A very informative, if somewhat choppy, read. I enjoyed it very much. Sometimes the author's style didn't flow well for me.
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone, especially middle-grade children, interested in Native American history specifically or American history in general. I, too, am thinking of donating it to our school library (after I let my children read it!). ( )

This is a children’s non-fiction book about Standing Bear and the Ponca Indians. He was not the main leader of the Ponca, but was a chief of the Bear Clan which lived near the area of Niobrara, Nebraska, in 1804.

The author writes a well-documented story of the Ponca culture, ceremonies, and the way they lived. This story tells of the hardships the Ponca endured with their own Trail of Tears, not once but twice, when the United States had this brilliant idea to send the Ponca’s to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. Well, the Ponca didn’t want to stay and walked back to Nebraska, in winter no less.

Standing Bear was arrested, and the famous, historic trial was held in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 1, 1879. When Standing Bear was allowed to speak to a packed court room, he held out his hand and said: “That hand is not the color of yours, but if I pierce it, I shall feel pain. The blood that will flow from mine will be the same color as yours. I am a man. The same God made us both.”

Standing Bear of the Ponca will never be forgotten. The Ponca tribe, the State of Nebraska including several cities, and Ponca City, Oklahoma, honor him with statues and naming a special day for him thus telling his story every year.

This book caught my attention because there is a city named Ponca near where I grew up, but I never learned much about the Ponca Indians. Standing Bear’s clan never lived near this city. Other Ponca clans lived in surrounding cities where I grew up, and I didn’t know it. I am disappointed that this is the first I heard of Standing Bear.

I would highly recommend this book.

I am a fan of Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve's books. This book is a wonderful example of a truly historically accurate depiction of Native American experience. This book is very reader friendly for young people. History is taught without being dry and boring. I highly recommend this book. ( )

This clearly written kids book tells the story of the Ponca leader who challenged the status of Indians under America's Habeus Corpus law, forcing the government to acknowledge their citizenship. Of course, true to the history of American vs. Indian relations, this didn't mean fairness or justice. The author spells out the horrors and deaths associated with the constant relocating of the Ponca tribe, but without becoming too graphic for the elementary audience.

I think I'll donate this book to my local school library.

Driving Hawk is a strong authentic voice in Native American children's literature. Her story of Standing Bear has been researched and told in a straight-forward message. It is the story of many Native Americans. 4th and 5th grader who read this book, will come away with an understanding of how the US Government treated the Natives. Her well-chosen words work in their simplicity to show how Standing Bear complied with the federal dictates. His statement at his trial are simple and eloquent. The words he spoke in his defense will be understood by children. Her explanation of habeas corpus is as understandable as any I've read. I appreciate that Driving Hawk used non-emotional language in her explanations of how individual whites helped Standing Bear. It shows that individuals can make a difference. I hope Driving Hawk continues to add more biographical histories about Native Americans for children . ( )