Post by Okwes on Dec 28, 2007 13:01:33 GMT -5
Ponca Tribe seeks independence
By Travis Coleman Journal Staff Writer
www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/06/13/news/top/2fade0c2ab7\
c8993862572f900082698.txt
<http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/06/13/news/top/2fade0c2ab\
7c8993862572f900082698.txt>
In many ways, the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska's rise from near extinction to
restoration began with a question from Fred Leroy's daughter.
"She asked why there was nothing in the history books about the Ponca
Tribe," said Leroy, 57, of Omaha, a member of the Ponca Tribal Council.
For Leroy and others, the question triggered the movement to rebuild the
Ponca Tribe from heirloom to provider of homes, health care and other
services for its more than 2,500 members.
On Monday, the tribe hosted more than 60 people at an open house in its
new Sioux City office at 119 Sixth St. The office staff hopes to guide
more than 80 of the city's tribal members to its educational, social and
cultural services.
It's the sixth field office for the tribe, with an Iowa location in
Carter Lake and Nebraska stops in Lincoln, Niobrara, Norfolk and Omaha.
As part of the restoration agreement, the tribe does not have a
reservation and the offices are central locations for tribal members
spread throughout the region, Leroy said.
The Poncas lost their traditional land holdings in northeast Nebraska in
1966 when the tribe lost federal recognition and all the benefits that
went with it. Starting in 1945, the federal government began removing
American Indians and their land from federal trust in order to withdraw
federal services and money that had been provided to Indian people
through treaties.
"Termination was the absolute death to the Ponca Tribe's development in
so many ways," said Beth Ritter, director of Native American Studies at
the University of Nebraska -- Omaha. "They lost access to all the
services that federally recognized tribes have."
Along with the land, tribal members lost their health care and
education, Ritter said. They didn't stay down for long, though.
In 1987, Leroy and others sent out 442 postcards to tribal members
throughout the nation to see if they wanted to get recognized as a tribe
again by the federal government. Of those 442, 360 said yes, and the
group formed a corporation with the goal of bringing the Ponca Tribe
back to life.
"People started to hear about it," Leroy said. "I was getting calls as
far as Alaska."
After multiple congressional meetings, President George H.W. Bush signed
the Ponca Restoration Act in October 1990, restoring the tribe.
"Our ancestors were looking down on us," Leroy said. "They thought it
was time to get restored again."
But restoration brought with it another set of problems. Without a
reservation, tribal administrators at first had trouble identifying
where their federally funded programs were needed most. Many tribal
members hadn't been seeking regular medical care because they didn't
have insurance, so in 1999 the tribe built a clinic in Omaha that has so
far served more than 5,000 people of many tribes and supports itself.
The tribe has also been able to provide free health care for its tribal
members elsewhere.
"They have some constraints. Because of that, they've had to be very
creative to take the services where their tribal members reside," Ritter
said.
Ritter did a survey of the tribe before the restoration and found that
in addition to needing basic services, tribal members wanted to know
more about their culture and history. There were also very few fluent
speakers of the Ponca language. The tribe is making efforts to meet
those needs as well. But it all takes money.
Without a reservation, gaming is not an option for economic development.
Instead, the tribe has created a hide-tanning operation in Niobrara.
"It definitely hasn't been easy," said Phil Wendzillo, a tribal council
member. "Our biggest obstacle is that our population has dispersed."
But another successful enterprise for the tribe has been the Northern
Ponca Housing Authority, which has helped 133 families get in homes
since 1994, Wendzillo said.
It's been a long road to get to this point, Leroy said.
But its all been worth it to see his grandchildren pounding on a drum
and learning what it means to be a Ponca.
"They're still carrying on the tradition," Leroy said. "They're all
proud to be Ponca."
By Travis Coleman Journal Staff Writer
www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/06/13/news/top/2fade0c2ab7\
c8993862572f900082698.txt
<http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/06/13/news/top/2fade0c2ab\
7c8993862572f900082698.txt>
In many ways, the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska's rise from near extinction to
restoration began with a question from Fred Leroy's daughter.
"She asked why there was nothing in the history books about the Ponca
Tribe," said Leroy, 57, of Omaha, a member of the Ponca Tribal Council.
For Leroy and others, the question triggered the movement to rebuild the
Ponca Tribe from heirloom to provider of homes, health care and other
services for its more than 2,500 members.
On Monday, the tribe hosted more than 60 people at an open house in its
new Sioux City office at 119 Sixth St. The office staff hopes to guide
more than 80 of the city's tribal members to its educational, social and
cultural services.
It's the sixth field office for the tribe, with an Iowa location in
Carter Lake and Nebraska stops in Lincoln, Niobrara, Norfolk and Omaha.
As part of the restoration agreement, the tribe does not have a
reservation and the offices are central locations for tribal members
spread throughout the region, Leroy said.
The Poncas lost their traditional land holdings in northeast Nebraska in
1966 when the tribe lost federal recognition and all the benefits that
went with it. Starting in 1945, the federal government began removing
American Indians and their land from federal trust in order to withdraw
federal services and money that had been provided to Indian people
through treaties.
"Termination was the absolute death to the Ponca Tribe's development in
so many ways," said Beth Ritter, director of Native American Studies at
the University of Nebraska -- Omaha. "They lost access to all the
services that federally recognized tribes have."
Along with the land, tribal members lost their health care and
education, Ritter said. They didn't stay down for long, though.
In 1987, Leroy and others sent out 442 postcards to tribal members
throughout the nation to see if they wanted to get recognized as a tribe
again by the federal government. Of those 442, 360 said yes, and the
group formed a corporation with the goal of bringing the Ponca Tribe
back to life.
"People started to hear about it," Leroy said. "I was getting calls as
far as Alaska."
After multiple congressional meetings, President George H.W. Bush signed
the Ponca Restoration Act in October 1990, restoring the tribe.
"Our ancestors were looking down on us," Leroy said. "They thought it
was time to get restored again."
But restoration brought with it another set of problems. Without a
reservation, tribal administrators at first had trouble identifying
where their federally funded programs were needed most. Many tribal
members hadn't been seeking regular medical care because they didn't
have insurance, so in 1999 the tribe built a clinic in Omaha that has so
far served more than 5,000 people of many tribes and supports itself.
The tribe has also been able to provide free health care for its tribal
members elsewhere.
"They have some constraints. Because of that, they've had to be very
creative to take the services where their tribal members reside," Ritter
said.
Ritter did a survey of the tribe before the restoration and found that
in addition to needing basic services, tribal members wanted to know
more about their culture and history. There were also very few fluent
speakers of the Ponca language. The tribe is making efforts to meet
those needs as well. But it all takes money.
Without a reservation, gaming is not an option for economic development.
Instead, the tribe has created a hide-tanning operation in Niobrara.
"It definitely hasn't been easy," said Phil Wendzillo, a tribal council
member. "Our biggest obstacle is that our population has dispersed."
But another successful enterprise for the tribe has been the Northern
Ponca Housing Authority, which has helped 133 families get in homes
since 1994, Wendzillo said.
It's been a long road to get to this point, Leroy said.
But its all been worth it to see his grandchildren pounding on a drum
and learning what it means to be a Ponca.
"They're still carrying on the tradition," Leroy said. "They're all
proud to be Ponca."