Howard] THE PONCA TRIBE 95 



Provinse, a student of Plains Indian government, has commented 

 upon the subject as follows: 



Characteristic of Plains justice is the order-preserving nature of police activity 

 as opposed to the idea of punishment for the sake of social vengeance. This is 

 more clearly brought out by the attitude of the society toward the offender after 

 punishment has been inflicted upon him. Conformity, not revenge was sought, 

 and immediately after a promise to conform was secured from the delin- 

 quent steps were taken to reincorporate him into the society. [Provinse, 1937, 

 p. 350.] 



Provinse's remarks here concern the Plains tribes in general, but 

 are particularly relevant to the Ponca. My informants stated that 

 often after the Buffalo-police had whipped a man for violating the rule 

 against individual hunting during the tribal bison hunt, they would 

 give him gifts so that "his heart would not be bad." After all, on the 

 next hunt this offender, or one of his clansmen, might be a policeman. 

 That the notion of "reincorporating" the offender into society still 

 survives to a remarkable extent among present-day Ponca, I learned 

 from several chance remarks of my informants. 



Provinse (1937, pp. 352-355) also notes the powerful force of 

 public opinion toward social conformity among the Plains tribes. 

 This, I would venture to state, is largely true of all tribal groups. 

 To be spurned by one's tribesmen was a dreadful experience for the 

 Ponca man or woman. Accounts of the public ridicule of leaders of 

 unsuccessful war parties and the subsequent degradation of these men 

 were secured from PLC, JLR, and OK. 



Religious sanctions likewise acted as a powerful deterrent to 

 illegal acts. Ponca beliefs regarding a murderer, recorded by 

 Dorsey (1894, p. 420), include: "... he can never satisfy his hunger, 

 though he eat much food; . . . ." JLR knew of this belief as well. 

 OK cited the case of an Omaha Indian who, when given the wand or 

 "pipe" to dance with in the Wd-wq ceremony, held it carelessly to 

 show his disrespect for the proceedings, and was later killed by 

 lightning. 



As mentioned earlier, infractions of the customary tribal law were 

 punished by the Buffalo-police. Provinse (1937, p. 351) summarizes 

 this police function as follows: ". . . this was invoked most frequently 

 and rigorously for the following purposes: (1) to regulate the communal 

 hunt; (2) to regulate ceremonies; (3) to settle disputes, punish offend- 

 ers, and preserve order in camp; and (4) to regulate war parties and 

 restrain such at inopportune times." Though writing of the Plains 

 tribes in general, Provinse's remarks need no qualification in their 

 application to the Ponca. 



When murder was committed, retaliation was left to the relatives 

 of the murdered individual (Dorsey, 1897, p. 226). Fletcher and 

 La Flesche (1911, p. 216) record the case of a Ponca who accidentally 

 kiUed another man. His punishment was entrusted to the father of 



