Blog Post #2: Harvard and Standing Bear’s Tomahawk - Claudia Page

On July 21, 2021, the Hyperallergic podcast released an episode titled “Understanding Why a Harvard Museum Will Return Standing Bear’s Tomahawk.” In this 24 minute episode, Hrag Vartanian of Hyperallergic conversed with lawyer and member of Pawnee tribe Brett Chapman about a special tomahawk and its journey back home.


Photo of the Tomahawk and Portrait of Standing Bear on Display via Podcast Episode Page



About a decade after the Civil War (in which the 14th amendment was passed), the Ponca nation was forced to move from Nebraska to an “Indian Territory” in Oklahoma. Standing Bear was a Ponca Chief who became an advocate for Native American Civil Rights as a result of this treatment by the US government. After their removal from Nebraska, they were not allowed to leave the new territory without permission. On the long journey to this new territory, Standing Bear’s daughter died among 200 others. Shortly after their arrival, his son passed as well. Standing Bear did not want to bury his son in Oklahoma and intended to travel back to their original home in Nebraska to do so, going against orders. Standing Bear was arrested and forced to return to the territory with no remorse for Standing Bear in his time of grief. Even with the 14th amendment passed at this time, Native Americans had no basic civil or human rights. They were not seen as people. John L. Webster was a white attorney who represented Standing Bear in a court case in which he fought for civil rights following the arrest. They won, but it is important to note that even after this court case, rights were only given to the 30-some members of the Ponca Nation. Full citizenship was not given to all Native Americans until 1924.

 As a gift of gratuity for helping him win the case, Standing Bear gave his tomahawk to Webster. Standing Bear likely obtained his tomahawk as a gift from the president and carried this tomahawk with him during his trek to Oklahoma. Giving this highly valued item to Webster aligned with “The Ponca Way.” When Webster passed away, Webster’s estate sold it to a private collector. The historical piece moved around a few more times before it was gifted to Harvard by a Massachusetts resident.

Chapman posted several tweets raising questions about the tomahawk’s current residence at Harvard. According to Chapman’s tweets, in spring of 2021 he sent a request for the tomahawk’s repatriation. Nearly a year later in January 2022, he posted that Harvard quickly responded and agreed to return it, but still had it in their possession with no further communication regarding actually returning it. Finally, on June 3, 2022, there was a ceremonial return held in Massachusetts. 


Initial request email sent in April 2021 to Harvard by Chapman, via Chapman’s Twitter




Update Tweet in January 2022, via Chapman’s Twitter




Chapman shares that the tomahawk was returned in June 2022, over a year after the first request, via his Twitter




In the podcast, Chapman explains that returning the tomahawk is unfortunately dependent on a moral obligation rather than a legal obligation. There was a law passed in 1990 called the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. This covers grave robbing of Native Americans, including stealing funerary objects (ex. A necklace on someone when buried). This act, however, does not cover personal possessions. In the tomahawk’s case, that would fall under personal possession. While Chapman is grateful Harvard agreed it should be returned and appreciates Harvard’s safe keeping of the artifact, it should have been given back the first time they said they would do so. Vartanian references a similar issue with stolen art happening in British Museums and the rebuttal of “Museums take better care of it.” Chapman agrees with Vartanian that this stance is condescending, implying the rightful owners are not capable of preserving their own possessions. 





Works Cited


Vartanian, Hrag, host. “Understanding Why a Harvard Museum Will Return Standing Bear’s Tomahawk.” Hyperallergic, episode 96, 21 July 202, https://podcast.hyperallergic.com/episodes/understanding-why-a-harvard-museum-will-return-standing-bear-s-tomahawk.

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