At this time they had three villages, on the lower Niobrara River, and eight bands, each under a chief. The chiefs were Standing Bear, White Eagle, Big Soldier, Traveling Buffalo, Black Crow, Over-the-land, Woodpecker, and Big-Hoofed Buffalo. The United States informed the eight chiefs that they must remove their people to the Indian Territory, but did not say why. Standing Bear had been born in 1829, so he was forty-eight years old. He stood high among the Poncas, because of his clan, the Wa-zha-zhe--a clan that could cure rattle-snake bites and work other wonders. He strongly opposed giving up the Ponca home-land, upon which the tribe had lived for almost one hundred years, and which the United States had agreed, on paper, to give them in exchange for their hunting grounds. The other chiefs thought the same. They could not understand why they all should be thrown off, when they had done nothing wrong. But the white men paid no attention. One of them, who was the United States Indian Inspector, only answered: "The President says that you must sell this land. He will buy it and pay you money, and give you new land in the Indian Territory." "We do not know your authority," argued Standing Bear. "You have no right to move us until we have held a council with the President." "If you like the new land, then you can see the President and tell him so," offered the inspector. "If you don't like it, then you can see him and tell him so." So Standing Bear and nine other chiefs went; but they were dubious. The inspector showed the three pieces of land, and told them to choose. All the pieces were bad pieces. It was a hot country and a bare country, and not suited to the Poncas, who had good corn-fields and houses in their own country of the Niobrara. Besides, now the white man said that they were to have no pay for their Niobrara laud. He told the chiefs, according to Standing Bear: "If you do not accept what land is offered you here, I will leave you here alone. You are one thousand miles from home. You have no money. You cannot speak the language." Then he slammed the door. "But we do not like this land," explained Standing Bear. "We could not make a living. The water is bad. Now send us to the President, as you promised." The man would not send them. He would not take them home. He would not give them any of the Indian money, for buying food. He would not give them a paper, to show to the people along the way. He would not give them the interpreter, to talk for them. He would not take them to a railroad.