page_title: Luther Standing Bear
section_title: Carlisle Industrial School for Indians
hierarchical_section_title: Luther Standing Bear / Carlisle Industrial School for Indians
caption_attribution_description: English: Luther Standing Bear and his father, George Standing Bear, at Carlisle Indian School, Carlisle, PA
context_page_description: Luther Standing Bear was a Sicangu and Oglala Lakota chief notable in American history as a Native American author, educator, philosopher, and actor of the twentieth century. Standing Bear fought to preserve Lakota heritage and sovereignty and was at the forefront of a Progressive movement to change government policy toward Native Americans.
  Standing Bear was one of a small group of Lakota leaders of his generation who was born and raised in the oral traditions of their culture, educated in white culture, and wrote significant historical accounts of their people and history in English. Standing Bear's experiences in early life, the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, Wild Westing with Buffalo Bill, and life on government reservations present a unique view of a Native American during the Progressive Era in American history.
  Standing Bear's commentaries on Native American culture and wisdom educated the American public, deepened public awareness, and created popular support to change government policies toward Native American peoples.
context_section_description: The Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was one of the earliest Native American boarding schools, whose goal was cultural assimilation of Native Americans. Standing Bear was one of the first students to arrive when Carlisle opened its doors in 1879. Once there, he was asked to choose a name from a list on the wall. He randomly pointed at the symbols on a wall and named himself Luther. 
  Standing Bear soon became Captain Richard Henry Pratt's model Carlisle student. Like many other Carlisle students, Standing Bear had high personal regard for Captain Pratt. Standing Bear interpreted and recruited students for Pratt at Pine Ridge, South Dakota; led the Carlisle Indian Band across the Brooklyn Bridge upon its opening ceremony on May 24, 1883; and served as a student intern for John Wanamaker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
caption: Luther Standing Bear with his father, George Standing Bear, at Carlisle Indian School, c. 1890
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