Our Purpose
The Chief Standing Bear Project is a Lincoln, Nebraska-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving the legacy of Ponca Chief Standing Bear, a civil rights pioneer whose courage changed American history. Forcibly removed from their Nebraska homeland in 1877, Standing Bear defied the federal government by leading his people back to bury his son on ancestral land. His subsequent arrest led to a landmark 1879 court ruling making him the first Native American to be legally recognized as a person under U.S. law. Today, the Project works to ensure that the story is known and carried forward through education, historical resources, and a celebration of the Native American leaders who continue his fight for justice and human dignity.
The Project awards the Chief Standing Bear Prize for Courage, which celebrates the “trailblazers” who continue to shatter institutional barriers. Recognition is given to those who have risked personal safety in humanitarian service, those who use their voices to protect sacred cultural resources, and those whose professional presence replaces stereotypes with human dignity. Whether confronting painful systemic histories or advocating for justice in our courts and legislatures, these recipients prove that the fight for “personhood” is an ongoing endeavor.
Background
From his birth on the banks of the Niobrara River in Nebraska until his death in 1908, Chief Standing Bear dedicated his life to fighting for equality and justice for Native Americans. In 1877, federal treaty forced him and the Ponca Tribe to leave their Nebraska homeland for Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma, where harsh conditions claimed many lives, including that of his own son. Honoring his son’s dying wish to be buried in his homeland, Chief Standing Bear led 30 tribe members back to Nebraska, only to be detained by federal authorities. The resulting trial made him the first Native American recognized as a “person” under the law by a federal court.
Given the opportunity to address the court, he spoke his now-famous words:
“This hand is not the color of yours, but if I pierce it, I shall feel pain. If you pierce your hand, you also feel pain. The blood that will flow from mine will be of the same color as yours. I am a man. The same God made both of us.”
The Chief Standing Bear Prize for Courage:
A Legacy in Action
The Chief Standing Bear Prize for Courage exists to prove that the landmark civil rights victory of 1879 was not a final destination, but the beginning of a living legacy. The mission of the Project is to honor contemporary Native Americans who carry the torch of Chief Standing Bear by choosing what is right over what is expedient. This prize recognizes that courage today mirrors the spirit of the 19th century: it is the quiet resilience to endure hardship, the determination to lead when the path is uncertain, and the unwavering strength to stand firm in one’s convictions.
By promoting awareness and support for this prize, the Project provides a national platform for moral leadership. Through public forums and the presentation of the Standing Bear statuette, the Chief’s legacy of dignity and determination continues to serve as a compass, inspiring a more just world for future generations.
