Standing Bear Family

[Dietmar]

A website visitor asked me about scans of the famous Sicangu author Luther Standing Bear to use them in a movie project. If you have better quality scans of Luther portraits, please let me know, I would hand them on.

This is a good opportunity to start a thread about the Standing Bear Family. I´m sure all of you have read one or more books of Luther SB, whose Lakota name was Ota K'te (Plenty Kill).
I begin to post some pictures of him. Please feel free to add info or photos you have.


Luther Standing Bear arriving at Carlisle Indian School in 1879


Luther in Carlisle


Standing Bear (his father) & Luther in Carlisle


Red Fish, Luther & Standing Bear


Luther and two other students at Carlisle


Luther playing trumpet in Carlisle


Standing Bear Family


Luther 1894


Luther 1894


Luther in profile


Luther with Buffalo Bill´s Wild West Show


Luther´s wife and son

[kingsleybray]

Wonderful collection of photos, Dietmar! Would it be possible to have a complete high-def version of the picture of Lakota boys arriving at Carlisle in 1879? You did a nice one of the girls in the Lakotas at Carlisle thread.

[grahamew]

This is the best I can find, but if you go here and click on the photo, there's a bigger version

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sioux_boys_as_they_were_dressed_on_arrival_at_the_Carlisle_Indian_School,_Pennsylvania,_10-05-1879_-_NARA_-_519135.jpg

[Dietmar]

After comparing to other pictures, I had to remove this one from the list of portraits of Luther Standing Bear. I think it´s more likely his (half-)brother Henry:


Henry Standing Bear


@kingsley, I have a high-resolution picture of the 1879 boys with names attached to it, but it´s difficult to post a photo larger than Grahame´s above, so I stick to post edits now and then.
I´ll email you soon though...

[Dietmar]

Here are two more pictures of Luther:


Luther in Carlisle, probably 1880

[debstar76]

Loved these new pictures...The one of his wife while he was with Buffalo Bills Wild West Show..was Laura Levering..and son George Eugene Standing Bear...Laura was married to Edward Janis ( My Great Grandfather)first, then married Luther...They separated afterwards.

[debstar76]

For your information also...Her full name was Laura/Sallie Cloud Shield Levering...her first husband Edward Janis was the son of "Old Nick Janis" brother of Joesph Antoine Janis..Laura had three children from Edward before divorcing..and marrying Luther Standing Bear.

[Dietmar]

Thank you Deb,

I tried to find out more about the Standing Bear family, but collected a lot of information that is somewhat confusing.

Here´s a tentative list... just for discussion, so please be careful when copying it, there might be errors:


George Standing Bear aka Chief Standing Bear (1830 -1898)

Wife 1:
Pretty Face (of the Swift Bear band, left SB when he married the Roaming Nation sisters)

Children:
Luther Standing Bear (Plenty Kill)


Wife 2:
Roaming Nation aka Her Eagle Blanket (father: One Horse died 1877, mother: Rattling Stone Woman)

Children:
Feather Weaver
Henry Standing Bear (Spotted/Sorrel Horse aka Kills Little)
Ellis Standing Bear
Yellow Bird
Two Staffs
Willard Standing Bear (aka Shot to Pieces aka Never Defeated)


Wife 3
Lena Roaming Nation aka Hawk aka Her Eagle Blanket (younger sister of wife2)

Children:
Anna
Emily
Alfred Standing Bear
Victoria
Lucy

[Dietmar]

Standing Bear Family at Carlisle Indian School by John N. Choate:



standing left to right in backrow: Victoria Standing Bear, Luther Standing Bear, Red Fish´s daughter
sitting in front row: Henry Standing Bear, George Standing Bear, Red Fish, Willard Standing Bear

[grahamew]

Here's a sharper version of the Lakota boys at Carlisle barracks, 1879:

[jhafnor]

Wonderful photos/comments on the Standing Bears. I had honor of interviewing one Richard (Dick) Standing Bear (b. approx. 1928) about 18 months ago at nursing home in White River, SD. He may be nephew or second cousin of Luther. Thoughts? Anyway, I sought him out as he was one of last living persons to have known the subject of my next book, another Corn Creek resident, the minor headman James Stands For Them (1856? - 1939). Can't believe the generous sharing of time/knowledge I've experienced on this forum-- in particular Kingsley B. and Ephriam D. Any further nuggets on Richard S.B. or James SFT most welcome.

[Dietmar]

Two more picture of Luther Standing Bear:

[Dietmar]

According to Luther Standing Bear his father Chief Standing Bear, who was also known as George Standing Bear, earned his name in a battle with the Pawnees, in which also Two Strikes and Luther´s uncle Broken Arm were present. Before that the elder Standing Bear was known as Spotted Horse.

Here are some portraits of him:


photo by W.R. Cross

[ohirn1]

Thank you for sharing these amazing pics. Luther was my great-grandfather. His son was actually Eugene George, my Grandfather. His son was George Eugene who was my father. My grandfather married my grandmother, daughter of Osage chief Fred Lookout. Unfortunately, Eugene died when I was 19, so I don't know much about my Sioux relatives. I had never seen these pictures before. I will share them with my family. Thanks again!!

[Dietmar]

Welcome ohirn1,

great to have you here. I will try to post more pictures of the Standing Bear family later on.

Please note that the information in this thread is derived from public sources and (as generally on this site) corrections would be appreciated from family members.


Here´s again Chief (George) Standing Bear... from Hamilton´s Rosebud book:


Standing Bear (Mato Najin), an Oglala, 1887 (standing). On the back of the print in the Sioux Indian Museum, is a notation in Anderson´s handwriting: "Standing Bear at Fort Niobrara in 1887." Standing Bear was from Wamblee District, Pine Ridge. Long Pumpkin and his wife and child are seated in front.
(Hamilton, Henry W. & Jean Tyre: The Sioux of the Rosebud, U. o. Oklahoma Press,page 260)

I was told that Standing Bear´s move to Pine Ridge was due to the killing of Spotted Tail. Their families were very close. That would explain why he is rated as Oglala above. Does anyone know more about it?