140 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 195 



A BATTLE BETWEEN THE PONCA AND THE SIOUX 



Once six Sioux came to attack the Ponca when they were camped on the Nio- 

 brara here. The Ponca didn't want to fight, but the Sioux kept firing into the 

 camp until finally the Ponca got mad enough and chased them. They chased the 

 Sioux across the Niobrara and beyond. 



It was terribly hot day, and finally the Sioux horses, which were already tired, 

 gave out. The Poncas saw the horses where the Sioux had turned them loose and 

 cried, "There are their horses! Now we will catch them for sure!" All but two 

 of the Sioux were run down by mounted Ponca and killed. 



These last two Sioux barricaded themselves in some rocks. One of the Sioux 

 held back the Ponca while the other dug for water, as they were both suffering 

 greatly from thirst. The Poncas had dismounted, and were trying to crawl up 

 on the Sioux where they had barricaded themselves. The Sioux who was holding 

 the Ponca back was a good shot, though, and held them off. Once he cut the 

 feather in two that a Ponca was wearing on his head. 



It was plain that the Poncas couldn't get the Sioux in this way. Finally the 

 Ponca leader said "Let's rush them." The Poncas remounted and rode down 

 the two Sioux, killing them both. 



The one Sioux who was such a good shot they mutilated and cut into pieces. 

 Each warrior took a piece back. One warrior took his head, another his hand, 

 and so on. They took them back to the village and rode around with them 

 while the women danced the Scalp dance. 



Later one old woman gathered up the pieces where they had been thrown in 

 the dirt and buried them, so the children wouldn't see them lying around. She 

 told the people who were watching her: "They deserved this for attacking us 

 when we wanted no war, but they are humans after all." 



Concerning the return from war, J. O. Dorsey (1884 a, p. 270) 

 writes: "When men return from war the old men, who act as criers, 

 halloo and recount the deeds of each warrior, whom they mention 

 by name." Scalps taken by the party were turned over to the 

 women, who stretched them over small willow hoops and painted the 

 backs red. They were then attached to poles for the scalp dance. 

 Warriors who had been killed by the enemy were danced over by 

 members of the Mawddani warriors' dancing society and then buried 

 in full battle regalia. 



Captives were apparently well treated by the Ponca. Dorsey 

 (1884 a, p. 332) writes: "Captives were not slain by the Omahas and 

 Ponkas. When peace was declared the captives were sent home, if 

 they wished to go. If not they could remain where they were, and 

 were treated as if they were members of the tribe; but they were not 

 adopted by any one." 



Trophies of war were often kept by the Ponca and shown at parades 

 and dances. Both PLC and Andrew Snake (a Southern Ponca) told 

 of a Dakota warrior who used an Omaha dance (Heduska) whistle as 

 a war signal. However, he gave away his position by his whistling, 

 and was found and kiUed by the Ponca. Later the Ponca composed 

 a Heduska song describing the incident, which is still a favorite 

 among the Southern Ponca. The whistle which the Dakota was 



