STANDING BEAR

Standing Bear (Ma-chú-nu-zhe) was the leader of a band of about 82 Ponca people living near the banks of the Niobrara River. In 1854 the US passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act. It was a transcontinental railroad to link the eastern states to the pacific but realistically - it was more about slavery. (big surprise)

Anyway, early settlers had their eye on cheap land so they got the US government to force their removal to the “hot country”

In 1877, the federal government decided to remove the Ponca tribe to Indian Territory - moving them from Nebraska all the way down to Oklahoma. The US - as usual - botched the entire thing. They failed to obtain consent of the Ponca Chiefs and also neglected to provide a reservation with adequate facilities, anything for their people to survive. Some estimated nearly 158 - That’s about a third of the tribe - lost their lives in the first years in Oklahoma.

Like many others Standing Bear’s daughter - Prairie Flower - had died on the journey to their new home. And His son - Bear Shield - was also lost as soon as they had arrived in Oklahoma.

Unwilling to leave his son’s body in Oklahoma - he had gathered a small party of his people and traveled some 600 miles in the middle of the winter back to Nebraska to bury his son in the traditional lands.

During this time Indigenous people weren’t allowed to leave the reservation lands without permission. They were considered a “persona non-grata” or an unwelcome person in the US . so The Secretary of the Interior, Carl Schurz sent General George Crook of the US army to arrest Standing Bear and he did - thus began the Standing Bear, v. George Crook trial in 1879. The Government argued “that [Standing Bear] was neither a citizen, nor a person, so he could not sue the government.”

Which is obviously ridiculous. Just imagine you living in your house and the govt barging in and pulling the (you have no power here)!!!!

After much deliberation Standing Bear concluded with the “I am a Man” speech. Now - I’ll admit - it doesn’t reach ‘I have a Dream’ peak but it’s still up there. He goes to say - quote - ‘That hand is not the color of yours, but if I pierce it, I shall feel pain. If you pierce your hand, you also feel pain. The blood that will flow from mine will be of the same color as yours. I am a man’

The judge ultimately ruled “That an Indian is a PERSON within the meaning of the laws of the United States…”

The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska is structurally unlike any other Tribe in Nebraska. This uniqueness made the Tribe embark upon a vigorous program of educating and lobbying state and federal legislator officials to ensure that its members receive all the benefits and programs that the status as a federally recognized Tribe of Indians implies. The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska is one of the most successful Tribes in Indian Country when it comes to effective lobbying and passage of favorable legislation and administrative policies.

And Standing Bear is one of many who fought for our people as human beings with the same rights as you or me. 

Resources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_Bear
2. https://www.aclu.org/ - - - What you should know about habeas corpus