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Standing Bear's Quest for Freedom

The First Civil Rights Victory for Native Americans

Lawrence A Dwyer author Judi M gaiashkibos editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:University of Nebraska Press

Published:1st Nov '22

Should be back in stock very soon

Standing Bear's Quest for Freedom cover

2023 Nebraska Book Award

Chief Standing Bear of the Ponca Nation faced arrest for leaving the U.S. government’s reservation, without its permission, for the love of his son and his people. Standing Bear fought for his freedom not through armed resistance but with bold action, strong testimony, and heartfelt eloquence. He knew he and his people had suffered a great injustice.

Standing Bear wanted the right to live and die with his family on the beloved land of his Ponca ancestors, located within the Great Plains of Nebraska. In telling his story, Standing Bear’s Quest for Freedom relates an unprecedented civil rights victory for Native Americans: for the first time, in 1879, a federal court declared a Native American to be a “person”—a human being with the right to file an action for a redress of grievances in a federal court, like every other person in the United States.

Standing Bear’s victory in Standing Bear v. Crook began a national movement of reforming Native American rights—albeit a slow one. Because of the courage and leadership of Chief Standing Bear, the pervasive spirit of indifference of most Americans toward Native Americans was disrupted by this historic decision. America would never be the same.

“A history involving the law, government policy, treaties, and the military could so easily get mired in technical language. This book never does. Rather, it maintains a crystal clarity, nimbleness, and focus on what matters—the people, their humanity, and what happened. . . . [Dwyer] has created a vivid picture of the events before, during, and after the trial and never loses sight of the story’s true hero, Standing Bear.”—Judi M. gaiashkibos, executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs

ISBN: 9781496232465

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

234 pages

2nd edition