Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-02-02
The POnca Indians.

the above title. The land was confirmed
to them by government treaties. In 1868
treaty was concluded with the Sioux by
which reservation in Dakota was granted
to them including, through blunder the
tract Of ninety-six thousand acres which had
formerly been confirmed to the Poncas. The
Sioux and the Poncas were hereditary enc
mics. The former being warlike, as well
as the more powerful tribe, the latter had
suffered severely from the incursions OF
their inhospitable neighbors. The Poncas
had made some progress in the arts of civil
ization. They had built houses and culti-
waited their fields and had some schools.
Pressed by the hostile Sioux, the Poncas be-
gan to entreat the government to remove
them to the Omaha reservation, which was
never done. Subsequently, in 1875, they
petitioned to be allowed to remove to Indian
territory, though they afterwards claimed
that they had understood the petition which
they had signed to be for removal to the
Omaha reservation, and to send delegation
to Indian territory to see if they could find
a suitable home there. Appropriations were
made by congress for the removal of the
Poncas to the Indian territory and to pro-
vide them with permanent homes there,
with the consent of the tribe. In January,
1877, an Indian inspector was sent to Dakota
to obtain the consent of the Poncas to the
removal. The Indians disclaimed any de-
sire for removal, but finally agreed to send
a delegation to Indian territory to select
location, STIMULATING that their chiefs should
afterwards be allowed to go to Washington
to arrange for the surrender of their Dakota
lands. The inspector made their consent
to the surrender of their Dakota reserva-
ton the consideration upon which the above
arrangement would be assented to, and re-
ported to the Indian department that the
consent of the Poncas to the REIMBURSEMENT
of their Dakota lands had been conclusively
given at council, the final details to be
arranged at Washington. 1t appears that
this consent consisted in speeches by the
chiefs, and not in a formal REIMBURSEMENT in
writing with signatures. Under this ar
rangement the removal of the Poncas to
Indian territory to lands selected by dele
CATION of their chiefs was carried into effect
in May, 1877. The removal at first encoun-
tered the violent opposition of large part
OF the tribe, but resistance ended in peace
full acquiescence and the final domiciling of
the entire tribe in Indian territory. They
abandoned all their improvements, their
farming tools, their houses, and their schools
to go to an unknown land many hundred
miles away. The removal was a sort of re-
production in Indian land of an historic
event in Arcadia, immortalized by Longfel-
low in his Evangeline. The tribe suffered
many disasters on their way to their new
home, and the location selected by their
chiefs proved to be an unhealthy one and
great numbers died from disease Great
dissatisfaction prevailed and portion of the
tribe escaped and returned to Dakota. Their
chiefs presented their case in person at Wash.
ington, and asked permission to return to
Dakota. The full extent of the wrong that
had been done then became apparent But
the Sioux had already occupied their old
homes in Dakota, and to allow the Poncas
to return would apparently provoke an
Indian war. A new location in Indian ter
ritory, healthful, and embracing its best
lands, was accordingly selected for the Pom
cas-. In July, 1878, they went to it, and |
this tract they now occupy. Government |
has provided them with houses and schools,
farming implements, horses and cattle, and
their condition has rapidly improved. But
the sentiment has prevailed among their
young men that the Dakota lands are Justly |
their own, and that sometime they will return |
and occupy them. This feeling has retarded
their new home, and the chiefs, recognizing |
the fact that the best interests of the tribe |
would now be served by remaining in Indian
territory and by cutting off all hope of re-
turning to Dakota, have expressed desire
formally to relinqush all claim to their old
home and receive title to the lands where
they now are, together with such restitution
for the losses and disasters they have suffered
as the equities and humanities of the case
demand.
December 18th, the president sent COM
mission to the Poncas for the purpose of as
certaining the facts concerning their removal
and present condition, with view to doing
all that justice and humanity require to
make amends, as far as possible, for the
wrongs and injuries they have suffered. The
commission was composed of Generals Miles
and Crooks, who have distinguished them.
selves in the Indian wars, William Stickney
OF Washington and Walter Allen of Massa-
chusetts The commission find the facts
substantially as recited above and recon.
mend, by way of ample and speedy redress,
that an allotment of one hundred and sixty
acres of land be made to each mau, woman
and child of the Ponca tribe, the lands to be
selected by them on the old reservation in
Dakota, or on the lands now occupied by
them In Indian territory, within one year
from the passage of an act granting such
tracts; that the government appropriate not
less than $4,000 per annum for the next |
five years, to be divided pro rata for the ben
eft OF the tribe; that $4,000 be expended |
for agricultural implements, stock and Seed |
$4,000 for the construction of dwellings, and |
$4,000 more for school-houses. Provision is |
made for securing to them the full possession |
and enjoyment of these benefits. The ap-
prehension of Secretary Schurz that the re- |
turn of the Poncas to Dakota would result
in an Indian war is not sustained by the |
report, and the spontaneous desire of the
chiefs to remain in Indian territory seems to |
have arisen from sheer despair of regaining
their rights, under the impression that gov
eminent would not recognize the validity of
their title to the Dakota lands. Bills en-
bodying the recommendations of the COM
mission have already been introduced into
congress- In the disposition shown by the
government to deal justly and humanely, to
keep its pledges, and to right the wrongs it
has inflicted, we are evidently approaching
a solution of this vexed Indian question.
THOUSANDS of people declare that they
would favor the enactment of a strict pro-
hibitory law if the masses were educated up
to that point and would sustain it, but they
do not believe in putting laws upon the
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