Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee- 2007

I often wonder why I watch these movies since they pull such anger from me after viewing them. There are many reasons for this but I imagine I'd need therapy to investigate all of them. My husband, now passed, was half Cherokee and my children naturally have his heritage. I have never spent any time delving into the background of the Cherokee Indian, or any other tribe, for that manner. This is a great injustice to my children's heritage and to them. So, perhaps, when I view movies about the carnage served upon American Indians I feel some degree of shame. This shame relates to both the fact that I have ignored my children's heritage as well as the fact that we were so much more savage than they ever were.

I do understand the need for war. I don't promote it or campaign for it, but I understand the need. I understand the importance to fight for our rights and the rights of others. But, somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember the reason our ancestors left 'over there' and came to America. It was to free ourselves from what we considered an oppressive society. A society that would not allow us to practice the religion we desired. A society that put unfair demands on our spirit and freedom. So, we came to America to start our own free society where we could believe as we wished and lived as we saw fit.

With our arrival we met many stumbling blocks. I will not say that the American Indian did not pose a threat. Certainly they put forth all efforts to stop our encroachment into what they had always known as free land. Charles Eastman says in this movie that there is no word in the Sioux language that means ‘to own the Earth' because that is the belief of not only the Sioux but also all Native American people.

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee begins just following the Little Big Horn massacre. There are three central characters in the movie; Charles Eastman, Sitting Bull, and Senator Henry Dawes.

Eastman/Ohiyesa - half white-half Sioux is taken from the tribe he has always known by his father. His father has been living in ‘the city' for some time and has taken Christian ways. His father is Sioux yet he takes Ohiyesa and strips him of his heritage, at least physically. He is forced to take a Christian name or he will not be recognized in the English classrooms. Taken under the wing of Senator Dawes, Charles is moved through the educational process, ending at Dartmouth with a degree in medicine. He is the proven success story of assimilation. None asks his feelings during all this, no one cares. He meets, and eventually marries, Elaine Goodale, a proper white American schoolteacher. She knows his true feelings and understands his pain. Elaine, before their marriage, goes to the Sioux reservations to help improve their life.

Sitting Bull - the last proud Lakota chief that refuses to bend to the ways of the whites. After taking his tribe to Canada to protect them, he watches his people starve, suffer, and die. He finally brings his people to the reservation, but with his own agenda. He refuses the handouts by the government and demands to live on the Earth as he always has. He does do a stint with Bill Cody as part of his Wild West Show, gaining some income from his appearances, photograph shoots, and autograph sessions. He never acquiesces to the oppressive hand of the reservation overlords, which put him in continual odds with the leaders and eventually led to his murder.

Senator Henry Dawes - the architect of government policy on Indian affairs. I was torn many times while watching this between whether Dawes was actually for the Indians or for the government, or both. Probably both, in a muted way. Naturally he wanted to secure the Black Hills, which were abundant with untapped gold resources, with little or no expense to the government and little or no reward to the Indians. Although he was Eastman's benefactor, he used him endlessly to gain benefits for his own agenda by proving that assimilation is possible. So, although I wavered throughout the movie, I think I just now made up my mind. He was just another worthless government snake in a fancy suit.

The arena closes when it is decided that Sitting Bull, joined by the prophet Wovoka, forms dance camps where they can pray for relief from the endless suffering caused by the white man. They had come to realize that they would never succeed, never gain their freedom back, never find happiness again. Led by the words of General Sherman, the 7th Cavalry gathered at Wounded Knee Creek, on December 29, 1890, and massacred the entire nation of the Native American Indian. True, only [did I say only?] a few hundred were killed at Wounded Knee, all unarmed, men, women, children, and babies, but when they murdered Sitting Bull and these people, they murdered the entire culture.

Bury Me At Wounded Knee was from the book by Dee Brown, adapted by Daniel Giat. It was directed by Yves Simoneau. It was nominated for 41 awards, winning 19.

Stars included Chevez Ezaneh as young Ohiyesa and Adam Beach as Charles Eastman/Ohiyesa. Beach is a Native American, Saulteaux Indian, and travels a good deal speaking on behalf of the American Indian. We gave great honor to this part and showed a depth of feeling and humility. Ezaneh, having a smaller role, told most of his story with his eyes, which were quite haunting.

Henry Dawes was played by Aidan Quinn. Somewhat pompous at times, other times almost charismatic.

A remarkable performance by August Schellenberg as Sitting Bull. This had to be hard for the Native Americans to be part of this movie, although it is only an acting part. Schellenberg carried himself with the dignity one would expect from a great chief.

Anna Paquin was the diminutive Elaine Goodale and Fred Dalton Thompson as President Ulysses S. Grant. Wes Studi was the prophet Wovoka, giving a performance that would have done the prophet proud. In addition there were wonderful performances by many other characters that made this part of history.

This was a beautiful movie done with great detail to period. The story is powerful, probably not all revealed, sad. As with anything, there are two sides to every story. This one was enough for me.

In the end, we did exactly what we came here to leave behind in our own native lands. We attempted, and succeeded, to strip these people of their cultures, beliefs, religion, society, and humanity.

Thanks,
Susi

"Treat the earth well.
It was not given to you by your parents,
it was loaned to you by your children.
We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors,
we borrow it from our Children."
Ancient Indian Proverb

"Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect."
Chief Seattle, 1854