University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Great Plains Quarterly Great Plains Studies, Center for Fall 2002 Piecing Together The Ponca Past Reconstructing Degiha Migrations To The Great Plains Beth R. Ritter University of Nebraska at Omaha,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsquarterly Part of the Other International and Area Studies Commons Ritter, Beth R., "Piecing Together The Ponca Past Reconstructing Degiha Migrations To The Great Plains" (2002). Great Plains Quarterly. 2307. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsquarterly/2307 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Great Plains Studies, Center for at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Plains Quarterly by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. PIECING TOGETHER THE PONCA PAST RECONSTRUCTING DEGIHA MIGRATIONS TO THE GREAT PLAINS BETH R. RITTER The twenty-first century presents opportu chronically underfunded annual appropria nities, as well as limitations, for the American tions for Native American health, housing, Indian Nations of the Great Plains. Oppor and social service programs. tunities include enhanced economic devel The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, terminated opment activities (e.g., casino gambling, in 1965 and restored to federally recognized telecommunications, and high-tech industries) status in 1990,1 embraces these challenges by and innovative tribal programming such as exploring the limits of self-governance, eco language immersion programs made possible nomic development opportunities, and cul through enhanced self-governance initiatives. tural revitalization initiatives. The Ponca Limitations include familiar scripts that per recognize they have experienced profound petually threaten tribal sovereignty and cultural loss over the past three centuries.