The Only Good Indian

After accidentally catching this fine film, I found myself seeking a copy to show in the U.S.History courses that I teach. While not Native myself, I do find that you cannot understand the problems of the modern US without taking a close look at the status of Blacks and Native Americans in a land built on the concepts of freedom, respect for culture and equality. The period detail is excellent. The archival images included in the film are striking and well thought out. The acting and plot elements very appropriate and excellently developed. The characters are complex and a very good representation of how individuals of that time would have functioned. The topic and supportive info detail an environment and actions by citizens, commercial parties and the government that are amongst the worse in US History. While I could see how some who would, by cultural background be forced to relate to the negative characters in the film, might desire to keep these types of events buried in the past. Exposure helps explain why we still have much to overcome if this society is ever really going to effectively blend.

I recommend this for open-minded individuals who appreciate good historical fiction. Those leaning more towards revisionism might want to pull out their favorite copy of "Birth of a Nation" or "They Died with Their Boots On" (Good movies, but get real!

Only a young Native American child, rounded up, captured and imprisoned within the confines of a religious institution, can truly understand the many torturous indignities of the past. Viewing this unfortunate punishment inflicted on children of Canadian ancestry, brings back horrors long dormant in history. Now, director Kevin Willmott, takes the story written by Thomas L. Carmody and imprints it on the silver screen. Incredibly talented, Wes Studi gives an impressive Academy Award performance in this film called " The only Good Indian ". He plays 'Sam' an indoctrinated Indian who has come to believe the only way to succeed in the modern White Man's world is to think and act like one. To that end, he plays an American tracker and survivor of the infamous Sand Creek massacre. J. Kenneth Campbell plays McCoy, an aging, crusty face survivor of the same incident, except that he, despite his murderous participation emerged a frontier hero. Winter Fox Frank plays 'Charlie' a reluctant Indian boy who was kidnapped and taken to a religious school to transform him into a 'civilized' Indian. Along for the journey is Sally (Thirza Defoe), a young Cherokee girl who killed a white man who was assaulting her. The trio are making their way across the land, all the while being pursued and discovering the ever-changing world of the twentieth century. With the exceptional performances of the cast, this movie is filled with eye-opening scenes which explain to anyone who has a heart, the difficulties of adapting to an alien world. The end result is that it should have garnered more awards and praise, in fact it should have been released in the main-stream theaters. It is this writer's opinion that, in time, it will become a Classic. Superior acting. ****

I live in Lawrence Kansas where one of the earliest "normalizing" schools was set up for Indian children. Parents, after having their children confiscated, traveled and set up tents around Haskell School where their mournful cries were heard every night. This film is the FIRST in cinema history (that I am aware of anyway) that attempts to refer to this era of American history from this point of view. The storyline and script are dramatically engaging. The movie showcases a clash of cultures but rather than generalizing, the film reveals the individuality of both white and native individuals and showcases just how war and strife can create opportunistic "survivors" from any ethnic group.

I believe this movie adds a new chapter to the Western genre because the Native point of view is well represented in a realistic and powerful manner and because the protagonists, an Indian boy and man, are put into a fully developed role!

In The Only Good Indian we peek at this particular fragment of US (and Canadian) history from First Nations point of view, and follow a tale which is just a part of the voluminous story of how Impostor Americans took place of Real Americans, after committing genocide, unprecedented in human history - Europeans exterminated possibly up to 80 million (some estimate even up to 100 million) of indigenous Americans (Real American), from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, since 1492. Plot is set in US, sometime in late 19th century or early 1900's, which makes it even harder to swallow, although with the amount and level of racism, exceptionalism, Islamophobia, and all kinds of chauvinism and discriminations in Americas today, especially in US, this statement might be redundant or dubious, maybe even unnecessary. On the other hand reaction of certain individuals here and elsewhere, placed as reviews and/or comments, are truly appalling, no mater how predictable and expected. Bottom line, the film taking point of view which is rare in American cinematography - invisible people's point of view, which shed light on inconvenient history and criminal past.

Sam a Cherokee Indian has the world by the balls, he has everything all figured out. He's got his own Detective Agency, which is about to be bought up by Pinkerton Security agency and they're about to make him an agent. With his fancy clothes and motorbike he's spinning his wheels tracking down squaws that escape from the assimilation schools. He tells this to Charlie after he captures him. calling him a red-n-word, and how proud he is that he shrugged off his Native American trappings. Charlie tells them about another run-away Indian who's wanted for double murder. Now SAM isn't new to racism and seems to deal with the anti-Indian sentiment around town, in fact he profits off of it. On their tale is another bounty hunter McCOY the local Sheriff who isn't shown that much respect either. McCOY is world renown Indian killer and heroine addict. He reveals Sam's past telling him "Half the Indians I get credit for, were killed by you". Sam who is running from his passed is forced to face it.