denverbarndude

I live in Bowie County, one of 37 counties in Texas that were made while Texas was a Republic, and this County was named for James Bowie, a hero of the Alamo and a Hero of the the Republic. The rest of the story is not so heroic. James Bowie was a forger, thief, horrible human being and land thief. In this area of Texas, he is loved for being at the end of the Alamo and being an irascible scoundrel who forged land grants, forged Spanish grants and just did some terrible, fitful things. He killed a lot of people in duels but having his name being kindly lent? Nope. Now in Texas, where I live, the Bowie knife is a real and really big thing. I own one and strap it to my leg when I go out to the wilderness. And it is a big wilderness. The area where Jim Bowie plied his trade (thievery) is full of big pines and lots, and I mean lots of water. We go out to the big lakes, but not one has been made by man. Only Caddo Lake, South East of where I live, is man made. That's where Jim Bowie made his claim. I don't want to go any further into this but Jim, or James Bowie as he has been called in this area, is claimed as a hero. But this movie is terrible at accuracy, wonderful for remembrance.

I happened upon this one hour documentary on my local PBS CH-12 in Denver and was completely absorbed. Half of my family were either in Indian boarding schools or lived on reservations, mostly in Oklahoma. I've heard many of my Uncles telling of their treatment at these places but they always told their stories haltingly. Now I see why. I don't want to go into much detail, especially as my amateur writing would not do justice to the film-makers. I can mention that it tells the story of one man's redemption from his painful experiences away from his family at an Indian boarding school. At such a place, the children are subjected to strict disciplinary actions including mental and physical abuse. One comment from one interview said it all: We were told not to be an Indian. Be White. My relatives did mention this when we spoke of these things. I recommend this film highly for its content and storytelling.

Seldom have I seen such a touching, perfect view of a world full of atrocities seen through the eyes of a simple grave caretaker. I won't give anything away in saying that the violence in Mexico is so horrible, becoming so common place, that the dead are mourned in such a way as to denigrate the living, for the dead are cared for like princes. Watching this saddened me to no end. The film making is exquisite and the world she brings us is horrific, but I hope everyone can see this masterwork. It is a good work about bad things. This is good work in a difficult time and I revere the sincere way the Director presented such a work in a subdued and sublime manner. I wish the director the best and hope she can work on something happier next time.