Welcome, everyone. I'd like to share with you the history of our Ponka Cemetery, established in 1890 and known as St. John’s Episcopal Cemetery. This sacred ground is located about a third of a mile west of our Ponca Community building here in Knox County, Nebraska, on one of the original 160-acre Ponca allotments. Our cemetery holds gravestones dating back to 1899, marking the resting places of our ancestors.

In 1962, the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska was terminated by the 87th Congress of the United States, a difficult time for our community. Despite this, we founded a cemetery committee to maintain our traditional Ponca burial ground. From 1957 to 1975, Thomas O. Knudsen, Jr. and his family cared for the cemetery, ensuring the graves were cleaned twice a year, in early spring and early fall.

In 1965, the Ponca cemetery was surveyed, revealing 65 marked graves and 67 unmarked ones. Later, in 2006, Alan J. Osborn carefully mapped the gravesites, headstones, crosses, military plaques, and markers using modern equipment. More recently, in 2023, another survey was conducted by the Midwest Archaeological Company in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, uncovering 61 additional unmarked graves.

Grave digging has always been a duty embraced by our Ponca relatives. People like Toby Knudsen, Al-Jo Picotte, and their sons have stepped forward to handle this important task.

Many funerals are held at our Ponca Community building. After the services, we bring our relatives here for graveside ceremonies. It is a tradition for family and friends to come forward and cover the grave, ensuring our loved ones are laid to rest with care and respect.

Looking ahead, we are planning future renovations to improve our cemetery. These plans include paving the road within the cemetery and constructing a utility storage shed to better maintain the grounds.

Thank you for visiting and honoring the memory of our ancestors.