Abstract

Abstract:

In 1910 the Omaha Tribe was allowed to file suit against the United States for claims emanating from their 1854 treaty. The land in question was also claimed by the Ponca Tribe, so the United States invited the Ponca to join their defense. Depositions were taken from seven Northern Ponca elders in 1912. While the Ponca provided compelling evidence to verify their claims, the courts rejected their arguments in three venues: the US Court of Claims, the United States Supreme Court, and, later, the Indian Claims Commission. However, these depositions stand the test of time because they provide invaluable insights into the Ponca's own perceptions of their homeland, allowing us to reconsider Ponca culture and history through the eyes of their elders.

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