Standing Bear Is a Person: The True Story of a Native American's Quest for Justice

by Stephen Dando-Collins

Overview

In 1877, Standing Bear and his Indian people, the Ponca, were forcibly removed from their land in northern Nebraska. In defiance, Standing Bear sued in U.S. District Court for the right to return home. In a landmark case, the judge, for the first time in U.S. history, recognized Native American rights-acknowledging that "Standing Bear is a person"-and ruled in favor of Standing Bear. Standing Bear Is a Person is the fascinating behind-the-scenes story of that landmark 1879 court case, and the subsequent reverberations of the judge's ruling across nineteenth-century America. It is also a story filled with memorable characters typical of the Old West-the crusty and wise Indian chief, Standing Bear, the Army Indian-fighting general who became a strong Indian supporter, the crusading newspaper editor who championed Standing Bear's cause, and the "most beautiful Indian maiden of her time," Bright Eyes, who became Standing Bear's national spokesperson. At a time when America was obsessed with winning the West, no matter what, this is an intensely human story and a small victory for compassion. It is also the chronicle of an American tragedy: Standing Bear won his case, but the court's decision that should have changed everything, in the end, changed very little for America's Indians.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786738120
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	04/28/2009
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	385,162
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Stephen Dando-Collins is an Australian-born historian, editor, and author. He has written several highly acclaimed nonfiction books, including Caesar's Legion and Tycoon's War. He lives in Tasmania.

Editorial Reviews

Australian-born scribe Dando-Collins (Caesar's Legion) undertakes to tell the story of the Ponca tribe's landmark case against the U.S. government. In 1877, Standing Bear and his people were removed from their home in northern Nebraska and relocated to Oklahoma, where many tribal members, including Standing Bear's son, died in the poor living conditions. Intent on burying the boy in his ancestral lands, Standing Bear brought his case against the government in 1879-and won. Unfortunately, in this account, the court case becomes slightly muddied, and the historical characters involved, though dashing, daring, and intriguing, are not quite focused enough to sustain the narrative after the case is resolved. Dando-Collins's writing begins to take on the tone of its 19th-century primary sources, which may help round out the first-person perspectives but does not allow for new approaches to or analysis of these interesting people and events. Dando-Collins does shine light on the violent clash between corrupt bureaucracy and the grass-roots crusading that led to change, but the narrative arc isn't sustained throughout. For Native American collections.-Elizabeth Morris, Illinois Fire Svc. Inst. Lib., Champaign Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Brisk but evocative account of a tribal chief's efforts to bury his dead son, which led to a landmark 1879 judgment that for the first time recognized Native Americans' rights. Australian-born author Dando-Collins (Caesar's Legion, not reviewed, etc.) deftly summarizes the legal arguments while offering vivid portraits of the diverse people involved: an open-minded general, a conflicted US president, an obstructive Secretary of the Interior, crusading lawyers and journalists, and a beautiful Indian woman whose eloquence helped the cause. In March 1879, Ponca Chief Iron Eye and his English-speaking daughter Bright Eyes came to plead the cause of fellow tribesmen Standing Bear and his followers, who were under military arrest at Fort Omaha, Nebraska. Commanding general George Crook, though tied by law, was sympathetic. In 1877, the Bureau of Indian Affairs had removed the peaceful and mostly Christian Ponca tribe from their lands in Nebraska and ordered them to settle in Oklahoma's Indian Territory. They complied, but promises of help were broken, the new lands were infertile and unhealthy, and many Ponca died, including Standing Bear's son. Wanting to bury the boy in his ancestral lands, Standing Bear had illegally escaped from Oklahoma, only to be caught and brought to Fort Omaha. The bereaved father's dignified demeanor and painful story soon became nationally known as Henry Tibbles, editor of Omaha's Daily Herald, launched a campaign on his behalf and found lawyers to defend him. In May 1879, a judge ruled not only that Standing Bear should be freed, but that Indians had the same rights as whites to habeas corpus and to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This seminal ruling,however, would take years to be fully implemented and accepted. A dark moment in Native American history revisited provides an eloquent reminder of a fight well fought. Agent: Richard Curtis/Richard Curtis Associates

Kirkus Reviews