Chief Standing Bear Stamps

Value:  66¢ First Class Mail (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  May 12, 2023
First Day City:  Lincoln, Nebraska
Printed by:  Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method:  Offset, Microprint
Format:  Pane of 20

Stamp honors Chief Standing Bear, known for 1879 court case, declares Native Americans as people under the law. Portrait by Thomas Blackshear II based on 1877 photo, with historical clothing color. Issued in Lincoln, Nebraska, featuring statue on Centennial Mall. Standing Bear (1829-1908), a Ponca Chief, fought for rights, won habeas corpus case, asserted, “God made me, and I am a Man.” After legal victory, he lectured on Indian rights. In 1908, laid to rest overlooking birth site, honored with a 2023 US stamp.