“I am a man.”
Chief Standing Bear said that in 1879. Native Americans did not have equal rights then. Standing Bear was arguing for that. On May 12, 1879, a judge agreed: “An Indian is a person,” he declared. On May 12, 2023, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) honored Standing Bear with a postage stamp.
“The United States was founded on the principle that ‘all men are created equal,’” said Anton Hajjar. He works for the USPS. Yet, Hajjar added, “it took our country far too long to recognize the humanity in many of its people. That includes American Indians.” The USPS stamp honors Standing Bear’s work for .
Chief Standing Bear was born around 1829. He was in the Ponca tribe. Their area is now Nebraska. This group lived there for many years. In 1876, Congress ordered the Ponca tribe off their homeland. Troops forced them to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). The Ponca people had to walk 600 miles (965 km).
Many Ponca people got sick. That includes Chief Standing Bear’s son. He died. Standing Bear wanted to bury him at the Ponca homeland. He returned to Nebraska. However, Native Americans were not allowed to leave the reservation. The army arrested Standing Bear. He went to prison.
Standing Bear sued the U.S. government. He argued that the U.S. Constitution gave him freedom. The court case was Standing Bear v. Crook. It gave all Native Americans greater rights.
USPS held a ceremony on May 12. Members of the Ponca tribe were there. Some played drums. Candace Schmidt is in the Ponca Tribe. She said this stamp tells Standing Bear’s “story of justice.” Schmidt called it “a symbol of the pride and for all of our members.”
Richard Wright is in the Ponca tribe. He said this stamp “means everything” to him. Why? “Standing Bear is finally being recognized by the U.S. government,” Wright explained.
“Standing Bear is not just being recognized as a Ponca chief,” added Wright. “He’s being recognized as a civil rights hero.”
Updated May 15, 2023, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
