Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007) (TV)

Director:

Yves Simoneau

Writers (WGA):

Daniel Giat (teleplay)
Dee Brown (book)

Release Date:

27 May 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Western

Tagline:

The Epic Fall of the American Indian

Plot:

A chronicle of how American Indians were displaced as the U.S. expanded west. Based on the book by Dee Brown.

Plot Keywords:

General | Senator | Government | Reservation | Massacre

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 20 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Anna Paquin	...	Elaine Goodale
Chevez Ezaneh	...	Ohiyesa / Young Charles
August Schellenberg	...	Sitting Bull
Duane Howard	...	Uncle
Aidan Quinn	...	Henry Dawes
Colm Feore	...	General Sherman
Fred Dalton Thompson	...	President Ulysses S. Grant (as Fred Thompson)
Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse	...	One Bull (as Nathan Chasing Horse)
Wayne Charles Baker	...	Jacob
Brian Stollery	...	Bishop Whipple
Shaun Johnston	...	Col. Nelson Miles
Gordon Tootoosis	...	Chief Red Cloud
Billy Merasty	...	Young Man Afraid
Morris Birdyellowhead	...	American Horse
Eddie Spears	...	Chasing Crane
Holly Bird	...	Scarlet Whirlwind
Sean Wei Mah	...	Bull Head
Star Birdyellowhead	...	Bull Head's Wife
Eric Schweig	...	Gall
Jayson Therrien	...	Soldier
Chantal Perron	...	Teacher
Patrick St. Esprit	...	Major Walsh
David Cowley	...	Mountie
Jemma Blackwell	...	Woman
Adam Beach	...	Charles Eastman
Laura Bachynski	...	Mrs. Goodale
Barbara Scout	...	Singing Sioux Woman
David Bigchild	...	Sergeant / Horse Thief
Nakotah LaRance	...	Crow Foot
Michelle Thrush	...	Four Robes
J.K. Simmons	...	James McLaughlin
Tom Carey	...	Issue Clerk
Jim Rattai	...	Crier
Jonathan Fox	...	Chasing Crane's Son
Lee Tergesen	...	Daniel Royer
Scott McAdam	...	Photographer
Wes Studi	...	Wovoka AKA Jack Wilson
Hrothgar Mathews	...	Reverend Woods
Tokala Clifford	...	Little Wolf
Jason Blackhorse	...	Young Sioux Man
Jonathan Brewer	...	Village Man
Robert Big Sorrel Horse	...	Village Man
Marty Antonini	...	Colonel James Forsyth
Jimmy Herman	...	Yellow Bird
Brian Copping	...	Secretary

Directed by
Yves Simoneau

Writing credits (WGA)
Daniel Giat		(teleplay)
Dee Brown		(book) (as Dee Alexander Brown)

Produced by
Clara George	....	producer
Yves Simoneau	....	co-executive producer
Tom Thayer	....	executive producer
Dick Wolf	....	executive producer

Original Music by
George S. Clinton

Cinematography by
David Franco		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael Brown
Michael D. Ornstein		(as Michael Ornstein)

Casting by
Rene Haynes

Production Design by
Ian D. Thomas		(as Ian Thomas)

Art Direction by
Douglasann Menchions		(as D.A. Menchions)

Set Decoration by
Paul Healy

Costume Design by
Mario Davignon

Makeup Department
Iloe Flewelling	....	hair designer
Chris Harrison-Glimsdale	....	hair stylist (as Chris Harrison)
Heather L. Ingram	....	hair stylist (as Heather Ingram-Smith)
Gail Kennedy	....	key makeup artist
Gail Kennedy	....	special makeup effects artist
Rochelle Pomerleau	....	makeup artist
Joanne Preece	....	makeup artist
Penny Thompson	....	hair stylist (as Pennylea Thompson)
Sharon Toohey	....	assistant makeup artist
J.D. Bowers	....	prosthetics lab technician: W.M. Creations Inc. (uncredited)
J.D. Bowers	....	prosthetics sculptor: W.M. Creations Inc. (uncredited)
Donna Fuller	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Linda Rogers-Ambury	....	production manager
Greg Spence	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mark Ambury	....	additional first assistant director
Ricky Friedman	....	additional first assistant director (as Richard Friedman)
Joanna Krupicz	....	third assistant director
Tony LaHaye	....	trainee assistant director
Karen Margolese	....	second second assistant director
Peter D. Marshall	....	first assistant director
Martin Pedersen	....	second assistant director
Lisa Jemus	....	daily on-set third assistant director (uncredited)
Adam Martin	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Cheryl Allsen	....	on-set greensperson
Alfred A. Arndt	....	construction coordinator (as Alf Arndt)
Robert Arndt	....	construction foreman
Leonard Ayotte	....	head carpenter (as Len Ayotte)
Rick Barrett	....	scenic carpenter
Pierre Bartlette	....	lead scenic carpenter (as Pierre F. Bartlette)
Trent Breitkreutz	....	set dresser
Tim C Campbell	....	paint coordinator (as Tim Campbell)
Barbara Chandler	....	scenic painter
Dawn-Anne Coulson	....	construction buyer
Jack Crowells	....	on-set dresser
John Dambrauskas	....	greens coordinator
Ron Darby	....	props assistant
Barry De Bolt	....	scenic carpenter
Darcy Healy	....	lead set dresser
Crystal Husum	....	paint foreman
Johnny Jones	....	assistant property master
Craig Lazdins	....	set dresser
Alan McCullagh	....	assistant set decorator (as Alan J. McCullagh)
Rhonda Nielson	....	set buyer (as Rhonda L. Nielson)
Steve Pilon	....	scenic carpenter
Albert Seibert	....	props assistant (as Albert F. Seibert)
F. Dale Stevens	....	best boy greens
Susan Turner	....	set designer
Bev Ulmer	....	scenic painter (as Beverly Ulmer)
Rob White	....	set dresser
Jordy Wihak	....	property master
Craig Humphries	....	art department assistant (uncredited)
Craig Humphries	....	graphic artist (uncredited)
Megz Reynolds	....	trainee set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rick Ash	....	sound mixer
Paul Berolzheimer	....	sound effects editor
Dean Beville	....	sound effects editor
Perry Blackman	....	adr
Ed Carr	....	sound mixer (as Edward C. Carr III)
Steffan Falesitch	....	dialogue editor
David Lee Fein	....	foley artist (as David Fine)
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	sound designer (as Stephen Flick)
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	sound supervisor (as Stephen Flick)
Avram D. Gold	....	sound designer (as Avram Gold)
Avram D. Gold	....	sound supervisor (as Avram Gold)
Eric Hertsguaard	....	dialogue editor (as Eric Hertsgaard)
Hilda Hodges	....	foley artist
Denise Horta	....	dialogue editor
Eric Cameron Hosmer	....	foley mixer (as Eric Hosmer)
David Jobe	....	foley artist
Adam Johnston	....	sound effects editor
Patricio A. Libenson	....	dialogue editor (as Patricio Libenson)
Mike Markiw	....	boom operator
Glen Noseworthy	....	adr mixer
Sonny Pettijohn	....	first sound effects assistant
Troy Porter	....	adr mixer
Jeff Sawyer	....	sound effects editor
Deron Street	....	assistant sound editor
George Tarrant	....	sound mixer (as George F. Tarrant)
Calvin Wilson	....	cable puller (as Cal Wilson)
Kenneth Young	....	sound effects editor
Jason Oliver	....	ProTools adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Kelly Coe	....	special effects technician
Neil Krause	....	special effects technician
Marc Lord	....	special effects technician
Jason Paradis	....	special effects best boy
Maurice Routly	....	special effects coordinator
Amanda Paller	....	first assistant (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Joseph Bell	....	visual effects production manager: Digital Dimension
Erik Bruhwiler	....	digital compositing supervisor: Digital Dimension
Todd Carson	....	roto/paint artist: Digital Dimension
Chris Del Conte	....	visual effects producer: Digital Dimension
Brian DeMetz	....	visual effects technical director: Digital Dimension
George Gervan Jr.	....	roto/paint artist: Digital Dimension
Richard Gervan	....	roto/paint artist: Digital Dimension
David Goldberg	....	visual effects supervisor
Matthew Lee	....	3D artist: Digital Diomension
Daniel J. Lombardo	....	visual effects executive producer: Digital Dimension
Landon Medeiros	....	visual effects production assistant: Digital Dimension
Sarah Mihalec	....	visual effects coordinator: Digital Dimension
Justin Mitchell	....	3D artist: Digital Dimension
Chad Ridgeway	....	roto/paint artist: Digital Dimension
Andy Roberts	....	lead computer graphics supervisor: Digital Dimension (as Andrew Roberts)
Ryan T. Smolarek	....	lead compositor: Digital Dimension (as Ryan Smolarek)
Tammy Sutton	....	2D coordinating supervisor: Digital Dimension
Phi Tran	....	3D artist: Digital Dimension
Tommy Tran	....	3D artist: Digital Dimension (as Tong Tran)
Tong Tran	....	3d artist: Digital Dimension
Rachel Leigh Arnold	....	graphic designer (uncredited)
Ryan Beadle	....	digital I/O (uncredited)
Jason Bond	....	junior compositor: Digital Dimension (uncredited)
Tatjana Bozinovski	....	digital compositor: Digital Dimension (uncredited)
Sam Dabbs	....	motion graphics (uncredited)
Michele Ferrone	....	visual effects producer (uncredited)
Mitch Gates	....	visual effects technical director: Digital Dimension (uncredited)
Benoit Girard	....	visual effects executive producer: Digital Dimension (uncredited)
Martin Hilke	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Mark Intravartolo	....	visual effects artist (uncredited)
Justin Jones	....	junior compositor (uncredited)
Anthony Kramer	....	junior compositor: Digital Dimension (uncredited)
Paulina Kuszta	....	visual effects coordinator (uncredited)
Wing Kwok	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Jeremy Lang	....	head of information technology: Custom Film Effects (uncredited)
Sean Looper	....	pipeline architect: Digital Dimension (uncredited)
Lori C. Miller	....	art director (uncredited)
Robert Rozycki	....	visual effects production assistant (uncredited)
Brian Smallwood	....	compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Ollie Benjamin	....	stunt performer
Richard Bish	....	stunt performer
Julian Black Antelope	....	stunt performer
Marty Black Rabbit	....	stunt performer
Nap Black Rabbit	....	stunt performer
Chance Bruised Head	....	stunt performer
Tim Bruised Head	....	stunt performer
Wright Bruisedhead	....	stunt performer (as Wright Bruised Head)
Wynn Bruised Head	....	stunt performer
Shawn Calf Rope	....	stunt performer
Sonny Clegg	....	stunt performer
Chad Cosgrave	....	stunt performer
Colt Cosgrave	....	stunt performer
Sandra Crowchild	....	stunt performer
Joe Dodds	....	stunt performer
Lyle W. Edge	....	stunt performer
Wyatt Erikson	....	stunt performer
Jim Finkbeiner	....	stunt performer
Billie Fortier	....	stunt performer
Holly Fortier	....	stunt performer
Joseph Fox	....	stunt performer
Kelvin Fox	....	stunt performer
Jason Glass	....	stunt performer
Tom Glass	....	stunt coordinator
Albert Goulet	....	stunt performer
Ernie Jimmy	....	stunt performer
Jackson Jimmy	....	stunt performer
Douglas Kootenay	....	stunt performer
Dallas Leather	....	stunt performer
Roger Lewis	....	stunt performer
Michael Linklater	....	stunt performer
Jacey Mah	....	stunt performer (as Jacey Ma)
Dillon Meguinis	....	stunt performer
Leonard Provost	....	stunt performer
Ty Provost	....	stunt performer
Roberta Quintana	....	stunt performer
Greg Schlosser	....	stunt performer
Desai Walkingbear	....	stunt performer
Dwayne Wiley	....	stunt performer
Brent Woolsey	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
John Adshead	....	key grip
Colin Allen	....	lamp operator
Chris Bang	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Stephen Berkman	....	still photographer: period photographs
Harold Bernard	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Gilles Corbeil	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Jarrett Craig	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Tim Dutchak	....	gaffer
Greg Fullalove	....	grip
Schane Godon	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Shane Head	....	generator operator: facility
Chris Kosloski	....	grip
Corey Lee	....	grip (as F. Corey Lee)
T. Dean Merrells	....	best boy lighting (as Dean Merrells)
Tim Milligan	....	dolly grip
Rik Milner	....	grip
Larry Portmann	....	focus puller: "a" camera (as Laurent Portmann)
Annabel Reyes	....	still photographer
Alison J. Stewart	....	best boy grip (as Alison Rigby)
Kelly Strong	....	camera loader
Mike Tomiuk	....	lamp operator
Tim Arasheben	....	first assistant camera: aerial unit (uncredited)
Gilles Corbeil	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Rhett Miller	....	second assistant camera: "c" camera (uncredited)
John Trapman	....	aerial director of photography (uncredited)

Casting Department
Candice Elzinga	....	casting: Canada
Rhonda Fisekci	....	casting: Canada
Leigh French	....	adr voice casting
Jeff Ham	....	casting associate: U.S.
Alyson Lockwood	....	extras casting
Zahn McClarnon	....	adr voice casting: Lakota
Martina Smyth	....	casting associate: Canada
Chris Ippolito	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jill Blackie	....	co-assistant costume designer
Devora Brown	....	truck costumer
Quynh Chestnut	....	costume first hand
Judy Darough	....	cutter (as Judith Darough)
Nancy Jones	....	costumer: extras (as Nancy B. Jones)
Judith Marie Loewen	....	costumer
Lizzie McGovern	....	costume breakdown artist
Susan Montalbetti	....	costume breakdown artist
Nancy Prevost	....	costume coordinator
Micheline Rouillard	....	co-assistant costume designer
Diane Routly	....	set costume supervisor
Sharon E. Templeman	....	costumer: extras
Leslie Tufts	....	costumer
Naomi Wise	....	costumer
Katherine Dover	....	set costumer: Los Angeles re-shoots (uncredited)
Eileen Gano	....	costumer (uncredited)
Fran Murphy	....	key set costumer: Los Angeles re-shoots (uncredited)
Ute Porath	....	costume props (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Nori Chia	....	post-production coordinator
Sean Kallis	....	post-production assistant
Joe McJimsey	....	assistant editor (as Joseph McJimsey)
Kevin O'Connor	....	digital intermediate color timer
Tom Reagan	....	assistant editor
Rui Martins	....	telecine operator (uncredited)
Jessica Schulte	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
George S. Clinton	....	conductor
Debbi Datz-Pyle	....	musician contractor (as Debbie Datz-Pyle)
Ray Espinola Jr.	....	associate music supervisor
Mike Flicker	....	supervising music editor
Rick Giovinazzo	....	orchestrator
The Hollywood Symphony Orchestra	....	musician: score performer
Carlton Kaller	....	temp music editor
Suzie Katayama	....	orchestrator (as Suzy Katayama)
Steve Kempster	....	score recordist
Steve Kempster	....	scoring mixer
Evyen Klean	....	music supervisor (as Evyen J. Klean)
Bobbi Page	....	choir contractor
Bryon Rickerson	....	music editor
Michael Spears	....	musician: singer, massacre prayer song
John Two Hawks	....	musician: native american instruments
John Two Hawks	....	musician: singer
Gina Zimmitti	....	musician contractor
Matt Friedman	....	music editor (uncredited)
Tom Hardisty	....	score recordist (uncredited)
Larry Mah	....	digital score recordist (uncredited)
Scott McRae	....	music preparation (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Cathy Barillaro	....	driver
Dwight Beard	....	driver
Mel Brown	....	driver
Sherry Collard	....	driver
Darryl W. Collins	....	driver
Shelley Crooks	....	driver
Fred Dunphy	....	driver
Travis Foot	....	driver
Lawrence Gooch	....	driver
Danny C. Klepper	....	transportation coordinator (as Dan Klepper)
Sergio Lever	....	driver
Pavel Lidmila	....	driver
Tom Lloyd	....	transportation captain
Wayne Luctkar	....	driver
Bruce Mctavish	....	driver (as Bruce McTavish)
Debbie Porter	....	driver
John Woodrow Pound	....	driver (as Woody Pound)
Kevin Simpson	....	driver
Bruce Toy	....	driver

Other crew
Lesia Bear	....	stand-in
Joy Bond	....	production coordinator
Gloria Boucher	....	wrangler
Lori Boyle	....	animal trainer
Lori Boyle	....	dog trainer
Amy A. Brewster	....	wrangler
Michael Buster	....	dialect coach
Sandi Cameron	....	script supervisor
Cameron Chapman	....	assistant production coordinator
Ryan Chatfield	....	assistant chef
Kevin Colyn	....	assistant chef
Marina Crane	....	on-set language advisor: Lakota
Rose Crane	....	on-set language advisor: Lakota
Allison Cruthers	....	craft service assistant (as Allison Crothers)
Allison Cruthers	....	first aid assistant (as Allison Crothers)
Raymond J. DeMallie	....	academic advisor: Indiana University
Jordan Dodds	....	wrangler
Troy Dorchester	....	wrangler
Brian Dunne	....	assistant location manager
Colin Eskeland	....	wrangler
Joe Fisher	....	wrangler
Bruce Flewelling	....	wrangler
Kim Gawryluk	....	second assistant accountant
Linda Gee	....	accounting clerk
Jim Gilfillan	....	location assistant
Jan Gillan	....	first assistant accountant: payroll
Peter Gurr	....	security coordinator
Steven Hanulik	....	trainee production coordinator
Penny Ann Hardage	....	assistant: Mr. Thayer and Ms. George
Michael Her Many Horses	....	consultant (as Michael Her-Many Horses)
Edsel Hilchie	....	location manager
Connie House	....	craft service
Connie House	....	first aid
Frederick E. Hoxie	....	historical consultant
Shirley Irvine	....	craft service assistant
Shirley Irvine	....	first aid assistant
Lloyd Jacobson	....	wrangler
Mark K. Jones	....	wrangler
Shawn Lauder	....	wrangler
Tilda Long Soldier	....	cultural advisor: Lakota
Darryl McDonald	....	consultant: ghost dance
Kylie McLean	....	wrangler
Tim McLean	....	wrangler (as Tim R. McLean)
Tobi McLeod	....	wrangler
Ryan Monaghan	....	trainee location manager
Nathan Mosewich	....	location production assistant
Jeffrey Ostler	....	academic advisor: University of Oregon
Brenda Rampp	....	first assistant accountant: A/P
Allison Red Crow	....	wrangler (as Allison B. Red Crow)
Siobhan Rowand	....	production accountant
Christin Scholten	....	assistant: Mr. Simoneau
John Scott	....	head wrangler
Kerry M. Scott	....	on-set technical advisor
Clayton Smith	....	wrangler (as Clayton D. Smith)
Jay St. Louis	....	assistant location manager
Vance Wagner	....	chef
Charlie White Buffalo	....	language advisor (as Charles White Buffalo)
Lee White	....	wrangler
Russ Wideman	....	wrangler (as Ross Wideman)
Jess Willard	....	wrangler
Brian Willoughby	....	wrangler
Ken Zilka	....	wrangler captain
David Benning	....	set production assistant (uncredited)
Chris Cinnamon	....	office production assistant (uncredited)
Curtis Cripps	....	production assistant (uncredited)
K. Lynn Martin	....	additional script supervisor (uncredited)
Tory Mell	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Angelique Midthunder	....	adr voice (uncredited)
David Midthunder	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Jason Nolan	....	location scout (uncredited)
Tracey Roulhac	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Randy Sexsmith	....	production assistant (uncredited)
David Steinberg	....	legal (uncredited)
Rebecca Thornell	....	script clearance (uncredited)
Amanda Troop	....	adr voice (uncredited)

Production Companies

• HBO Films
• Traveler's Rest Films
• Wolf Films

Distributors

• Home Box Office (HBO) (2007) (USA) (TV)
• HBO Hungary (2008) (Hungary) (TV)
• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (2008) (Argentina) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Sweden) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Custom Film Effects
• Digital Dimension (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Cal-B-Ques Catering  catering
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• DeLuxe Toronto  dailies telecine
• Eastwood Scoring Stage  score recorded and mixed at (as The Eastwood Stage)
• Fuji Film  filmed on
• Negative People  negative cutting
• Note That Score  music preparation
• Owen & DeSalvo Company  post-production accounting (as Owen & DeSalvo)
• Right Lobe Design Group  titles and photomontage design
• Soundtrack  DVD commentary
• Todd-AO Scoring Stage  score recorded at (as Todd-AO Scoring)
• Warner Bros. Studio Facilities  sound editorial and re-recording

Also Known As:

Untitled Wounded Knee Project (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company:

HBO Films

Trivia:

Originally began development in 1995 as a two-part miniseries for ABC.

Goofs:

Continuity: The mouse that craws under the blanket is clearly not the same mouse that is hit with the pan by the Indian woman and then removed from under the blanket.

Quotes:

Sitting Bull: You must take them out of our lands.
Col. Nelson Miles: What precisely are your lands?
Sitting Bull: These are the where my people lived before you whites first came.
Col. Nelson Miles: I don't understand. We whites were not your first enemies. Why don't you demand back the land in Minnesota where the Chippewa and others forced you from years before?
Sitting Bull: The Black Hills are a sacred given to my people by Wakan Tanka.
Col. Nelson Miles: How very convenient to cloak your claims in spiritualism. And what would you say to the Mormons and others who believe that their God has given to them Indian lands in the West?
Sitting Bull: I would say they should listen to Wakan Tanka.
Col. Nelson Miles: No matter what your legends say, you didn't sprout from the plains like the spring grasses. And you didn't coalesce out of the ether. You came out of the Minnesota woodlands armed to the teeth and set upon your fellow man. You massacred the Kiowa, the Omaha, the Ponca, the Oto and the Pawnee without mercy. And yet you claim the Black Hills as a private preserve bequeathed to you by the Great Spirit.
Sitting Bull: And who gave us the guns and powder to kill our enemies? And who traded weapons to the Chippewa and others who drove us from our home?
Col. Nelson Miles: Chief Sitting Bull, the proposition that you were a peaceable people before the appearance of the white man is the most fanciful legend of all. You were killing each other for hundreds of moons before the first white stepped foot on this continent. You conquered those tribes, lusting for their game and their lands, just as we have now conquered you for no less noble a cause.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

I Need

An HBO flop

Everything and everyone involved in this production was presented in such a way as to be a cliché, an unfortunate stereotype of the real events and people this show was based upon. It's really sad because I would have expected so much more from HBO. In past programs they have done such an excellent job of portraying an era, Rome being one very effective example. And it even more of a shame because the book this material is based upon was so thoroughly unique. I read "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" the summer of the year it was published. I was a senior in high school on my way to college and I was really taken aback by it's powerful and intense telling of those years in American history.

The book left such an impression on me. I felt so angry and mistrustful toward the traditional telling of history, or our "not" telling of history that I spend a great deal of time talking with my relatives and grandparents about their recall of native people they had known and worked with.

My paternal grandparents were from Topeka Kansas and my uncle had worked for a number of years at the Bureau Of Land Management, which had reservations as one of it's concern. My uncle eventually told me the reason he left, was he just couldn't deal with the wretchedness of the whole affair. He said the health of the Indians was appalling and that the money they were supposed to be getting never got to whom it should. It finally depressed him so much he transferred to another area of government. I always remembered my grandfather, who was not a wealthy man, donated much money to what he used to call "The Indian Missions". They were always sending him Christian paraphernalia as thank yous, which he kept in special alcoves and shelves in his bedroom. To my child's mind they were magnificently beautiful... most of them were plastic and many lit up in the dark. I used to sleep in that room when we visited in the summers. He always had a special place in his heart for the mission people, and since he was a really kind and generous man, I realized they must be too. In those days Indians were still outsiders and while my own family may have thought otherwise, many of the people who lived in that part of the country regarded anyone who was not white as sub-human. I never got to ask my grandparents about the Indians because they were dead by the time I read this book and got curious.

Anyway, that is all a tangent story. The fact remains that this production falls way short of the base material and is an HBO flop as far as I'm concerned. Maybe they should have made it a full fledged mini series and explored the richness of the characters further, particularly the Ghost Dancer, because it's a gripping story well worth big attention.