"Chief Standing Bear of the Ponca Tribe wanted to bury his son and be left alone.

But, the seemingly simple request would lead Standing Bear and his people on an epic flight on foot from Oklahoma's Indian Territory to the tribe's Ponca homeland in Nebraska.

Joe Starita, author, journalist and University of Nebraska-Lincoln assistant professor, describes the excruciating journey in brilliant detail in a well-researched account of Chief Standing Bear's story in, “I Am A Man,” St. Martin's Press, 2009.

The Trail of Tears-like description, however, is more than a story of woeful tragedy followed by unexpected, bittersweet triumph. Starita's historical narrative unleashes a clear story of justice, honor, constitutionalism and tribal identity. The Standing Bear story also provides a rare glimpse into U.S. history and American Indian civil rights, a glimpse into time when ordinary citizens, the Fourth Estate and all three branches of government worked in concert to do the right thing."

Get the Story:
Rare justice: Narrative traces Standing Bear's journey into national debate (The Missoulian 4/27)

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