An Ocean of Grass

Seen through Ponca eyes, the original prairie environment was a cherished sea of grasses and plants, kept healthy together with the buffalo as herds grazed the vast landscape and Ponca people collected different kinds of prairie plants for food, medicine, and other purposes. Fire was also an important part of a healthy prairie: controlled burns had long been used by Ponca people to enrich nutrient content and manage growth, while lightning striking the dry grass of late summer could trigger unstoppable blazes that swept across the landscape for hundreds of miles. Today, prairie restoration efforts are actively replanting seeds indigenous to the Niobrara region so that mixed grasses and wildflowers can again support cultural plant harvesting and the beauty of this inland ocean, reflecting how closely Ponca culture and the health of prairielands are intertwined.

Nebraska · United States