Bear and his people left Indian Territory bearing the remains of his son for burial in Nebraska. When troops arrested them, white friends came to their aid. A landmark court decision, Standing Bear vs Crook, which determined that "an Indian is a person within the meaning of the law," did much to provide legal rights for all Indians. In 1977, Standing Bear was elected to the Nebraska Hall of Fame.

A Nebraska reservation was eventually assigned to the Northern Ponca. In 1962 the reservation was terminated. The Northern Ponca were reinstated as a federally-recognized tribe on October 31, 1990.

Erected by Ponca Tribe of Nebraska; and Nebraska State Historical Society. (Marker Number 62.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Civil Rights

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• Native Americans. In addition, it is included in the Nebraska State Historical Society series list. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1879.

Location. 42° 45.029′ N, 98° 3.886′ W. Marker is near Niobrara, Nebraska, in Knox County. Marker is at the intersection of State Highway 12 and 522 Avenue, on the right when traveling west on State Highway 12. Marker is located in a pull-out on the north side of the highway, just east of the Niobrara State Park entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 89261 522 Avenue, Niobrara NE 68760, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Life After the Expedition (approx. 1.6 miles away); The Sage Brothers (approx. 1.7 miles away); Pow Wow! (approx. 2½ miles away); I Carry My Home With Me (approx. 2½ miles away); The Land is Sacred to the Ponca People as is Water (approx. 2½ miles away); Our Ponca Tribal Community Building (approx. 2.6 miles away); Water Invites Reflection (approx. 2.6 miles away); Our Village Homes (approx. 2.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Niobrara.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Chief Standing Bear

Also see . . .
1. Trial of Chief Standing Bear

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 7, 2021

2. The Ponca Tribe Marker

(looking north • Niobrara State Park in background)

. Promising to honor his son’s dying wish to be buried in his homeland, Standing Bear and a small band of his men began the arduous journey home to bury his son. They were soon arrested and about to be returned to Indian Territory when their plight was publicized in the Omaha Daily Herald. Standing Bear was held for trial at a fort near Omaha. The outcome was that the Indian was declared a “person” according to law and that Standing Bear and his followers were free to return to their homeland. However, as all of the Tribe’s land had been taken from them, they had no home to return to. Eventually, 26,000 acres in Knox County would be restored to them. Today, a bust of Standing Bear sits in Nebraska’s State Capitol Hall of Fame, honoring him for his efforts on behalf of Native American Rights. (Submitted on August 9, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Chief Standing Bear. From October 1879 to 1883, Standing Bear and others went on a speaking tour of the eastern United States, recounting the trial and describing Indian life. Standing Bear spent the last years of his life near other members of his tribe on their land along the Niobrara. In 1908 he died and was buried near his ancestors on a hill that overlooks his birthplace. The statue of Chief Standing Bear was given to the National

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Statuary Hall Collection by Nebraska in 2019. (Submitted on August 9, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. Ponca Tribe of Nebraska (Wikipedia). In the 1950s, the United States government unilaterally terminated recognition of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska. Since 1990, the tribe reacquired 413 acres of their lost lands. The US government finally re-recognized the tribe in 1990. Today the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska has over 2,783 enrolled members and is headquartered in Niobrara, Nebraska. (Submitted on August 9, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 13, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 9, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 193 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 9, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.