Who was Standing Bear? One of the earliest Native American civil rights activists, a leader, a gifted speaker, a dedicated father, my hero. This is the story of Standing Bear and the Ponca people of the Niobrara River valley in Nebraska. This is a sad story, but in the end, their leader, Standing Bear, successfully argued in the U. S. Court system in 1879 that Native Americans were "persons within the meaning of the law" . This activity includes a 6 page printable story (also digital wit