145th Annual Ponca Celebration/Powwow

The Ponca Tribe invites the public to our Annual Celebration and Powwow August 26th thru Sunday August 29th. Activities will begin with a Mourners meal Wednesday evening at 5:00pm at the Tom Roughface South Arena followed by a Handgame and reception honoring our Princess Nadia Kent.

There will be activities all throughout the duration of the celebration with families introducing their children into the arena, contesting each night concluding with the worlds fancy dance championship and the first annual worlds straight dance championship. Our Comanche Brothers and Pawnee relatives will be joining with our own Ponca He’thoshka Society to tail dance Saturday afternoon which will be something special to witness. Our Ponca singers will be singing some of our old sacred songs and family songs at the south arena that will be both Healing and Spiritually uplifting. Our dance grounds and our whole camping area are very sacred to us Poncas.

Our Old people told us that we (Poncas) are a Sacred people who have strong beliefs that are tied to our lands and our sacred ceremonies. Because of who we are there are some responsibilities that we owe to ourselves and to God the Creator. An old spiritual sacred law among true traditional natives is; “Whenever the Great Spirit bestows upon you a sacred gift, YOU have a Responsibility to Perform and to take care of Your Special Gift”. We Ponca’s know and believe that this way of life was given to us directly by Wakonda. Other tribes may perform this dance, but this dance belongs to us!

Again, all precautions are to be taken. Much of our community has been vaccinated and there will plenty of wash stations and masks provided. Most of all, if you feel unsure and uncomfortable attending, then please remain home or wherever you feel safe. Most of all, if you don’t feel well, by all means stay home. May the Great Spirit continue to bless our Ponca People.

Wi’btha-ho
​
Oliver Littlecook, Chairman
Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma