Magazine Article Review: Documented: "Now there was blood in her eye." An 1879 Interview with Bright Eyes

 Documented: "Now there was blood in her eye."  An 1879 Interview with Bright Eyes, Nebraska History, Nebraska State Historiucal Society, Lincoln, Nebraska, Spring 2026, pp 2-5.

Ishtatheamba (Bright Eyes) or Susette La Flesche Tibbles was known as the interpreter for Chief Standing Bear who brought suit against General George Crook and was the first in which a Native American was declared a citizen.  Born in Bellevue in 1854, shortly before the Omaha abandoned the area for a reservation north of Omaha.  She was educated in the East and interpreted for the Ponca Chief as the Ponca and Omaha share the same language.  

The party was interviewed by a reported with the Chicago Inter Ocean and he conducted a followup interview with Bright eyes after the initial interview with the entire group.  Bright Eyes showed the wrongs done to Native Americans without mincing words.  She talked about how money allotments from the government for their land was not administered by the people, but by the government.  She help that it was better the money be kept together, but Native Americans needed some say in the money.  She also said that some agents abused this power for their own benefit.  The agents also censor mail sent to the Native Americans.  She contended soldiers were kept to fight Indians over problems they had created.  She also pointed out soldiers killed women and children, and not always in open battle.  She concluded that white people should treat Native Americans on an equal footing, that they be allowed to be citizens and farmers.  

Bright Eyes also wrote a forward for a book written by her husband about the Ponca story.  She wanted people to hear the Ponca story so they could intervene with regards to this injustice.  In this forward she saw that a central purpose of government was to protect people from the arbitrary use of power.  

Book Review: Standing Bear of the Ponca

 Standing Bear of the Ponca by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, illustrated by Thomas Floyd, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 2013.

This book gives a very good brief history of Chief Standing Bear.  The treatment of the Ponca by the federal government was very bad, forcing them to move 600 miles south to Oklahoma and then not providing proper support.  Many died, including Chief Standing Bear's daughter and a son.  His son asked to buried on the Ponca homeland.  Standing Bear hoped to honor this request and left the reservation.  Upon arriving at the Omaha Reservation he was arrested by General George Crook.  Joseph LaFlesche (Iron Eyes) and Susette La Flesche (Bright Eyes) of the Omaha helped them all they could, and General Crook suggested Standing Bear take him to court.  The newspaper man, Thomas Henry Tibbles helped them with publicity and finding lawyers to represent Standing Bear.  And Standing Bear won after his famous "I am a man" speech with Bright eyes interpreted.  Still the Ponca had no place to live.  Bright Eyes, Chief Standing Bear and Tribble made a tour of the east to win public support.  This was successful to a degree.  At first the Ponca lived on an island, but eventually the Sioux gave part of their reservation (which had been the Ponca reservation) to the Ponca to live.  Tribble's wife passed away and he married Bright eyes.  The last chapter also deals with the legacy of Chief Standing Bear.  Pow wows and statues are made in his honor.  He is honored in the Nebraska State Capitol.  

Magazine Article Review: Bright Eyes: The Interpreter Who Won a People's Freedom

 Bright Eyes: The Interpreter Who Won a People's Freedom by Ron Soodalter, Nebraska Life, July/August 2025, pp 48-52.

Susette La Flesche was born in Bellevue in 1854.  Her family lived in a traditional earth lodge.  At age two, she and her family moved to the Omaha reservation farther north, and closer to the Ponca reservation.  The Omaha were familiar with the troubles faced by the Ponca, who were removed from their reservation and sent to Oklahoma.  This resulted in the Trail of Tears, and much death.  The Oklahoma weather was different and some did not adjust.  when Chief Standing Bear's adult son passed away, he asked his father to bury him at the traditional burial place in Nebraska.  This resulted in a group of people leaving the reservation and traveling north.  After much harship, they finally landed at the Omaha reservation, where they planted crops.  However they were arrested and taken to Fort Omaha, under the direction of General Crook.  Standing Bear sued for habeas corpus, and was brought to trial in Omaha before Judge Elmer Dundy.  Chief Standing Bear testified in his own behalf, and Susette La Flesche interpreted.  Omaha and Ponca are different dialects of the same languague.  La Flesche also spoke English.  Her father, Chief Joseph Iron Eyes's La Flesche was part Anglo.   She was of mixed descent.  Her mother was Ponca.  She had spent time in both White and Indian worlds.  She had attended a young lady's school in New Jersey.  She worked with Thomas Tibbles for the Omaha Daily Herald.  Tibbles was a newspaper man who had told the story of the Ponca.  

As Chief Standing Bear gave his famous "I am a Man" it was La Flesche's words people could understand.  "My hand is not the same color as your hand, but if I pierce my hand I will feel pain.  If you pierce your hand you will feel pain.  The blood that will flow from mine will be he same color that will flow from yours."  

La Flesche's eloquent interpretation lead she, Chief Standing Bear and Tibbles on a journey east.  The judge ruled in favor of Standing Bear.  He was able to bury his son; but they still had no land.  Their land had been given to the Sioux.  They found an islan in the Niobrara River where the lived and farmed for a tim.  They toured and gave discourses in many eastern cities, slowly turning the argument in their favor.  The Ponca were eventually granted a small reservation on their traditional land.  While on their trip, the wife of Tibbles became ill and passed away.  La Flesche would later marry him.  

La Flesche became somewhat of a celebrity with her speaking on behalf of civil rights for Native Americans.  This including speaking on behalf of other Native peoples.  When she passed away she was eulogized by the Senate.  She is now inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame.

Native America Biography: Standing Bear, Ponca

Standing Bear was chief of the Ponca.  There is no way to hide it, the Ponca got a raw deal.  A treaty of 1858 guaranteed the Ponca a reservation on their traditional land.  However an 1868 treaty with the Sioux put the Ponca land inside the Sioux Reservation.  When the government corrected this seven years later they gave money to compensate for Sioux attacks, and moved all the Ponca to Indian Territory.  In 1879 Standing Bear and a few followers walked back to Nebraska.  General George Crook returned them.  The Ponca were dying.  Nearly a fourth of the remaining Ponca had died by 1879.  Standing Bear wanted to bury his son who had died in Oklahoma, on traditional land. He and about 70 others again made the trip.  Again General Crook met them.  However the newspapers had picked up the story, and a couple lawyers helped him in the Standing Bear vs. Crook case.  The first ruling was if Standing Bear was a citizen.  He testified, "My hand is not the same color as yours, but if you pierce it, I shall feel the pain.  The blood will be the same color.  We are men, the same God made us.. . . .All I ask is what is mine--my land, my freedom, my dignity as a man."  The courts ruled he had right to habeas corpus and ruled those with him could stay.. The ruling did not apply to Ponca still in Oklahoma.
The La Flesche helped the Ponca Tribe when they were shipped to Indian Territory.

Native American Biography: Fancis, Susan and Susette or Josett La Flesche: Omaha and Standing Bear: Ponca

Francis, Susan and Susette were siblings, children of Omaha chief Joseph La Flesche and Elizabeth Esau.  Francis was most noted as an anthropologist and as a lead in the efforts for Ponca Tribe recognition.  He helped Alice C. Fletcher with her book, "The Study of Omaha Music" and authored "Middle Five: Indian Boys at School.
His sister Susan became a medical doctor.  She treated everyone one the Omaha Reservation but was officially government physician to the Omaha Agency school.  Being too busy, her body started to break down.  However she did recover and eventually started a private practice in Bancroft, Nebraska.  By the time of her death, there was not a member of the Omaha Tribe she had not treated. She was also accepted as spokesperson for the tribe and represented them in the White world.
Her older sister was very involved in attempting to correct a social injustice.  The  Ponca had been displaced, when their reservation was given to the Sioux.  They were moved to Oklahoma Indian Territory.  The marched to the Omaha reservation, half starving, and without moccasins (they had eaten them) they were taken in by the Omaha.  Efforts were made by the La Flesche family for their restoration to their lands.
Standing Bear was chief of the Ponca.  His children died in the move.  He attempted to return them to traditional lands for burial.  The Indian agents kept returning them.  However the courts finally granted a writ of habeas corpus.  (Native Americans are people after all the court ruled.)  His family was allowed to stay, but the other Ponca still in Indian territory were not.