The Ponca Indian Tribe is a Native American Tribe from Nebraska and South Dakota. Northern Poncas are still located in Nebraska but Southern members of the Ponca Tribe moved to Oklahoma in the 1800s. At the time, the Ponca Tribe was not the only natives living on this region. The other landowners of present day South Dakota were the Arikara Tribe, the Cheyenne Tribe, and the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Tribes. The other tribes that owned had land in Nebraska were the Arapaho Tribe, the Cheyenne Tribe, the Kansa Tribe, the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Tribes, the Missouri Tribe, the Omaha Tribe, etc. The Poncas were a very unique tribe. Modern-day Poncas speak english but some elders speak the Omaha-Ponca language, the language they share with the Omaha tribe. This language is endangered because Ponca children are no longer learning this language. The Ponca children lived very basic lifes. They spent time and played with other children, went to school, and did chores like helping out around the house. Many also enjoyed hunting and fishing with their fathers. The mothers took care of the children, farmed, and cooked while the fathers were hunting, many fathers went to war. Some of the Indians lived in villages that had round earthen lodges as housing, …show more content…
The Ponca Tribe separated from the Omaha Tribe in the early 1800s and migrated west of the Great Lakes Region. In 1804, they were met by Lewis and Clark. At this time they had a very small population due to smallpox that killed more than half of their members. Lewis and Clark say they lived north of the Red River, but many think they have the Poncas confused with the Cheyenne Tribe. By 1870, the tribe had about 700 members. The Poncas remained on their land until 1877, when the removal to tribes on Indian territory was enforced. More than half of the Ponca Tribe was killed during this