Catalogue

We Shall Remain recounts the history of American Indian resistance over four centuries through pivotal moments and profiles, e.g., of Massasoit, Tecumseh, John Ross, Geronimo, and the Indian leaders of the 1973 revolt at Wounded Knee. Actor Benjamin Bratt, a longtime supporter of Indian causes, serves as off-camera narrator. Sadly, there is almost no period visual material for the first three parts of the series, so reenactments must suffice, but these are not consistently as successful as the news footage and pictorial history available for later episodes. Nevertheless, a powerful achievement; the start of better understanding of a crucial part of American history. We Are Still Here chronicles an effort by Katherine Siva Saubel and the -Cahuilla Indians of Southern California to preserve the culture, history, and traditions of the Cahuilla, presented through in-depth interviews with elder Saubel and her brother Alvino Siva. The film also portrays the Creation mythology of the Cahuilla, performed by a Native American cast, which is well done and sustains viewer interest. There are a lot of important ideas and traditions illuminated here, but the program tends to drag a bit. This project is made possible, in part, by a grant from the California Council for the Humanities as part of the council's statewide California Stories Initiative. American Outrage, originally released as Our Land, Our Life, is the story of feisty Western Shoshone sisters Carrie and Mary Dann and the small Nevada ranch where they run livestock on part of the 60 million acres recognized as Western Shoshone land in the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley. In a suit that began in 1974, they are being prosecuted by the Federal Bureau of Land Management, which now claims that the grazing is degrading the environment and has conducted roundups in which hundreds of horses and cattle have been airlifted by helicopter, leaving many injured and dead. In reality, gold has been discovered in the area, and several million acres are being strip mined. Mary Dann died in 2005, but the struggle and the lawsuit continue. Winner of many awards, this moving testimonial is essential viewing. Extras include a short film and a photo gallery. All three films will be appreciated by history buffs, students of Native American history, and general viewers.-Margaret B. Miller, Univ. of South Dakota Lib., Vermillion (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.