Ponca Indian Agency (Nebraska)

Indian Tribes Associated With This Agency
Ponca, Oto, Missouri, Pawnee, Tonkawa, Kansas or Kaw

History
The Ponca Agency was established in 1859 and was located between the Niobrara and Missouri Rivers in Nebraska. The Ponca Indians and the agency which served them was moved to the Quapaw Reservation in Indian Territory in 1877. In 1879, members of Chief Joseph's Band of Nez Perce were placed under the Ponca Agency. In 1882, the Ponca in Indian Territory were consolidated into the Ponca, Pawnee, and Otoe Agency.

In 1878, some of the Ponca returned to Nebraska and were attached to the Santee Sioux Agency. In 1917, the Santee Sioux Agency was consolidated into the Yankton Agency. In 1933, the Ponca Indians were placed under the jurisdiction of the Winnebago Agency. They include census rolls, family records, birth and death certificates, marriages registers, annuity payrolls, allotment records, and other administrative records.

Letters received by the Office of Indian Affairs from the Ponca Agency, 1859-1880, have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M234, Rolls 670-677. Copies are available at the National Archives and at the Family History Library and its family history centers on their.

Reports of Inspection of the Field Jurisdictions of the Office of Indian Affairs, 1873-1900 have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of Microcopy Number M1070. The reports for Ponca Agency, 1874-1880, are on roll 37 of that Microcopy se t. Copies are available at the National Archives, their Regional Archives, and at the Family History Library and its family history centers (their ).

Agents and Appointment Dates
J.Shaw Gregory 1859 and 1860, John B. Hoffman 1861, Joel A. Potter 1865, Maj. W. H. Hugo 1869, Henry C. Gregory 1870, Charles P. Birkett 1872, Arthur J. Carrier 1875, James Lawrence 1876, Arthur J. Carrier 1875, James Lawrence 1876, E. A. Howard 1877, Albert G. Boone 1877, William H. Whiteman 1878, and William Whiting 1880

Records
Agencies and subagencies were created as administrative offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its predecessors. Their purpose was (and is) to manage Indian affairs with the tribes, to enforce policies, and to assist in maintaining the peace. The names and location of these agencies may have changed, but their purpose remained basically the same. Many of the records of genealogical value (for the tribe and tribal members) were created by and maintained by these offices.

Records available through the Family History Library
Annual Indian Census Rolls were taken at this agency for 1886-1927. These rolls have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M595, rolls 317-328. Copies of these records are also available at the National Archives, their Regional Archives, and at the Family History Library and its family history centers (their ). These census rolls are also available online at Ancestry.com subscription web site.


 * School Records Ponca Reservation school census 1927-1928,1930-1932 FHL Film: 1012662 Item 2