Truth.History.Humanity.
"I Am a Man": Chief Standing Bear's Journey for Justice
The harrowing story of a Native American man's tragic loss of land and family, and his heroic journey to reclaim his humanity.
In 1877, Chief Standing Bear's Ponca Indian tribe was forcibly removed from their Nebraska homeland and marched to what was then known as Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), in what became the tribe's own Trail of Tears. A third of the tribe died on the grueling march, including Standing Bear's only son.
"I Am a Man" chronicles what happened when Standing Bear set off on a six-hundred-mile walk to return the body of his son's body to the Ponca's traditional burial ground. It chronicles his efforts to reclaim his land and rights, culminating in his successful use of habeas corpus to gain access to the courts and secure his freedoms.
This is a story of survival that explores fundamental issues of citizenship, constitutional protection, and the nature of democracy. Joe Starita's well-researched and insightful account bring this vital piece of American history brilliantly to life.
A Warrior of the People: How Susan La Flesche Overcame Racial and Gender Inequality to Become America's First Indian Doctor
A Warrior of the People tells the inspiring story of Susan La Flesche Picotte, the first Native American doctor in U.S. history. In 1889—decades before women could vote or Native Americans were granted citizenship—she became the sole physician for over a thousand patients across 1,350 miles of Omaha land. Facing poverty, disease, and deep prejudice, she broke barriers of race and gender to serve her people with compassion and strength. Joe Starita’s biography honors her remarkable life and enduring legacy in public health.
The Dull Knifes of Pine Ridge: A Lakota Odyssey
Joe Starita tells the triumphant and moving story of a Lakota-Northern Cheyenne family. In 1878, the renowned Chief Dull Knife, who fought alongside Crazy Horse, escaped from forced relocation in Indian Territory and led followers on a desperate six-hundred-mile freedom flight back to their homeland. His son, George Dull Knife survived the Wounded Knee Massacre and later toured in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show. Guy Dull Knife Sr. fought in World War I and took part in the Siege of Wounded Knee in 1973. Guy Dull Knife Jr. fought in Vietnam and is now an accomplished artist.
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Starita updates the Dull Knife family history in his new afterword for this Bison Books edition.