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WHO WE AREOsni Ponca LLC is a for-profit economic development company, wholly owned by the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, tasked with leading the way toward tribal self-sufficiency.
MISSIONOsni Ponca strives to create and stimulate the economy of the tribe while creating employment opportunities for tribal members. Our staff works to generate tax and other revenue so the tribal government can provide services to members of the tribe.
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Historically, the Ponca people utilized every part of the buffalo. Nothing went to waste. "Feed the Buffalo" refers to the commitment of all Tribal entities to locate, pursue, and fully utilize every resource available for the betterment of the Ponca people.
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ABOUT THE PONCA TRIBE
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The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska is a federally recognized Tribe with its Capital in Niobrara, Nebraska. We do not have a reservation in the classic definition; rather the Ponca Restoration Act defined our jurisdiction and Service Delivery Area that includes fifteen-counties in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. We offer a broad range of health, social, educational and cultural services through five office sites.
The Osni (Cold) Ponca Tribe of Nebraska are believed to have been part of the Omaha Tribe, having separated by the time Lewis and Clark came upon them in 1804. At that time, they were situated along Ponca Creek, in Knox County, near present-day Verdel. They lived in earth lodges and were primarily horticulturists, but also made seasonal hunting trips. They were on such a trip when Lewis and Clark came upon their village. Although the tribe’s exact origin is unknown, some scholars believed the Ponca migrated from an area along the Red River near Lake Winnipeg. However, by the early 1700s, the warring Sioux had forced them to relocate to the west bank of the Missouri River. The Osni Ponca leadership team states: “We lived in the Ohio River valley for years. We lived in Pipestone and Blood Run near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, from around 1200 to 1700. We lived in what is now known as Rapid City, near Big Horn Mountain, and a few other places in South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska. When we left the Sioux Falls area, we went to what is now known as Ponca, Nebraska, and then to Niobrara, Lynch, Verdel, etc.” |
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SERVICE DELIVERY AREAS
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The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska’s Service Delivery Area consists of fifteen federally-designated counties in Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa, described as follows in the Ponca Restoration Act of 1990: “…Members of the Tribe residing in Sarpy, Burt, Platte, Stanton, Holt, Hall, Wayne, Knox, Boyd, Madison, Douglas, or Lancaster Counties of Nebraska, Woodbury or Pottawattamie Counties of Iowa, or Charles Mix County of South Dakota shall be deemed to be residing on or near a reservation…” (25 USC 983)
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