▁their ▁son ▁Jason , ▁struggling ▁to ▁find ▁their ▁place ▁as ▁American ▁Indians ▁in ▁contemporary ▁society . ▁Young ▁Jason ▁“ se es ▁things , ▁feels ▁things , ▁knows ▁things ,” ▁which ▁ter rif ies ▁his ▁mother . ▁Jason ▁is ▁also ▁constantly ▁for ▁being ▁an ▁Indian ▁by ▁Son ny , ▁an ▁older ▁white ▁boy , ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁Jimmy . ▁▁ ▁Pr oud ▁of ▁her ▁Pon ca ▁her itage , ▁Del ores ▁keeps ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁their ▁people ▁alive ▁for ▁her ▁son . ▁Jason ▁feels ▁a ▁g host ly ▁connection ▁to ▁the ▁long - de ad ▁Chief ▁Stand ing ▁Bear , ▁whose ▁legacy ▁is ▁revealed ▁in ▁a ▁ch oral ▁rendering ▁of ▁the ▁famous ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁trial . ▁As ▁Jason ▁grows ▁from ▁child hood ▁to ▁man hood , ▁Stand ing ▁Bear ▁remains ▁his ▁spiritual ▁guide . ▁His ▁father ▁Justin ▁dismiss es ▁his ▁sense ▁of ▁Indian ▁birth right , ▁leading ▁to ▁tra ged y ▁and , ▁ultimately , ▁re dem ption . ▁ ▁E volution ▁of ▁the ▁opera ▁ ▁As ▁Anthony ▁Davis ▁was ▁research ing ▁American ▁Indian ▁music ▁and ▁history , ▁he ▁attended ▁the ▁annual ▁Pon ca ▁pow - w ow ▁in ▁the ▁N io br ara ▁region ▁of ▁Neb r aska . ▁Among ▁the ▁thousands ▁of ▁at ten de es , ▁one ▁evening ▁he ▁met ▁a ▁woman ▁and ▁her ▁son ▁who ▁inspired ▁the ▁characters ▁of ▁Del ores ▁and ▁Jason . ▁ ▁This ▁woman ▁told ▁Davis ▁that ▁she ▁lived ▁on ▁land ▁where ▁Stand ing ▁Bear ▁was ▁buried . ▁She ▁said ▁her ▁five - year