22 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[Bull. 195 



Homesickness worst of all diseases in misery that it carries was in every 

 lodge. In the midwinter of such a scene of wretchedness', Chief Standing 

 Bear's oldest son died and the boy wanted to be buried in Nebraska and the 

 chief with a little band slipped away from the reservation and turned their 

 faces to the North. Seven of the party were very sick when they started. 

 They were 10 weeks on the road and arrived, ragged and nearly starved at the 

 Omaha Agency which was part of the Ponca territory in March. Their presence 

 there was reported to Washington by the Agent and on request of the Secre- 

 tary of Interior Carl Shiery, the commanding officer at Omaha, General Crook, 

 was ordered to arrest them and return them under military guard to Indian 

 Territory. When the party was brought to Omaha, March 26, 1879, the news 

 of their misfortunes became known and in their behalf was brought one of 

 the most important law suits to determine the status of Indians ever tried. 

 Friends of the prisoners induced John L. Webster and A. J. Poppleton to volun- 

 teer their services in their behalf. This was the case of Standing Bear, versus 

 George Crook, Brigadier General of the United States Army and asked that 

 a writ of habeas corpus be issued to restore them to the liberty of which they 

 had been unjustly deprived. 



The case was ordered by Webster and Poppleton for the Poncas and the 

 U.S. District Attorney Lamberton for the Government. The great issue raised 

 was whether Indians were citizens and as such entitled to the protection of 

 the constitution and laws of the U.S. Judge Dundy did not decide this question 

 in his opinion, but held that an Indian was a person within the meaning 

 of the law and had therefore the right to habeas corpus; that in addition an 

 Indian had the right to serve his tribal relations and that Standing Bear and 

 party having done this could not be imprisoned without trial and were entitled 

 to their liberty. Standing Bear and his band remained in Nebraska. 



All the chiefs that signed the treaties are as follows : 



1817 



Handsome Man 

 Rough Buffalohom 

 Ho we na 

 Pa da gah xa 

 Gah he ga 

 Smoke Maker 

 Little Chief 

 Aquotha bee 



Interpreters : 



Solomon 

 Joe La Flesh 



1825 



Smoke 



Ish ca da bee 

 The um ba bee 

 Wah the he 

 Na ji hah tanga 

 Wah sho shah 

 Nu gah they 

 Wa gee muza 

 lude cow se 

 E pe Tha Gah 



Way buc kee han 



Ma han the gah no knife 



Mi jin ha the 



Ma cho Shiga na pa bee 



Black cros 



Gah be gah 



Na he tapee 



Ne na pa shee 



One that knows 



