- old ▁son ▁saw ▁and ▁spoke ▁to ▁the ▁spirit ▁of ▁the ▁Pon ca ▁chief . ▁In ▁collaboration ▁with ▁writer ▁Y use f ▁Kom un y ak aa , ▁the ▁two ▁developed ▁a ▁libre tto ▁in ▁which ▁Stand ing ▁Bear ▁serves ▁as ▁Jason ' s ▁guide ▁as ▁the ▁boy ▁grows ▁from ▁child hood ▁( in ▁act ▁ 1 ) ▁to ▁ad ul th ood ▁( in ▁act ▁ 2 ). ▁Main stream ▁society ▁and ▁alco hol ism ▁serve ▁as ▁his ▁chief ▁ant agon ists , ▁although ▁he ▁is ▁har ass ed ▁by ▁some ▁children ▁when ▁young . ▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁removal ▁of ▁the ▁Pon ca ▁to ▁a ▁res ervation ▁in ▁Indian ▁Territ ory , ▁and ▁the ▁subsequent ▁intern ment ▁and ▁trial ▁of ▁Stand ing ▁Bear ▁after ▁he ▁led ▁his ▁people ▁back ▁to ▁their ▁hom el ands , ▁are ▁revealed ▁through ▁the ▁boy ' s ▁spiritual ▁commun ion ▁and ▁through ▁a ▁ch oral ▁re en act ment ▁of ▁the ▁famous ▁trial . ▁▁ ▁Davis ▁says , ▁ ▁" I ▁didn ’ t ▁want ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁historical ▁narr ative ▁or ▁an ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁trial . ▁That ▁could ▁be ▁more ▁easily ▁accomplished ▁in ▁other ▁media ▁like ▁television ▁or ▁film . ▁In ▁opera ▁you ▁have ▁to ▁find ▁a ▁way ▁into ▁the ▁story . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁gift ed ▁child ▁we ▁found ▁an ▁art istic ▁pr ism ▁to ▁look ▁at ▁history ▁and ▁not ▁just ▁present ▁history . ▁Having ▁a ▁character ▁who ▁can ▁en vision ▁the ▁past ▁enables ▁you ▁to ▁realize ▁the ▁past ▁in ▁the ▁present