After being forcibly removed from their lands the Ponca marched for months to Oklahoma. Standing Bear then made a return journey to Nebraska to bury his son. He was detained and in Crook v Standing Bear the United States government argued against the habeas corpus writ brought by his lawyers claiming he was neither a citizen nor a person. Standing Bear gave a speech worth reading and judge Elmer Dundy ruled “That an Indian is a PERSON within the meaning of the laws of the United States…” Making Standing Bear the first Native American to be declared a person-in 1879. He died in 1908.
by puckthepatriarchy-
2 Comments
Personal note-this could seem long ago. But my great grandmother was an adult when he died. And I chatted and ate ice cream with my great grandmother. We are NOT that far away.
This is the “again” they’re talking about