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Show XXXVI REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAlRE. men of the tribe have frequently assured the agent that they are satis- 6ed, and do not desire to return. The efforts of such persons, however, create an unsettled feeling among the younger men, tending to retard their advancement. This uneasiness, it is believed, can be removed by the enactment of the law which was recommended in the last annual report of this office, providing for the permanent location of the Poncas by the purchase from the Cherokees of the land embraced in the reser-vation on which they are now located, and for the appropriation of a sum sutrioient to indemnify the tribe for the lands and property heretofore owned by them in Dakota. The Poncas are anxious to have their matters definitely settled, and to this end, under date of the 25th nlt,imo, the chiefs and headmen for-warded a petition, as follows : \Ye, the undersigned, chiefs and headmen of the Poncn tribe of Indiaas, realize the importance of settling all our business with the government. Onryoung men are nn-settled and hard to control while they think we have a, right to our land in Dakota, and our tribe will not be finally settled nntil we have a title to our present reservation and ne have relinqnishod all right to otrr Dakota land. And we emestly request that tho ohiofa of the Ponca tribe of Indians be permitted to visit Washington the eomins winter, for thepurpose of signing sway ourright to d l land in Dakota and to obtain a title to our present reservation; and we also wish to settle our Sioux troubles at thc same time. W e make the above request, ae we desire to have the pnng men of om tribe become settled and commenee to work on their respective claims. We also desire to make this viait iu order to convince the government that it is our intontian of remaining where we m, and rerpesting tho aid of the government in ob-taining teams, wagops, harness, toola, kc., with which to work our land. Yours rospeotfi~lly, his ITBITE X EAGLE. mark. STANDING h:P BUFFALO. mark. his his BLBCIC x CROJT'. LITTLE x PICKER. mark. mark. hi8 hi8 FRANIC x LA FLESCHE. RUSH IN X THE BOTTLE. mark. mark. ! i n his BIG X SOLDIER. BIG X BULL. mark. mark. his hie CHILD X CHIEF. SHORT X MAN. mark. mark his his THE X CHIEF. RED X LEAF. mark m a his his FOUR X BEARS. BUFFALO X RIB. malk. rn&& his hi8 YELLOW X BIRD. PETER X PRIMEAUX. mark. mark. hi8 his WHITE X BUFFALO BULL. BIG X GOOSE. mmk. mark. hie his WHITE X FEATHER. WALKING x SICY. mark mark. We, tho uurlersigned, cortify on bouor that we were present and witnessed tho aigu-iug of the above by each of the individoals named, and that the nbore was written at the soliaitntion of tho Ponca, chiefs. JOSEPH ESAW, Intwplrler. ' A. R. SATTERTH\VAITE. r ~ x c ~aC E S C Y ,I . T.,O vtobel. %?, 1860. |