On October 11, 2026, at 2:00pm at the Betty Strong Encounter Center, Don Hickey, a retired history professor and award-winning author, will present an illustrated program on "The Trial of Standing Bear, 1879." Admission is free, but freewill donations are encouraged.

Hickey will tell the dramatic story of how a Ponca chief, native to Nebraska, sought to travel from Indian Territory to the Niobrara River to bury the remains of his son. Arrested for leaving the reservation, he was vindicated in a federal trial in Omaha when the presiding judge ruled that he was indeed a "person" under the law and thus entitled to live and travel wherever he chose.

Hickey holds a PhD from the University of Illinois and is a specialist in early American history and American military history. He is best known for his books, The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict (University of Illinois Press) and Nebraska Moments: Glimpses of Nebraska’s Past (University of Nebraska Press). His latest book, Tecumseh's War: The Epic Conflict for the Heart of America, (Westholme Publishing) was published in 2023.