STANDING BEAR WAS ARRESTED FOR TRYING TO GO HOME – THEN HIS CASE FORCED A U.S. COURT TO DECIDE IF A NATIVE MAN WAS A “PERSON”
The court caught up later.
THE LAND QUESTION DID NOT END IN 1879
The land at the center of the story remains important to the Ponca.
The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska’s modern history emphasizes the restoration of federal recognition in 1990 and the rebuilding of tribal institutions after termination.
More recent developments show that land return remains part of the living history of the nation.
In 2025, the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska reported the donation and return of 79 acres in Antelope County.
