Luther Standing Bear, 1922-1935
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Scope and Content
Series contains Standing Bear’s correspondence with Europeans about his works, especially My People, the Sioux, and their foreign translations, as well as with some of his publishers. Also included in this series are some Native American artifacts, a scrapbook containing clippings and photographs about Standing Bear, Native American and Standing Bear's friend Bill Hart, and a notepad dated 1922.
Dates
- Creation: 1922-1935
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. Advance notice required for access.
Biographical note
Luther Standing Bear (December 1868-February 20, 1939) was born Ota Kte (Plenty Kill) on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota to an Oglala Lakota family and raised in the Sioux tradition. He was one of the first students to attend the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, where he chose his new name. After graduating, he lived on the Pine Ridge Reservation until he became a dancer and horseback rider for Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The show gave him the exposure necessary to receive Hollywood roles, and between 1916 and 1935, he was in thirteen movies and became a member of the Screen Actors Guild of Hollywood.
In addition to acting, Standing Bear also published a number of books aimed at educating the public about Native American culture and their mistreatment by the federal government. Standing Bear died in 1939 after contracting the flu while on the set of the movie Union Pacific.
Extent
From the Collection: 104 Linear Feet (103 boxes, 1 map-case folder)
Repository Details
Part of the USC Libraries Special Collections Repository
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles California 90089-0189 United States
specol@usc.edu