Antique Photographs of the Poncas

This first photograph is of Kenneth Kemble, Ne Wah Ce Bah Nah. He was taught to play the piano by the wife of the Indian Agent, Richard Steele. Jennie Steele was a classical pianist, 1903.

In 1898 Richard St. Clair Steele came to WhiteEagle, Oklahoma as an Indian Agent. Shortly after his arrival his brother Guy Steele came with his family. This is the store they established at WhiteEagle.

Interior of Steele Brother's Store. The photographs are a study of how the American government was functioning at the time by bringing these amenities and culture of theirs to the reservations. It is remembered by some of the older ones how there was a picture of a bear on the cans of pears, thus pears were named man-chu, the word for bear.

This is a photograph of Vince Dillon, the photographer who took these pictures during this time era, early 1900's.

Photograph of the Sun Dance