Standing Bear's Quest for Freedom: The First Civil Rights Victory for Native Americans

Chief Standing Bear of the Ponca Nation was arrested for leaving the U.S. government's reservation for the love of his son and his people, leading to a historic civil rights victory for Native Americans in 1879. This decision disrupted the pervasive spirit of indifference of most Americans toward Native Americans and began a national movement of reforming Native American rights.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 234 pages
Publication date: 01 October 2022
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

Chief Standing Bear of the Ponca Nation bravely faced arrest for defying the U.S. government's reservation rules, driven by his unwavering love for his son and his people. Instead of resorting to armed resistance, Standing Bear chose a bold and unwavering approach, delivering powerful testimonies and heartfelt eloquence to advocate for his freedom. He deeply believed that he and his people had suffered a great injustice.

Standing Bear's yearning for the right to reside and pass away alongside his family on the sacred land of his Ponca ancestors, nestled within the expansive Great Plains of Nebraska, was a profound desire. In recounting his story, Standing Bear's Quest for Freedom unfolds as an extraordinary civil rights triumph for Native Americans. For the first time in 1879, a federal court declared a Native American to be a "person," granting them the same rights as every other citizen in the United States to seek redress of grievances in federal court.

Standing Bear's victory in Standing Bear v. Crook ignited a nationwide movement aimed at reforming Native American rights, albeit a gradual process. Chief Standing Bear's courageous leadership and unwavering determination shattered the pervasive spirit of indifference that many Americans held toward Native Americans. This historic decision would forever alter the course of American history, shaping a nation that would never be the same.

Weight: 340g
Dimension: 226 x 150 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781496232465
Edition number: 2nd ed.