Previous to this every indian in the united states was subject to the orders of the secretary of the interior. The trial of standing bear 1989 a ponca chief ivan naranjo and his tribe resist relocation, prompting a landmark federal case in 1879. Thomas henry tibbles 18401928 was as a journalist and lecturer on indian rights from the 1870s until his death in 1928. On may 11, 2017, nebraska trails foundation deeded over the 19. It delves into the fractured life of a contemporary native american family who are emotionally torn by social prejudices and simultaneously. The story of chief standing bear lincoln, nebraska.
Webster started to summarize the important points on behalf of standing bear and the. Chief standing bear, who fought for native american freedoms, is. The lands reserved for the ponca by the treaties of 1858 and 1865. In 1879, standing bear refuted this notion, becoming the first native american to give testimony in federal court. The story of chief standing bear chief standing bear trail. We would rather have died chief standing bear 1879. Standing bear trial reenactment commemorates nebraskas. Standing bear is a person dandocollins, stephen on. Yet this is just what standing bear, of the ponca indian tribe, did in omaha in 1879. Standing bear and a small group of his followers left the indian territory to carry bear shields remains north, and were arrested in 1879 and held at fort omaha.
Chief standing bear, who fought for native american. This hand is not the color of yours, but if i pierce it, i shall feel pain. On may 12, 1879, 8 years ago, machunah zah or chief standing bear was declared a man in the federal courts of the united states. Statue of chief standing bear in ponca city, oklahoma. Standing bear and his followers were arrested by order of gen. The ponca indians and standing bear will become key participants in a landmark federal court case held in omaha in 1879. With the help of a newspaper reporter, a probono attorney and a sympathetic general, george crook, who was also the defendant in the case, standing bear sued to prove that a ponca. District court has just issued his judgment in a case involving standing bear, a ponca chief, who was arrested and detained near omaha, nebraska, by general george crook. Crook, a landmark case that in 1879 recognized an indian as a person under. The 1879 case that established constitutional protection for native americans. Below, we publish a corrected text of the landmark 1879 us federal court ruling in standing bear vs. Acting as interpreter for standing bear was susette laflesche, an accomplished and educated bilingual omaha of mixedrace background. The case looked at the legality of apprehending the ponca and standing bear without charging them as criminals, or prisoners of war since no war was currently active in the united states at the time. The trial of chief standing bear was on april 30, 1879.
The landmark case in 1879 that recognized an indian as a person under the law who is entitled to its rights and protection. Both lawyers agreed to represent standing bear in court, free of charge. Luther standing bear was born in december 1868 on the spotted tail agency, rosebud, dakota territory, the first son of george standing bear and pretty face. The federal trial the judge was delayed a day, and on may 1, 1879, united states ex rel. To commemorate the landmark 1879 trial of ponca chief standing bear vs.
The trial of standing bear 1989 cast and crew moviefone. Sep 08, 2015 below, we publish a corrected text of the landmark 1879 us federal court ruling in standing bear vs. Standing bear carried with him the bones of his son to be buried in the familiar earth along the niobrara. Imagine having to argue in court that you are a person. Crook will be a small first step by indians to achieve limited justice under the u. Today there are nebraskans working to commemorate standing bear on a national scale. The trial opened in omaha on april 30, 1879, and lasted for two days. The trial of standing bear tv movie 1988 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. A recreation of the trial of standing bear which took place in the nebraska supreme court on april 8, 2017 as part of a diverse origins event for cub scouting and the 150th anniversary of. Scenario for students it is 1879 and judge elmer dundy of the u. After the arrest of standing bear, a writer from the omaha herald, thomas tibbles, reached out to two young lawyers named john webster and a.
Circuit court for the district of nebraska, judge elmer dundy ruled that. Overview of trial of standing bear, the, 1989, directed by marshall jamison, with joshua gallegos, james devney, ivan naranjo, at turner classic movies. After a horrendous attrition, some of them, led by chief standing bear, made their way to nebraska, where the omahas gave them a piece of their own reserve. Hugh reilly, director of the school of communication at the university of nebraskaomaha, talks about standing bear v. There is a monument near the flag pole at fort omaha as a tribute to standing bear that you should visit while visiting the general crook home and area. Florence futures events fort omaha standing bear trial. Government on the basic of the 14th amendment to the constitution of the united states. General george crook, douglas county historical society dchs annually hosts an event that is free and open to the public at the general crook house museum in historic fort omaha. Standing bear argues for poncas in federal court during the 1879 landmark indian policy case of standing bear v.
Once the united states government discovered that standing bear had disappeared, general george crook was sent out to arrest him. That all changed because of a trial in omaha, and because of a member of the ponca tribe named standing bear. The trial of standing bear tv movie 1988 plot summary. Focuses on the arrest of standing bear, the efforts of sympathetic citizens to help him, and the courtroom battle that brought national attention to his struggle for human rights. Historical documents chief standing bear the trail. Standing bear mato najin, an oglala, 1887 standing. Upon his return to his homeland, he lived out his life with his people and farmed his land. After crooks men brought standing bear to omaha, the general tracked down tibbles and burst into his friends office at one oclock in the morning on march 30, 1879. In january of 1879 chief standing bear s son bear shield had died, and standing bear was very angered. The story of chief standing bear from his birth on the banks of the niobrara river in nebraska until his death in 1908, chief standing bear spent his life in a constant struggle to gain equality and justice for our nations native americans. Taylor keen, dressed in the clothing of standing bear, was reenacting the ponca chiefs famous speech from his 1879 trial. George crook and taken to fort omaha, the intention being to return them to indian territory.
All of this land was mistakenly given to the sioux in the. So in january 1879, standing bear left oklahoma s indian territory for nebraska with his childs remains. The trial of standing bear tells the moving story of one mans struggle of selfdetermination in the 1879 court case standing bear vs. The case looked at the legality of apprehending the ponca and standing bear without charging them as criminals, or prisoners of war since no war was currently active in the united states. The 1879 trial transcript is a copy of the proceedings in the case chief standing bear brought against general george crook, commander of the department of the. He then traveled back to nebraska territory to bury his son on the omaha reservation. So general crook arrested standing bear and his followers, and took them. Encyclopedia of the great plains trial of standing bear. Dundy made history when he ruled that standing bear, a ponca chief, had the right to be considered a person under the u. Courthouse in omaha hosted events in honor of the chief standing bear case on may 12, 2009. In late march and early april 1879 newspaper editor thomas henry tibbles interviewed standing bear in detainment and published a story that grabbed the publics attention. Standing bear the encyclopedia of oklahoma history and. Standing bears speech from the indian journal the first time an indian was permitted to appear in court in this country and have his rights tried was in the year 1879. On friday, may 9th in commemoration of the landmark 1879 trial of ponca chief.
Dchs celebrates 5th anniversary of standing bear trial apr 18, 2014 uncategorized to commemorate the landmark 1879 trial of ponca chief standing bear vs. The award was presented at the chief standing bear commemoration celebration in lincoln on may 20, 2011. That hand is not the color of yours, but if i pierce it, i shall feel pain. Chief standing bear trail is a railtrail which follows the union pacific route whose original track was laid in 1879 alongside an old reservation road from beatrice to marysville, ks. The story of the ponca university of nebraskalincoln. Florence futures historic markers fort omaha standing bear.
May 09, 2015 before 1879, native americans werent recognized as people under united states federal law. May 18, 2009 the trial of standing bear tells the moving story of one mans struggle of selfdetermination in the 1879 court case standing bear vs. Stories worth rereading standing bears speech various. The trial of chief standing bear took place in 1879the very same year that the boarding. Government and their argument was simply that the indian was neither a person nor a citizen within the meaning of the law, and therefore could not bring suit of any kind against the government. That act of grief and love set in motion a chain of events that would make standing bear. When standing bear finished, his lawyers rested their case. Crook and the struggle for basic native american rights. In the first american indian civil rights case, indians were acknowledged to possess all human rights. Crook secretly disapproved of how the ponca had been treated and the government policy toward native americans. The third and fourth treaties are the most significant with reference to the 1879 standing bear v. Standing bears trials to indian rights true west magazine.
Standing bear and his followers had left without permission from the national government, and were arrested and were to be returned to indian territory. Standing bear, who was chief of the midwest indian tribe known as the ponca indians, was taken in custody by the united states army and sent to general crook. The first time an indian was permitted to appear in court in this country and have his rights tried was in the year 1879. In the trial of standing bear, awardwinning author and former oklahoma governor frank keating tells of the anguish and resolve of ponca chief standing bear and his people as they are forced from their homeland and their subsequent fight to be treated like human beings. Crook, in which, for the first time, it was held by a us court of law that an indian is a person within the meaning of the habeas corpus act, and as such is entitled to sue. Standing bear left, standing is shown with his family in this 1903 photograph, nearly 25 years after his 1879 trial that ruled an indian is a person and declared. Apr 09, 2017 standing bear trial reenactment commemorates nebraskas native american past. That hand is not the color of yours, but if i pierce it, i shall feel pain, the chief famously said during a landmark 1879 trial. Well, even if you have never visited either area, you now know the name of the tribe and its famous leader. On the back of the print in the sioux indian museum, is a notation in anderson. His papers include articles, essays, correspondence, lectures and. Waaxes law is the dramatic retelling of the heartbreaking trial of chief standing bear in omaha, neb. The judge, elmer dundy in the end proved and ruled that an indian was a person and was protected under habeas corpus clause of the constitution.
Dchs celebrates 5th anniversary of standing bear trial. Congressional statue dedication ceremony in honor of ponca chief standing bear of. Apr 24, 2017 a recreation of the trial of standing bear which took place in the nebraska supreme court on april 8, 2017 as part of a diverse origins event for cub scouting and the 150th anniversary of nebraska. Sep 30, 2004 in a landmark case, the judge, for the first time in u. Letter to the editor, 1879 box 2, folder 06 from the thomas henry tibbles papers. Before 1879, native americans werent recognized as people under united states federal law. They aided standing bear, who in april 1879 sued for a writ of habeas corpus in u. From his birth on the banks of the niobrara river in nebraska until his death in 1908, chief standing bear spent his life in a constant struggle to gain equality and justice for our nations native americans. The trial of standing bear 1989 cast and crew a ponca chief ivan naranjo and his tribe resist relocation, prompting a landmark federal case in 1879. The government offered no witnesses and no testimony and though it had been a long day, the judge instructed the lawyers to begin their closing arguments. This article is from may 14 of 1879 and is very reliable, as once again it is a source that was written during the time of standing bear vs general crooks case. Chief standing bear 1879 the poncas were removed from their land in dakota in the early 1870s and forcemarched to indian territory in oklahoma. There are 3,000 census records available for the last name standing bear.
Bear in the courtroom scene in standing bears footsteps. Chief standing bear trail nebraska trails traillink. Luther standing bear ota kte or plenty kill, also known as mat. The trial of standing bear by stplreferenceslidell a staffcreated list. The 1879 trial transcript is a copy of the proceedings in the case chief standing bear brought against general george crook, commander of the department of the platte.
Like a window into their daytoday life, standing bear census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more. The year 2009 marked the th anniversary of this landmark case, sparking commemorations in nebraska and around the eighth circuit. Frank keating talked about and read to children from his book, the trial of standing bear oklahoma heritage association. Lawyers volunteered their services and filed a writ of habeas corpus to prevent standing bear. Chief standing bear and the ponca tribe were forced in 1877 by federal treaty to leave their. In 1908, standing bear went to the great powwow in the sky.
A copy of this material is also filed in the state archives collection rg0512. A renowned ponca chief, standing bear, in 1879, became the first native to be legally recognized as a person. In a federal courtroom in omaha, nebraska, in 1879, standing bear, clan chief of the small and peaceful ponca tribe. Standing bear was from wamblee district, pine ridge. A permanent wall display conveying the story of chief standing bear was dedicated in a special proceeding, and actors performed a reenactment of standing bears trial. Standing bear learned the ways of the men, how to hunt and fish, and prepared to take his place in the tribe.