1 2 Ind. C1. Com. 265 BEFORE THE I N D I A N CLAIMS COMMISSION

1

THE PONCA TRIBE OF INDIANS OF OKLAHOMA,

1

1

and

. 1

WILLIAM OVERLAND, METHA C O L L I ~ S, and JOHN WILLIAMS, a s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f t h e PONCA TRIBE and a l l t h e members t h e r e o f ,

)

1 1 1

1 Petitioners,

v.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Docket No. 322

)

Defendant. Decided:

)

1 1 1 1 1

J u l y 26, 1963

Appearances: Edwin A. R o t h s c h i l d , w i t h whom was Louis L. Rochmes, Attorneys f o r P e t i t i o n e r s Bernard M. Newburg, w i t h whom was M r . A s s i s t a n t A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l , Ramsey C l a r k , A t t o r n e y s f o r Defendant

--

OPINION OF THE COMXISSION S c o t t , A s s o c i a t e Commissioner, d e l i v e r e d t h e o p i n i o n o f t h e Commission. The p e t i t i o n e r s h e r e i n a s s e r t a c l a i m f o r t h e v a l u e o f c e r t a i n l a n d s l o c a t e d i n Nebraska and South Dakota and damages under t h e p r o v i s i o n s o f

all of t h e s u b - s e c t i o n s o f S e c t i o n two of t h e Act o f August 13, 1946. The e x t e n t of t h e p e t i t i o n e r s ' c l a i m i s s e t o u t i n F i n d i n g s 2 and 3 o f t h e f i n d i n g s of f a c t accompanying t h i s o p i n i o n .

1 2 Ind. C1. Corn. 265

The p e t i t i o n e r t r i b e was s i g n a t o r y t o a t r e a t y e n t e r e d i n t o a t Washington, D. C. by d e l e g a t e s of t h e Ponca T r i b e and a United S t a t e s Commissioner, s a i d t r e a t y being dated March 12, 1858, confirmed and proclaimed on A p r i l 11, 1859 (12 S t a t . 997).

By t h e terms of t h i s

rea at^,

t h e Ponca Tribe ceded t o the United S t a t e s " a l l lands now owned o r claimed by them, wherever s i t u a t e Y 1 Iexcept a r e s e r v a t i o n l o c a t e d on t h e Niobrara River and c o n s i s t i n g of approximately 60,000 e c r e s . P e t i t i o n e r s claim t h a t under t h e p r o v i s i o n s o f t h e 1858 T r e a t y , t h e Ponca T r i b e r e l i n q u i s h e d t o t h e United S t a t e s a l l r i g h t , t i t l e and i n t e r e s t t o a l l t h e lands which it had h e l d "during t h e f i r s t h a l f of t h e 1 9 t h century" f o r an unconscionable c o c s i d e r a t i o n , t h a t t h e - c e s s i o n of s u c h lands was obtained through duress, f r a u d and o t h e r improper means, t h a t t h e d u t i e s of t h e United S t a t e s a s guardian and t r u s t e e of t h e Ponca T r i b e were disregarded and v i o l a t e d , and t h a t a s a r e s u l t of t h e acquis i t i o n of such lands from t h e Ponca T r i b e , t h e United S t a t e s wrongfully profited.

P e t i t i o n e r s a l s o claim t h a t lands belonging t o them were ceded

t o t h e United S t a t e s by t h e Sioux T r i b e under t h e T r e a t y of September 17, 1851, known a s t h e F o r t Laramie T r e a t y (11 S t a t . 749), by t h e T r e a t y w i t h t h e Omahas, d a t e d March 16, 1854 (10 S t a t . 1043) and by t h e T r e a t y w i t h t h e Pawnees d a t e d September 24, 1857 ( 1 1 S t a t . 729). The p e t i t i o n e r s a r e t h e Ponca T r i b e of I n d i a n s of Oklehoma and William Overland, Metha C o l l i n s and John Williams.

The Ponca T r i b e , con-

s i s t i n g of t h e p o r t i o n of t h e Ponca I n d i a n s now l i v i n g i n Oklahoma, was i n c o r p o r a t e d under t h e Oklahoma l n d i a n Welfare Act of J u n e 26, 1936, .

(49 S t a t . 1967); i t s counsel had been approved by t h e S e c r e t a r y o f t h e

I n t e r i o r , and p e t i t i o n e r s a r e a u t h o r i z e d t o p r o s e c u t e t h i s c l a i m i n a r e p r e s e n t a t i v e c a p a c i t y on behalf of t h e Ponca T r i b e of I n d i a n s a s i t e x i s t e d when i t s lands were a l l e g e d t o have been taken by defendant. The m a t t e r s now b e f o r e t h i s Cormnission f o r d e t e r m i n a t i o n a r e whether t h e Ponca T r i b e of I n d i a n s h e l d I n d i a n t i t l e t o t h e a r e a of l a n d i n Nebraska and South Dakota t o which p e t i t i o n e r s a l l e g e i t h e l d t i t l e t t t h e d a t e of t h e T r e a t y of 1858 and f o r which p e t i t i o n e t s c l a i m t h e y a r e e n t i t l e d t o compensation under t h e I n d i a n Claims Commission Act, a s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of t h e Ponca Tribe, and i f t h e Commission s h o u l d f i n d t h e Ponca T r i b e d i d hold I n d i a n t i t l e t o any lands, t h e a r e a o f s u c h l a n d s . Defendant has contended t h a t t h e p e t i t i o n e r s have no c l a i m because t h e y have not e s t a b l i s h e d t h a t t h e f o n c a Tribe h e l d a b o r i g i n a l t i t l e o r

t h a t it e x c l u s i v e l y occupied o r possessed any p a r t of t h e l a n d s i n q u e s t i o n , o r t i t l e t o any land i n 1851, 1854, I857 o r 1858 because t h e r e was

no area t o which i t could prove continuous and e x c l u s i v e p o s s e s s i o n between- 1803, the d a t e i n which t h e t e r r i t o r y was purchased from F r a n c e by t h e United S t a t e s and t h e d a t e s of a l l e g e d t a k i n g s . The f u r t h e r q u e s t i o n b e f o r e t h i s Commission a t t h i s t i m e i s whether t h e p e t i t i o n e r s have e s t a b l i s h e d t h a t t h e Ponca T r i b e of I n d i a n s had o r i g i n a l I n d i a n t i t l e t o a l l o r any p a r t of the l a n d s involved a t t h e t i m e s s u c h l a n d s were taken by o r ceded t o t h e United S t a t e s by o t h e r t r i b e s .

A s t o t h e t e r r i t o r y w e s t of t h e F o r t Laramie l i n e , p e t i t i o n e r s i n a l l e g a t i o n 10, a l l e g e d t h a t p r i o r t o March 12, 1858, p o r t i o n s of t h e Ponca l a n d s l y i n g w e s t of a l i n e known a s t h e Fort Larzmie Boundary "were invaded by t h e Sioux.

The remainder of t h e Ponca country, however, i n c l u d i n g a l l

12 Ind. Cl.*Comm.

265

of t h e t r a c t described i n Paragraph 9 l y l n g e a s t of t h e F o r t Laramie boundary, continued t o be owned and occupied by t h e Ponca T r i b e u n t i l t h e execution of t h e T r e a t y of March 12, 1858

-

...

11

Defendant admits execution of t h e p o r t Laramie T r e a t y d a t e d September 17, 1851, but contends t h a t t h e Ponca could n o t e s t a b l i s h I n d i a n a*

t i t l e t o t h e lands claimed i n l i g h t of h i s t o r y , and t h a t t h e p e t i t i o n e r s have admitted i n v a s i o n and occupancy of t h e p o r t i o n s l y i n g w e s t o f t h e

-

F o r t Laramie boundary l i n e by t h e Sioux p r i o r t o t h e T r e a t y o f 1858. F u r t h e r , p e t i t i o n e r s have introduced testimony of a n e x p e r t w i t n e s s conc e r n i n g occupation and invasion by t h e Sioux on t h e west, and supplemented t h a t evidence by a map i n d i c a t i n g t h e e x t e n t of t h e Ponca c l a i m i n t h e w e s t . The a r e a w e s t of t h e F o r t Laramie l i n e i s n o t included w i t h i n t h e found a r e a . I n a d d i t i o n , t h e evidence

l resented

by both p e t i t f o n e r s and d e f e n d a n t

e s t a b l i s h e s t h a t t h e a r e a w e s t of t h e Laramie l i n e was'occupied by t h e Sioux a s e a r l y a s 1796, and t h a t while t h e Poncas may have h u n t e d i n t h e a r e a from time t o time when they were a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e Sioux, t h e y had no p r o p r i e t a r y claim o r r i g h t t h e r e t o .

Both p e t i t i o n e r s ' and d e f e n d a n t ' s

w i t n e s s e s and evidence i n d i c a t e d Poncas d i d n o t hunt a t t i m e s far t o t h e w e s t of t h i s l i n e because of f e a r of t h e Sioux; t h a t t h e y a c t u a l l y ranged r e g u l a r l y o n l y a s f a r west a s Long Pine, which i s l o c a t e d approximately a t t h e F o r t Laramie boundary l i n e . As t o t h e southern boundary of t h e Ponca claim, t h e p e t i t i o n e r s i n

t h e i r a l l e g a t i o n 9 i d e n t i f y i t with t h e Elkhorn River and a n o l d Omaha v i l l a g e , proceeding from t h e r e d i r e c t l y west t o t h e Black H i l l s .

The

a r e a between t h e Niobrara River and t h i s l i n e has been claimed by t h e Pawnees, t h e Omaha, Cheyenne, Dakota and Ponca.

By s t i p u l a t i o n i n Docket

12 Ind. C l , Conrm. 265

No. 10, Pawnee Indian Tribe of Oklahoma v. The United S t a t e s of America, i n which t h e Ponca Tribe, p e t i t i o n e r herein, i n t e r v e n e d , i t was agreed t h a t t h e Ponca T r i b e "disclaim a s a g a i n s t the p e t i t i o n e r any r i g h t t o recovery by reason of t h e cession t o t h e United S t a t e s by any Indian t r i b e , including t h e Ponca t r i b e , of any land l y i n g south of s a i d d i v i d i n g l i n e , " t h e d i v i d i n g l i n e being a meandering l i n e following g e n e r a l l y t h e d i v i d e between t h e waters of t h e Niobrara t o t h e north-and Elkhorn t o t h e south.

The d i v i d i n g l i n e s o delineated was s t i p u l a t e d t o by t h e

p e t i t i o n e r and defendant i n t h e i n s t a n t case.

A s t o t h e lands lying e a s t of t h e Niobrara River, t h e p e t i t i o n e r s a l l e g e t h a t t h e e a s t e r n boundary of t h e i r lands i s described a s "beginning a t a p o i n t where t h e Ayoway River flows i n t o t h e Missouri River, thence southwesterly up along Elk Creek t o t h e Old Omaha V i l l a g e on t h e Elkhorn River, tihence west t o t h e Black H i l l s

. . ." They f u f t h e r a l l e g e t h a t by

t r e a t y dated March 16, 1854 (10 S t a t , 1043), t h e United S t a t e s obtained

*

f r o m t h e Omaha t r i b e cession t o Ponca lands l y i n g both n o r t h and south o f an east-west l i n e terminating a t t h e mouth of t h e Ayoway River. ?.

-

The

.-

issde o f ownership of lands t o t h e n o r t h of t h e east-west l i n e was . .. * %

determined by t h e Court of Claims i n Omaha T r i b e v. United S t a t e s , 53 C. Cls.

549, and i t was h e l d t o be w i t h i n t h e a r e a t o which t h e Omaha Indians held aboriginal t i t l e . Subsequently, on August 8, 1951, t h e Omaha T r i b e f i l e d s u i t b e f o r e t h e I n d i a n Claims Commission, t o o b t a i n a d d i t i o n a l compensation f o r lands l y i n g both north and south of t h e Ayoway River l i n e . r e s p e c t t o t h a t land s t a t e d :

The Commission with

12 Ind. C1. Corn. 265

So i t i s p l a i n beyond q u e s t i o n t h a t t h e ownership, and t h i s i n c l u d e s t h e :.--,-d a r i e s and a c r e a g e , of t h e Omaha t o t h e l a n d s n o r t h O L che A y ~ ~ ar iyv e r l i n e was a rnat e r i a l l s s u e b e f o r e t h e Court of Claims i n t h e former c a s e and one t h a t was v i g o r o u s l y l i t i g a t e d t h e d e t e r m i n a t i o n o f which was e s s e n t i a l t o t h e judgment r e n d e r e d i n t h a t c a s e . T h e r e f o r e , under t h e a u t h o r i t i e s c i t e d and quoted from above, t h e q u e s t i o n o f t h e ownership o f t h e Omaha t o t h e n o r t h e r n t r a c t a s of t h e d a t e o f t h e 1854 t r e a t y i s f o r e c l o s e d by t h e j u d p e n t .of t h e Court o f Claims and c a n n o t now be r e l i t i g a t e d e i t h e r a s t o I n d i a n t i t l e o r as t o t h e boundaries of t h a t a r e a . A s t o o t h e r l a n d s ceded by t h e Omaha l y i n g s o u t h of t h a t l i n e ,

t h i s Commission found: ( c ) The r e c o r d i s b a r r e n of any h i s t o r i c a l d o c u m e n t a t i o n t h z t t h e Ponca o r Pawnee T r i b e s a t any time p r i o r t o .I855 e i t h e r occupied, claimed t o occupy, o r sought t b occupy, a n y p a r t of t h e a r e a i n i s s u e , The =elusive u s e and occupancy by t h e Omaha T r i b e i n t h e m a m e r of t h a t T r i b e t o t h e e n t i r e a r e a i n i s s u e was a t no t i m e p r i o r t o Plarch 16, 1854, d i s t u r b e d o r d e f e a t e d by t h e Ponca o r Pawnee T r i b e s , o r a n y o t h e r t r i b e s . (4 I n d . C1. Comm. 627-646) The Commission f u r t h e r found t h a t a t t h e d a t e of t h e T r e a t y of P a r c h 16, 1854, t h e p l a i n t i f f Omaha T r i b e had t h e e x c l u s i v e u s e a n d p o s s e s s i o n o f t h e l a n d s s i t u a t e i n n o r t h e a s t Nebraska l y i n g w i t h i n t h e following boundaries: Comencing a t a p o i n t where t h e w e s t l i n e o f Zange 5 West o f P r i n c i p a l Meridian, Xcbraska, i n t e r s e c t s t h e Nebraska-Dakota S t a t e l i n e , t h e n c e s o u t h a l o n g s a i d r a n g e l i n e t o where i t i n t e r s e c t s S h e l l Creek n e a r t h e n o r t h e r n boundary l i n e of Tp. 21, N., R. 5 West, t h e n c e a l o n g t h e meanders of s a i d s t r e a m t o i t s j u n c t i o n with- t h e P l a t t e R i v e r i n Tp. 17 N., R. 4 E, 6 t h P.M., t h e n c e a l o n g t h e P l a t t e River t o i t s junction with t h e Missouri River, t h e n c e n o r t h e r l y a l o n g t h e Missouri R i v e r t o t h e p l a c e o f b e g i n n i n g , c o n s i s t i n g of 5,283,365 a c r e s from which i s e x c l u d e d t h e a r e a d e s c r i b e d i n F i n d i n g No. 27,supra, which was r e s e r v e d a s a f o r e s a i d f o r p l a i n t i f f s , c o n s i s t i n g o f 301,267.13 a c r e s ; l e a v i n g t h e a c r e a g e of t h e a r e a c l a i m e d a t 4,982,097.87.

12 Ind. C 1 . Comm. 265

The i s s u e remaining t o be determined i s whether o r n o t t h e pet i t i o n e r s have e s t a b l i s h e d t h a t t h e Ponca Indians h e l d undisputed t i t l e over t h e a r e a l y i n g between t h e meandering l i n e t o t h e s o u t h of t h e Niobrara and Ponca Creek on t h e north, t h e Omaha c e s s i o n l i n e on t h e e a s t and t h e F o r t Laramie l i n e on t h e west. The p a t t e r n of l i f e followed by t h e Poncas was t o p l a n t n e a r t h e v i l l a g e s i n t h e e a r l y s p r i n g , go o u t i n t o t h e p l a i n s en masse t o hunt b u f f a l o i n - t h e summer, r e t u r n t o t h e v i l l a g e a c r e s i n t h e e a r l y f a l l , and i n t h e w i n t e r t o go o u t i n small groups t o hunt and t r a p ,

This

p a t t e r n was v a r i e d from time t o time, according t o r e p o r t s , because of d i s e a s e and p r e s s u r e of s t r o n g e r and l a r g e r t r i b e s b u t evidence est a b l i s h e s t h a t t h e Poncas always r e t u r n e d t o t h a t p a t t e r n .

A s t h e years I

went by and t h e b u f f a l o herds became more and more d e p l e t e d , t h e Poncas were f o r c e d t o travel f a r t h e r and through enemy t e r r i t o r y t o hunt. However, from t h e f i r s t r e f e r e n c e t o t h e Poncas i n recorded h i s t o r y u n t i l immediately p r i o r t o t h e t r e a t y of cession, t h e Poncas were cons i s t e n t l y r e f e r r e d t o a s maintaining v i l l a g e s on t h e w e s t bank of t h e Missouri River, on t h e Niobrara River, and a t o t h e r t i m e s on Ponca Creek . .

and B a z i l e Creek.

The t e r r i t o r y through which t h e y h a b i t u a l l y hunted

and which was h i s t o r i c a l l y considered a s Ponca Countrywas between t h e Niobrara River and i t s t r i b u t a r i e s on t h e south and Ponca Creek and i t s t r i b u t a r i e s on t h e n o r t h ,

From recorded accounts, t h e Poncas d i d

n o t c r o s s t h e Missouri River t o e s t a b l i s h any p r o p r i e t a r y r i g h t s d u r i n g h i s t o r i c eras.

The records show t h a t from time t o time t h e y were en-

countered f a r t h e r t o t h e west, n o r t h and south, but t h e s e were i s o l a t e d

.

1 2 Ind. C l . Comrn. 265

incidents.

The c o n s i s t e n t impression t o be gathered f?om h i s t o r i c

accounts, maps and conclusions t o be drawn from population c h a r t s a r e t h a t t h e a r e a l y i n g between t h e Ponca Creek and i t s t r i b u t a r i e s and t h e Niobrara River and i t s t r i b u t a r i e s was Ponca t e r r i t o r y and t h a t such t e r r i t o r y was used by t h e Poncas i n such a manner a s t o come w i t h i n t h e concept of a b o r i g i n a l o r I n d i a n t i t l e s u b s c r i b e d t o by t h e Commission. An order d e t e r m i n a t i v e of t h e r i g h t s of r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , i d e n t i t y of t h e land-owning e n t i t y , and t h e boundaries of t h e a r e a h e l d by a b o r i g i n a l t i t l e w i l l b e entered, and t h i s c a s e

kill

now proceed t o

t r i a l on t h e c o n s i d e r a t i o n paid t h e Ponca Indians, t h e a c r e a g e a c q u i r e d AG

3

.I

of them and i t s f a i r inarket value a t t h e d a t e of t a k i n g , i . e . ,

March 1 2 ,

-cur

T. Harold S c o t t A s s o c i a t e Commissioner

We concur:

Arthur V. Watkins Chief Commissioner

Win. M. H o l t A s s o c i a t e Commissioner.. *

.,