Sarah Harris’ hands swish back and forth as she outlines a silhouette in jet-set dark blue.
Her brush strokes form a line of people swaddled in blankets, trudging through billowing snow. Ponca Chief Standing Bear kneels on the ground and cradles his dead son along the trail.
But then — a burst of color.
Harris etches rust, olive and tan into the image to show Standing Bear’s world-changing testimony in front of a federal courtroom in Omaha. In the image, he extends his right hand, about to speak his famous words.
“That hand is not the color of yours, but if I pierce it, I shall feel pain. If you pierce your hand, you also feel pain. The blood that will flow from mine will be of the same color as yours. I am a man. The same God made us both.â€
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Harris gestures to the image.
“He's an icon for justice, and what he accomplished is fantastic,†she said. “I hope it inspires people to learn from his example that, despite all the trials and agony, you can still make a stand and have your voice heard.â€
The historic scene now covers the walls of a government building adjacent to the state Capitol.
The Executive office building at 521 S. 14th St. will be renamed the Chief Standing Bear Administrative Justice Building after Sen. Tom Brewer introduced a bill to rename two state government buildings at Gov. Pete Ricketts’ request.
In the Chief Standing Bear Administrative Justice Building, government employees involved in the judicial branch manage daily operations. Harris said there’s no better place for a man who advocated for human rights to be memorialized.
Outside the building, sculptor Benjamin Victor will soon add a bust of the Ponca chief to further cement his legacy.
Both Victor and Harris hail from Boise, Idaho, but became involved in the project because of Victor’s esteemed Standing Bear sculpture in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. Harris and Victor have collaborated on several other projects.
Harris was grateful to have the opportunity to discuss Standing Bear's legacy with a group of Lincoln High students who helped her paint Friday. Their initials were added to the bottom-left corner of the scene in royal blue.
She said this project in particular is important because few people realize Standing Bear’s lasting impact.
“As we make his message more aware, I’ve come to find out that I don't think a lot of Nebraskans know about his story,†Harris said.
The mural features the chief's most prominent moments, from his journey on the Trail of Tears to the legal decision that changed so many lives.
After Standing Bear and the Ponca Tribe were removed from their homes in 1879 and forced to walk 600 miles to the Quapaw Reservation in Oklahoma, one-third of the tribe died, including his son, Bear Shield.
Standing Bear felt compelled to return his son’s body to his home state of Nebraska. The chief was arrested after leaving Oklahoma.
Other famous Nebraskans appear in the mural, including Gen. George Crook and journalist Thomas Tibbles. The two men helped Standing Bear establish a case. In the painting, Judge Elmer Dundy listens to Standing Bear’s testimony from behind the bench.
After Standing Bear's testimony, Dundy ruled that Indigenous people had human rights under the law. Standing Bear was able to return home.
Brewer’s bill also proposed the former Woodmen building at 1526 K St. be renamed the First Nebraska Administrative Building after the First Nebraska Infantry Regiment, a band of Union soldiers who served in the Civil War.
Jason Jackson, Department of Administrative Services director, said the new names come as part of a longstanding effort to beautify government buildings.
“For a long time, our buildings in the Capital environment area haven't had names or any sense of historical context,†Jackson said. “One of our projects is just to make these buildings reflect the dignity of the work that happens within them on behalf of Nebraskans in our community.â€
The Standing Bear mural will be unveiled in July, Jackson said, during a ceremony where the governor and several public officials will be present to celebrate Harris' work.
Judi gaiashkibos, executive director with the Nebraska Indian Commission, said Standing Bear’s legacy should be a guide for state government. She hopes Harris' blue hues and thick strokes serve as a reminder for Nebraskans.
“I think the mural is an inspiration for the legal profession in Nebraska,†gaiashkibos said. “We have to do more in our state to provide justice for the first people, and this is the beginning.â€