Ponca Indian Agency (Nebraska)

Indian Tribes Associated With This Agency
Ponca

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 Poncas 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.

Records
Many of the records of the Ponca Agency and its successors are part of the records of the Winnebago Agency. Those records are in the Central Plains Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Kansas City. 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 microfilm roll numbers 1661400 thru 1661407.

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 microfilm roll number 1617710).