Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma search Home Government Programs and Services White Eagle Health Center Economic Development Ponca Scholars Ponca Scholars Ponca Achievements Ponca Tribal Member or Descendant Graduates of High school, General Education, College, Graduate School, any Certification, or accomplishment demonstrates a willingness to succeed and overcome any obstacles that may hinder progress. Strengthening the Ponca Tribe lies within our own members in order to work together for the proficiency of advancement. Below is a list of Ponca Member or Ponca Descendant recognitions. It is important to show support of achievement for Tribal Member or Descendant accomplishments. Ponca Scholars… Dominique "Sache" Primeaux-Shaw She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Oklahoma City University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma. Mrs. Shaw was also a former Miss Indian University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). Lauren Williams Graduate of Owasso High School, received a scholarship from OSU-Engineering-OSU School of Music and will be marching with the OSU Marching Band. Daughter of Ceasar Williams Jr and Elizabeth Williams, Granddaughter of Ceasar Williams and Dorcas Kent Williams Congratulations Tyra Williams on achieving your Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration from Northeastern State University (NSU) in Broken Arrow, OK and will soon finish her Masters in Health Care Administration. Daughter of Ty and Debbie Williams. Granddaughter of Ceasar Williams and Dorcas Kent Williams. Tyra is the current Tulsa Pow-Wow Princess. Storm'in Bible Proud of Storm'in for obtaining an Associate of Arts in Education-Elementary from Northern Oklahoma College. She is the daugher of Jana Grass and Kim Grass. Storm'in is also certified in Human Resources. Sara Buffalo Head-Bell She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Communications from Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Mrs. Bell is also a certified Yoga Instructor. Daughter of Dwight and Judy Buffalo Head. Granddaughter of Roy and Dorothy Buffalo Head. Congratulations to Wazhinguda Horinek, member of the International Indigenous Youth Council, on receiving the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award of 2018 in Washington D.C. This award is based on individuals or groups that stand up to oppression at grave personal risk in the nonviolent pursuit of human rights. He is of Ponca and Otoe tribal descent, son of Mekasi Horinek and Francis McIntosh. Grandson of Casey Camp Horinek, current Council Women of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma. Commemorations American Indian Movement Member Dwain Camp, Ponca Nation Elder provided a Remembrance Remembrance of WK "73" Wounded Knee, South Dakota was the site in 1890 of a massacre killing nearly 300 native women and children by the United States military forces. Not a battle as it has often been called but a well documented mass murder of unarmed civilians. This atrocity receives scarcely a footnote, if that, in our nation's history books. It deserves much more. Wounded Knee S.D. was the historically appropriate site, in 1973, of an occupation by native warriors that also deserves not to be forgotten. February 27th of this year marks the 45th year since the American Indian Movement entered and made their stand for 71 days at this small village. I remember I was there. As a native man born during the depths of the Great Depression in an Indian Health Service hospital, I was raised on a federal reservation and educated at a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school. To add another dimension, immediately after leaving boarding school, I traveled, worked, married, and had children while living in the world of the dominant society thus having one foot in our ancient culture and one foot firmly planted in the new millennium. Through living my dual cultures, I had a birds eye view of a deeply ingrained racial inequality. I came to understand that the United States was built on land stolen by force and by broken treaty. I learned that the European philosophical rationalism of "Doctrine of Discovery" and "Manifest Destiny" simply means, "might makes right." I also learned that our native nations, oppressed for 300 years, ravaged by new diseases to near or complete extinction, survived, greatly diminished in number, only to become victims of United States genocidal policies. The inequities list goes on, long and tragic. Then, in 1973, I joined the new warrior society of native people, the freedom fighters of the American Indian Movement (AIM) at the occupation of Wounded Knee, S.D., ("WK73"). This life changing experience began my 45 year journey down the Red Road of education and the struggles of indigenous activism. I proudly stood with my brothers and sisters at WK73. I proudly fought from the bunkers beside my own brothers Craig Camp and Carter Camp. We all learned and we grew in strength and number to become a part of the unmistakable resurgence of native nations within the United States. This progression from subjugation of a disenfranchised people to today's Native Nations, has been one of the most exciting and important chapters in recent history. Indigenous people, against all odds, with diligence, intelligence, strength and courage, salvaged the remnants of a sovereignty denied for centuries and thus embarked upon the miraculous renaissance of a historically resilient people. The native people of our generation, coming of age in a country with rampant racism, when a President was assassinated and other great leaders murdered, were swept up in a turbulence that did not include easily won social change. It's been said that the occupations of Wounded Knee in 1973 was possibly the longest civil disorder with armed conflict in the U.S. history since the Civil War. Certainly it brought national attention to the oppression of Indian people and it brought changes in federal Indian policy. The enactment of the Indian Self-Determination Act, the Indian Higher Education Act and later the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, became the catalysts of change unimaginable before the unprecedented siege. Legions of nameless, native heroes and heroines died or went to prison during those formative years. Many more went on to work the rest of their days, with pride and dignity, for their reborn tribal nations, exercising newly restored treaty rights including self governance. Importantly, we elders must pass on this knowledge gained and time is not on our side. Our Earth Mother is sick. All mankind is threatened. Modern technology plus man's avarice and greed have caused an impending apocalypse. We, who have always been there, whose bones of untold generations of our ancestors enrich the soil, are the stewards, the caretakers of this land. Joining hands will all kindred spirits, native, and non-native, we can give future generations a place in the sun. Our children must learn how imperative is this truth as we teach continuity of culture, tradition, and our true history. To help overcome five hundred years of generational trauma, historical trauma, we elders must impart this knowledge to our young ones. Giving them a positive ancestral foundation helps engender our children with a strong, positive self-image. A pride in themselves and as natives will help future generations be more capable of making good life decisions. Brother Carter Camp, founder of Oklahoma AIM, said, "As time has passed and I see so many of our young people taking part in a traditional way of living and believing, I know our fight was worth it and those we lost died worthy deaths." So, we will continue to give thanks to Wakonda. We will heal with Mother Earth. And Our Journey Will Continue. It Always Has. It Always Will. AND WE WON'T FORGET WOUNDED KNEE Dwain Camp, Ponca Nation Elder shongaska2@gmail.com Departments News & Events Government Programs and Services White Eagle Health Center Economic Development Employee Email Directory List of Contact Numbers below for departments and programs within the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma Ponca Tribal Directory Contact Us 20 White Eagle Drive Ponca City, OK 74601 (580) 762-8104 Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm Contact Us Copyright © 2018 Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma. All Rights Reserved. We use cookies We use cookies to provide website you with website functionality, and to understand our visitors, and where they come from. By visiting this website, you understand and agree to this. OK