|
Ed Pensoneau
|
Edward Pensoneau was born on August 4, 1911, near the 101 Ranch, the oldest child of Elizabeth Littlecook and Narcisse Pensoneau. He passed away on May 1, 1997, after a lengthy illness.
Mr. Pensoneau was raised on a farm between Tonkawa and Ponca City and attended District 98 rural school, Chilocco Indian School and Northern Oklahoma College. He lettered in track and football in high school and played several instruments. He worked at Jim Monsour’s grocery store and for the Ponca City Board of Education where he was a landscaper. In the late 1930s, he assisted with the planting of the trees now standing along the drive at Chilocco.
In 1951 Ed was elected to the Ponca Tribal Council and served in the position of secretary-treasurer for more than 25 years. He was known as the principal writer for the tribe and made more than a dozen trips to Washington D.C. in connection with payment for the Ponca tribal lands in South Dakota. He served on the board of directors for the Ponca Tribal Election Committee and the Tribal Housing Authority. He was instrumental in getting the IHS Indian Health Clinic located at White Eagle.
It was Ed Pensoneau who recommended that Ponca Chief Standing Bear be the subject of a monumental statue to be erected in a park in Ponca City. Pensoneau was part of the original Ponca City Native American committee (later renamed the Standing Bear Native American Foundation.)
Mr. Pensoneau was raised on a farm between Tonkawa and Ponca City and attended District 98 rural school, Chilocco Indian School and Northern Oklahoma College. He lettered in track and football in high school and played several instruments. He worked at Jim Monsour’s grocery store and for the Ponca City Board of Education where he was a landscaper. In the late 1930s, he assisted with the planting of the trees now standing along the drive at Chilocco.
In 1951 Ed was elected to the Ponca Tribal Council and served in the position of secretary-treasurer for more than 25 years. He was known as the principal writer for the tribe and made more than a dozen trips to Washington D.C. in connection with payment for the Ponca tribal lands in South Dakota. He served on the board of directors for the Ponca Tribal Election Committee and the Tribal Housing Authority. He was instrumental in getting the IHS Indian Health Clinic located at White Eagle.
It was Ed Pensoneau who recommended that Ponca Chief Standing Bear be the subject of a monumental statue to be erected in a park in Ponca City. Pensoneau was part of the original Ponca City Native American committee (later renamed the Standing Bear Native American Foundation.)
Interview with Tribal Elder Ed Pensoneau, 1996
