New TNT Movie: Into The West

[fightingoneself]

I think that the fact that they showed the stupidity of the white man and the perspective of BOTH sides made the show worth watching. I was watching the finale last night, and the scene where Margaret Light Shines comes face to face with the reporter, that she traded the goust shirt to for the camara, out at the site of wounded knee was amazing to me. No words were spoken, but there was no need.
I am personally glad they made the show, because not many people I know were even remotely familiar with the story of wounded knee or almost any of what they showed. What happened back then was an american version of the holocaust. I am, and have always been ashamed of what the white people did, and I am soooooooooo glad that they were able to show as muc has they could. I heard that it will be coming to DVD and Video this october. I know I will be getting it the first day it comes out!

[White Powwow Dancer]

Hi
After the series. I have more respect for the indian ways.

[Historian]

I have watched all the episodes of this series with interest, as it involves the history and events of the Oglala part of my family. However, this last episode hit me hard emotionally, even though I knew what was going to happen. My heart is on the ground, and that's all I can say right now.

[White Powwow Dancer]

I don't regret watching the show. I don't regret it being made; so long as one White person is filled with an inter-generational shame that matches my disgust and grief.

I felt the shame we did to your people by murdering them

[Plenty Fox]

Final Episode

Episode 6 just ended. I was struck by a number of things and my mind is still whirling so forgive me if I leave something out the first time around.

Wovoka introduced what was almost a pseudo Christianity to the Indian people; the concept of salvation and eternal life as was explained to me by nuns years ago. The concept that we will all be raised up and reunited with those who have gone before; that there will be peace on earth... What was it exactly that made our practice of this new found (i.e. different) spirituality unacceptable in White terms? Yes, we added our own practices of singing and dancing to put our stamp upon it; but ITW shows Native people experiencing a 'rapture' that in this day and age is acceptable--particularly among pentecostal and evangelical Christian groups in America. One hundred years and a difference in race...

Another theme I perceived, again, was the power of the media. Newspapers and TV channels look for sensational headlines and stories to get ratings and sell their product. It appears it was no different circa 1890.

What has changed in 100 years? I'm beginning to wonder. This country seems be going backwards instead of forward. But maybe my words only reflect how sickened I feel having watched this, the 6th and Final Episode; right down to seeing Margaret offered $2.00 measly bucks for that fine buckskin Ghost Dance shirt...watching a whole encampment of innocents slaughtered.

I don't regret watching the show. I don't regret it being made; so long as one White person is filled with an inter-generational shame that matches my disgust and grief.

[Dawgwhisperer]

zif you want to see what native-white relations were really
like in a movie, I have two recommendations:
1. The reenactment of the Sand Creek Massacre in
"Soldier Blue".
2. The reenactment of the massacre of the survivors of
Sand Creek on the Wa****a four years later in "Little Big Man".
Case closed.

Good idea....I'm going to check them out too.

[Blackbear]

zif you want to see what native-white relations were really
like in a movie, I have two recommendations:
1. The reenactment of the Sand Creek Massacre in
"Soldier Blue".
2. The reenactment of the massacre of the survivors of
Sand Creek on the Wa****a four years later in "Little Big Man".
Case closed.

You know I was just thinking the other day watching that reinactment in Into the West... I wonder if those actors are getting tired of reinacting that particular day. The one reinactment that was eerie was the one in hidalgo how the actors had fallen into place like the photos that were taken afterwards.

[alamosaurus]

zif you want to see what native-white relations were really
like in a movie, I have two recommendations:
1. The reenactment of the Sand Creek Massacre in
"Soldier Blue".
2. The reenactment of the massacre of the survivors of
Sand Creek on the Wa****a four years later in "Little Big Man".
Case closed.

[Dawgwhisperer]

Hey, CW..... If you do get a chance to watch it I think you'll find it interesting........and sad at times. But like I've been saying here and on my thread about the series.....it's good that people are seeing SOMETHING, ya know? We are so rarely the topic of discussion currently, unless it's about a new casino, or reclaiming land.

Take care, "see ya" around...

[crazywolf]

Didnt exactly critique

Boozhoo niji,

PFP I didnt exactly critique the series in my post. All I described in my post were the previews and why I didnt want to watch it. But you point out some good things. Maybe I will watch it. My cousin has the whole thing downloaded and burned onto DVD, so I can if I ever want to. I am just going to have to get ready for it I guess.

Derek

[Dawgwhisperer]

My grandmother was one of the students at Carlisle. She told my aunt stories about it. Jim Thorpe went there too.

Like I said on my thread......the more vivid and violent the better as far as I'm concerned. Whoever watches it needs to see some representation of what was endured by our people. Accuracy is no longer an issue in my mind. I'm just glad we're a topic of discussion again.

Still, I'm not looking forward to the conclusion. We already know it isn't in our favor....

[Plenty Fox]

Boozhoo niji,

I saw the previews, and at first, I liked what I saw. Those very first pictures let me to believe this was going to be a faithful depiction of Native Americans. The previews I saw, they showed something a little different each time. And then one night I saw a picture of a cannonball crashing through a teepee.

I thought to myself, why should I watch something that just shows our people being defeated by the white man?

I watched the movie Squanto, one time. I think it was a very good movie. I tried to watch it a second time, cause I was bored, but when it came to the canoes racing across the water, chasing after the ships, and the woman crying out Squanto's name, I had to turn it off. If the movie is about a true story or not, it invoked some pretty negative feelings in me about white people.

Right now I already have enough negative feelings about white people, I didnt need any fresh ideas, so I chose not to watch the show. I have heard from people what a good show it was, and how one of the chiefs kinda reminded them of me, and this and that. All I said was, thats fine, because you won, we didnt.

Derek

Derek, comparing Disney's Squanto to Spielberg's Into The West is like comparing Mickey Mouse to Spiderman. You want sugar coated, without showing real pain and suffering? Fine. Watch Squanto. What a farce. Being a Disney production should tell you something. If you want reality; or at least the closest the film industry has ever come, Spielberg wins. You ask, "why should I watch something that shows our people being defeated by the white man"? If that narrow scope is your reasoning behind not watching Into the West or even Squanto for a second time, I feel sorry for you. Being a turtle in life will get you nowhere. Avoiding the negative will get you nowhere. There was alot to be proud of while watching Into The West. It didn't "just show" our people being defeated by thew white man. And, If all you saw were previews you are hardly in a position to critique the series. It's like looking at a glass of water--is it half full or half empty? You will always be thirsty if you dwell on the emptiness....

[crazywolf]

I decided to not watch the show

Boozhoo niji,

I saw the previews, and at first, I liked what I saw. Those very first pictures let me to believe this was going to be a faithful depiction of Native Americans. The previews I saw, they showed something a little different each time. And then one night I saw a picture of a cannonball crashing through a teepee.

I thought to myself, why should I watch something that just shows our people being defeated by the white man?

I watched the movie Squanto, one time. I think it was a very good movie. I tried to watch it a second time, cause I was bored, but when it came to the canoes racing across the water, chasing after the ships, and the woman crying out Squanto's name, I had to turn it off. If the movie is about a true story or not, it invoked some pretty negative feelings in me about white people.

Right now I already have enough negative feelings about white people, I didnt need any fresh ideas, so I chose not to watch the show. I have heard from people what a good show it was, and how one of the chiefs kinda reminded them of me, and this and that. All I said was, thats fine, because you won, we didnt.

Derek

[White Powwow Dancer]

I was impressed with how they showed that the railroad was not completed by white men, but built on the backs of ethnic people, a huge portion being chinese, and yet the railroad people took the credit for it in the end. Things like that are overlooked in the history books left and right. I don't think he really showed just how bad the indian schools could be though. That was just a bit PC compared to how the students were really often treated.

Hi
I saw the scene too. They had a indian working on the railroad too they should done that part better put more indians working on the line too.

[Plenty Fox]

Personally, I think Eddie's got his brother beat!!!