Standing Bear Is a Person: The True Story of a Native American's Quest for Justice
In 1877 the Ponca Indians were forcibly and illegally removed from their fertile croplands in Nebraska and taken to barren land in Oklahoma by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Standing Bear, a clan leader, told the BIA that the land was unsuitable for farming, and that the Ponca wished to return home. Their request was denied, and by the end of the year, 158 Ponca had died. Desperate, Standing Bear and 27 others decided to escape to the reservation of the Omaha, their cousins. Once there, Omaha chief Iron Eye, along with his daughter Susette, a school principal, met with Brigadier General George Crook, one of two white initiates to the Omaha Soldier Lodge brotherhood. These three then told their story to T. H. Tibbles, deputy editor of the OmahaDaily Herald, whose coverage inspired attorney John Lee Webster to represent Standing Bear. In re-creating this important chapter in Native American history, Dando-Collins captures the full drama of Standing Bear's struggle, which culminates in a riveting courtroom scene in which the judge rules in his favor.Rebecca MakselCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.