Brett Chapman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brett Chapman
Born	July 1983 (age 41) Oklahoma
Nationality	American and Pawnee Nation
Education	University of Oklahoma (BS) University of Tulsa (JD)
Occupation	Attorney
Years active	2010–present
Known for	Native American advocacy

Brett Chapman (born in Oklahoma in 1983) is an American lawyer. He is a direct descendant of Chief White Eagle (1840 - 1914). Brett Chapman often speaks out and is interviewed about Native American civil rights and the right of Native American groups to make their own decisions.

Family History and Early Life

Brett Chapman grew up in Oklahoma. He has Ponca, Pawnee, and Kiowa heritage. He is a direct descendant of Chief White Eagle. Chief White Eagle was a famous leader of the Ponca tribe. He spoke out against his people being forced onto reservations. His efforts helped Native Americans gain equal rights in the 1870s.

Chief White Eagle was the leader during the Ponca Trail of Tears in 1877. This was a forced journey that led to the deaths of over 300 people. Chief White Eagle lost his wife and four children during this tragic event.

White Eagle and Standing Bear fought the United States government. They wanted the freedom to leave their reservation. They wished to return to their traditional lands in Nebraska. In 1879, a very important civil rights case happened. It was called Standing Bear v. Crook. In this case, the Ponca people were legally recognized as "persons." This meant they had civil rights under the U.S. Constitution.

This event also made President Rutherford B. Hayes change a long-standing policy. This policy, called Indian removal, had started in 1830. Chief White Eagle was given credit for helping change this government policy.

Brett Chapman went to public school in rural Oklahoma. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2007. He then earned his law degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 2010.

Career

Chapman started his law career as an Assistant District Attorney in Oklahoma. He worked on serious cases. Later, he moved to civil law. Now, he has his own law practice in Tulsa. He focuses on defending people in criminal cases. He also works on civil rights cases.

Standing Up for Native American Rights

Brett Chapman is a strong supporter of Native Americans. He speaks out on important issues. These include tribal sovereignty (the right of tribes to govern themselves). He also addresses the Native American mascot controversy. This is about sports teams using Native American names or images. He also works to make sure Native Americans are shown correctly in history and today.

He was interviewed about a bronze statue of Chief Standing Bear. This statue is in the National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. Chief Standing Bear was central to the 1879 case that recognized Native Americans as people with equal rights. Chapman said this statue helps share their story.

In 2019, Chapman spoke out when the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, used Native American history in a political way. Chapman said this was wrong.

The Right to Self-Determination

In 2019, Chapman met with Quim Torra. Torra was the President of Catalonia, a region in Europe. They talked about similar issues faced by Native Americans and Catalans. These included bringing back old languages and keeping their cultural identity. They also discussed human rights and Catalonia's peaceful movement. This movement is about deciding their own future as a unique people.

Chapman also asked Catalonia to speak out against past wrongs. He asked them to denounce Catalan-speaking colonizers. These colonizers were involved in Spanish abuses during the Spanish colonization of the Americas. After this meeting, the Government of Catalonia condemned "abuses committed against the populations and original peoples of the Americas." They said they were sad about the role of Catalan slave traders.

In 2018, Chapman criticized the Spanish foreign minister, Josep Borrell. Borrell had made a comment about the United States. He said the U.S. "only had to kill four Indians" to gain independence. Chapman called this comment "shocking idiocy." He said Borrell should know that Spain killed many more people than four Native Americans. The next day, Borrell apologized to Native Americans.

How Native Americans are Shown in History

Chapman often criticizes unfair or wrong portrayals of Native Americans. He spoke out in 2019 about a book by historian David McCullough. Chapman said the book repeated old stereotypes. These stereotypes were used to justify taking Native American land.

Chapman supports changing statues, memorials, and murals. He points to a decision made in Nebraska in 2018. The state decided to remove a statue of a white man. In its place, they put a statue of Chief Standing Bear. Chapman said this decision helps show Native Americans in a better light. He believes it helps all Americans understand their story.

He also wants to change Columbus Day to Native American Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day. In 2018, Oklahoma tried to change the name of Columbus Day. But the governor at the time, Mary Fallin, stopped the bill. She said it might seem like an attempt to lessen the importance of Native American Heritage Month. Chapman said her decision made no sense. He felt it was disrespectful to Native Americans in Oklahoma.

In 2019, the Philadelphia Inquirer interviewed Chapman. This was for a Memorial Day article. It was about a soldier named Benjamin Hodgson. Hodgson died at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. Chapman was asked if Americans should honor soldiers who fought to take land from Native peoples. He said, "I don't think American soldiers who oppressed Native Americans should be honored." He compared it to honoring Confederate soldiers who fought for slavery.

Chapman believes memorials should include a plaque. This plaque would explain the Native American view of the event. He said, "A full and fair understanding of history will help Americans understand Native Americans."

See also

• Native American mascot controversy
• Standing Bear
• Catalan independence movement