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Last night I watched the movie thunderheart and found it to be interesting, but yet kind of different. The movie is about an FBI agent who is sent to a reservation (I believe Pine Ridge reservation) in South Dakota to investigate a murder and help quite down political and aggressive uprisings between the Native Americans. The agent is sent there because he is part Sioux and it is hoped that this will help the tribal people relate to him. The movie has some pretty decent action and some awesome trucks in it. More importantly however, is the terrain that it is filmed in. It strongly resembles the badlands in SouthWestern ND (which in not suprising since it's only a state away; jagged hills and ravines and a somewhat desert like appearance. The movie also does a pretty fair job of showing the struggles of Native Americans after they were placed on the reservations. It's amazing how they live in extreme poverty; run down houses, cars on blocks everywhere, and little possesions. I did feel that the movie got a little carried away with the visions and chants, but maybe this is what Indian life is really like there. Anyhow, the movie does indeed show the interaction of Native Americans on the Plains and their love for the land, which is what the point of reviewing it is. The movie definetly portrayed the Indians as a very proud people, even though they had little. They're identity is held in there strong self concept and ties to the land and their people. Even more fascinating is the fact that this movie is based (although somewhat loosely) on true events, which I believe involve the Leonard Peltier conviction, which is still a source of controversy. All in all, is was a pretty good movie, with a good tie to the material of this class.

Fred Lassonde