In the spring of 1877, hundreds of Ponca men, women, and children were forced to embark on a nightmare journey from their Nebraska homeland to Indian Territory (Oklahoma), spanning approximately 600 miles. The conditions were miserably cold and wet. On May 23, 1877, just four days into the march, an 18-month-old child named White Buffalo Girl tragically passed away near the pioneer town of Neligh. Overwhelmed with grief, her parents pleaded with the townspeople to take care of their child's grave.