Joe Starita is a professor at the University of Nebraska College of Journalism and Mass Communications. A Nebraska native, he went to college on a baseball scholarship, played professional basketball in Turkey and had a stint herding cattle on an Israeli kibbutz. Eventually, he spent 14 years at The Miami Herald - including four years as the newspaper’s New York Bureau Chief and four years on its Investigations Team. Interested in Native Americans since childhood, he has written three critically acclaimed books examining their vital roles in American history. Three years ago, he started a college scholarship fund for Native American high school graduates.
2017 Chief Standing Bear Journey for Justice Scholarship
In 1879, Chief Standing Bear successfully argued in U.S. District Court that Native Americans are "persons within the meaning of the law" and have the right of habeas corpus. His story needs to be tol...
All concerned Lincoln citizens are invited to participate in an upcoming “Town Hall Conversation on Building a Safer Community.” The event will occur on Thursday, April 5, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in the Ted Sorensen Auditorium at Lincoln High School, 2229 J Street. ... See MoreSee Less
"An important and riveting story of a 19th-century feminist and change agent…This rebel's dogged determination is something of a roadmap and definitely an inspiration to those trying to break through 21st century glass ceilings."—Chicagco Tribune
“The painful, moving, inspiring, and important story of Chief Standing Bear has found a worthy chronicler in Joe Starita. This excellent book is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the West, or of America.” —Ian Frazier, author of On the Rez and Great Plains
"This is a living, heartbreaking account of four generations of a Lakota Sioux family…A truly fine book rich in historical and personal detail of a family and a people."—The Boston Globe
2017 Chief Standing Bear Journey for Justice Scholarship