William Standing Bear

Do something you want to do and work hard for that. I can’t say enough about that. I came from a very poor background. We had nothing and I have to say, I became a wealthy person over the many years that I did what I wanted to do. My children, I’m happy to be here with you.

William Standing Bear

I am Standing Bear, an elder of the Onondaga Peoples of the Great Iroquois Confederacy. In the name of the Great Spirit I call on the Grandfathers and the Grandmothers to hear us in the prayer given us by our elders: O great spirit—whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me. I come before you, one of your many children—I am small and weak, I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things you have made, my ears sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise, so that I may know the things you have taught my people, the lesson you have hidden in every leaf and rock. I seek strength not be superior to my brothers, but to be able to fight my greatest enemy—myself. Make me ever ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes, so when life fades as a fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.

I was born in Time, Pennsylvania on March 19, 1926. I was raised out in the mountains of Pennsylvania with ten aunts and uncles and their families. I had no brothers or sisters. We raised everything we ate and dug coal for a living. We had big fields of corn and all kinds of vegetables. We also raised chickens and pigs and other animals for our meat.

When I was young I went to a one-room schoolhouse. My aunt was the teacher. She taught eight grades in one school. I had only one year of high school. At age 15 I went to work in the coal mines. I had to try it and see if I wanted to do it for a living, if I could do it for a living. I also went into town and worked in a glass house making canning jars.

My nation is the Iroquois; they range from Canada to South Carolina. There are six nations in the Iroquois Confederacy: Seneca, Mohawk, Huron, Erie, Algonquin, and the Cree. My mother was a Delaware Indian. We’re from the Bear Clan; it is my family name. Clan means we are related. I was raised traditionally on the Pennsylvania land grant—700 acres of land granted to our family for showing the white people across the mountain.

When I was about 11 years old I took my vision quest. A vision quest enters a boy into manhood; it shows that you were ready to be a good young man. All I had was a knife and a snare, for three days alone in the woods. That was no problem. I had spent most of my childhood in the woods. While on my vision quest I stopped to get my drink of water. There was a bear standing across the stream from me. At the end of the month I was given the name Standing Bear. I’ve had this name for almost 70 years.

At the age of 12 I joined the Boy Scouts of America. I learned many skills and a lot about myself. I became a Scoutmaster when I grew up. In California, my troop had 14 Eagle Scouts; that’s an accomplishment by itself. I’ve received the Silver Beaver award, which is the highest honor an adult can earn in the Boy Scouts of America. I’ve also served as an Eagle court commissioner and an advisor for the Order of the Arrow, which is a Boy Scout honor for Indians.

I went into the United States Army in 1942 and served in Europe until 1947. I drove a truck in the Battle of the Bulge in the Red Ball Express, carrying ammunition and fuel to tanks. The Iroquois teachings helped me during the war. I became a scout for the officers and drove them in Jeeps across Europe. Because I spoke First Nation Code, we were part of an elite troop used in the front lines.

As a child I went to wild west shows and dreamed of riding a horse and being something! After getting out of the Army I went to California and got involved in the American Venture Wild West Show. My dream came true. I performed and rode horses in the shows and in movies like How the West Was Won. I became friends with stars like Gene Autry and John Wayne through my work. I also rode in 17 Rose Parades. I spent 32 years with the American Venture Wild West Show.

I moved to Minnesota several years ago to be with family. I live with my daughter in Dalbo, Minnesota. I have three children of my own. I also have 20 some grandchildren, another 10 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.

The things I’ve done in my life, I’ve enjoyed doing. I’m hoping that talking to you, some of it will rub off and you’ll learn a little bit about life. Not about my life, but what I’m trying to do is help youngsters pick out something they want to do. You can’t be what I am. You can be what you want to be. Be the best at it.