''Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee'' is a 2007 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and s ...

television film adapted from the 1970 book of the same name by Dee Brown. The film was written by Daniel Giat, directed by

Yves Simoneau Yves Simoneau (; born October 28, 1955) is a Canadian film and television director. Simoneau was born in Quebec City, Quebec. Recognition His acclaimed 1986 crime drama '' Intimate Power (Pouvoir intime)'' garnered multiple Genie Awards nominat ...

and produced by

HBO Films HBO Films (formerly called HBO Premiere Films and HBO Pictures) is an American production and distribution company, a division of the cable television network HBO that produces feature films and miniseries. The division produces fiction and non- ...

. The book on which the film is based is a history of Native Americans in the

American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

in the 1860s and 1870s, focusing upon the transition from traditional ways of living to living on reservations and their treatment during that period. The title of the film and the book is taken from a line in the

Stephen Vincent Benét Stephen Vincent Benét (; July 22, 1898 – March 13, 1943) was an American poet, short story writer, and novelist. He is best known for his book-length narrative poem of the American Civil War, '' John Brown's Body'' (1928), for which he receiv ...

poem "American Names." It was shot in

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...

, Canada, and premiered on HBO on May 27, 2007.

Plot

The plot, which is based on events covered by several chapters of Brown's book, other sources, and on real events, revolves around four main characters: Charles Eastman né ''Ohiyesa'', a young, mixed-race

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota: /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations peoples in North America. The modern Sioux consist of two major divisions based on language divisions: the Dakota and ...

doctor educated at Dartmouth and Boston University, who is held up as proof of the success of assimilation;

Sitting Bull Sitting Bull ( lkt, Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake ; December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader who led his people during years of resistance against United States government policies. He was killed by Indian agency police on the Standing Rock ...

, the

chief who refuses to submit to U.S. government policies designed to strip his people of their identity, their dignity and their sacred land, the gold-laden Black Hills of the Dakotas;

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...

Henry L. Dawes Henry Laurens Dawes (October 30, 1816February 5, 1903) was an attorney and politician, a Republican United States Senator and United States Representative from Massachusetts. He is notable for the Dawes Act (1887), which was intended to stimul ...

, an architect of government policy for allotment of Indian lands to individual households to force adoption of subsistence farming; and

Red Cloud Red Cloud ( lkt, Maȟpíya Lúta, italic=no) (born 1822 – December 10, 1909) was a leader of the Oglala Lakota from 1868 to 1909. He was one of the most capable Native American opponents whom the United States Army faced in the western ...

, whose decision to make peace with the American government and go to a reservation disturbed Sitting Bull. While Eastman and his future wife Elaine Goodale, a reformer from New England and Superintendent of Indian Schools in the Dakotas, work to improve life for Indians on the reservation, Senator Dawes lobbies President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...

for more humane treatment of the Indians. He opposes the adversarial stance of General

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...

. The

Dawes Commission The American Dawes Commission, named for its first chairman Henry L. Dawes, was authorized under a rider to an Indian Office appropriation bill, March 3, 1893. Its purpose was to convince the Five Civilized Tribes to agree to cede tribal title of I ...

(held from 1893 to 1914) develops a proposal to break up the

Great Sioux Reservation The Great Sioux Reservation initially set aside land west of the Missouri River in South Dakota and Nebraska for the use of the Lakota Sioux, who had dominated this territory. The reservation was established in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 ...

to allow for American demands for land while preserving enough land for the Sioux to live on. The Commission's plan is held up by Sitting Bull's opposition. He has risen to leadership among the Sioux as one of the last chiefs to fight for their independence. Dawes, in turn, urges Eastman to help him convince the recalcitrant tribal leaders. After witnessing conditions on the Sioux reservation, Eastman refuses. The prophet '' Wovoka'' raised Western Indian hopes with his spiritual movement based on a revival of religious practice and the ritual

Ghost Dance The Ghost Dance ( Caddo: Nanissáanah, also called the Ghost Dance of 1890) was a ceremony incorporated into numerous Native American belief systems. According to the teachings of the Northern Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka (renamed Jack Wil ...

; it was a messianic movement that promised an end of their suffering under the white man. The assassination of Sitting Bull, and the

massacre A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...

, by the 7th Cavalry, of nearly 200 Indian men, women and children at Wounded Knee Creek on December 29, 1890, ended such hopes. Henry L. Dawes' wanted to increase the cultural assimilation of Native Americans into American society by his

Dawes Act The Dawes Act of 1887 (also known as the General Allotment Act or the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887) regulated land rights on tribal territories within the United States. Named after Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts, it authorized the Pres ...

(1887) and his later efforts as head of the Dawes Commission. During the 47 years of implementing the Act, Native Americans lost about 90 million acres (360,000 km²) of treaty land, or about two-thirds of their 1887 land base. About 90,000 Indians were made landless. The implementation of the Dawes Act disrupted Native American tribes' traditional communal life, culture, and unity.Gibson, Arrell M. Gibson. "Indian Land Transfers." ''Handbook of North American Indians: History of Indian-White Relations, Volume 4.'' Wilcomb E. Washburn & William C. Sturtevant, eds. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1988. pp. 226–29

Cast

Adam Beach Adam Beach (born November 11, 1972) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles as Victor Joseph in '' Smoke Signals'', Frank Fencepost in ''Dance Me Outside'', Tommy on ''Walker, Texas Ranger'', Kickin' Wing in ''Joe Dirt'', U.S. Marine ...

as Charles Eastman *

Anna Paquin Anna Hélène Paquin ( ; born 24 July 1982) is a New Zealand actress. Born in Winnipeg and raised in Wellington, Paquin made her acting debut portraying Flora McGrath in the romantic drama film '' The Piano'' (1993), for which she won the ...

as Elaine Goodale * Chevez Ezaneh as Ohiyesa / Young Charles *

August Schellenberg August Werner Schellenberg (July 25, 1936 – August 15, 2013) was a Canadian actor. He played Randolph in the first three installments of the ''Free Willy'' film series (1993–1997) as well as characters in ''Black Robe'' (1991), '' The New Wor ...

as Chief

* Aidan Quinn as

Colm Feore Colm Joseph Feore (; born August 22, 1958) is a Canadian actor. A 15-year veteran of the Stratford Festival, he is known for his Gemini-winning turn as Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in the CBC miniseries '' Trudeau'' (2002), his portrayal of Gl ...

as General

Fred Dalton Thompson Freddie Dalton Thompson (August 19, 1942 – November 1, 2015) was an American politician, attorney, lobbyist, columnist, actor, and radio personality. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a United States Senator from Tennessee ...

as President

Duane Howard Duane Howard (born 1963) is an Aboriginal Canadian actor who is best known for his role as the Arikara chief Elk Dog in the 2015 film '' The Revenant''. He has also appeared in ''Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee'' (2007), '' Pathfinder'' (2007), ...

as Uncle * Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse as One Bull * Brian Stollery as Bishop Whipple *

Shaun Johnston Shaun Johnston is a Canadian movie and theatre actor best known for his role as Jack Bartlett on the CBC drama ''Heartland'', which debuted in October 2007. He co-founded the Shadow Theatre in Edmonton and made his first professional forays i ...

as Colonel Nelson A. Miles *

Gordon Tootoosis Gordon Tootoosis, (October 25, 1941 – July 5, 2011) was a First Nations actor of Cree and Stoney descent. Tootoosis was a descendant of Yellow Mud Blanket, brother of the famous Cree leader Pîhtokahanapiwiyin. He was acclaimed for his comm ...

as Chief

Billy Merasty Billy Merasty (born 1960) is an Aboriginal Canadian actor and writer of Cree descent. Early life Merasty was born in Brochet, Manitoba, Canada. He is the ninth of fourteen siblings born to Viola and Pierre Merasty, and a grandson of Joe Highway ...

as Chief

Young Man Afraid of His Horses Young-Man-Afraid-of-His-Horses 'Tȟašúŋke Kȟokípȟapi''(1836 – July 13, 1893), also translated as His-Horses-Are-Afraid and ''They-Fear-Even-His-Horses'', was a chief of the Oglala Sioux. Commonly misinterpreted, his name means ''They fear ...

* Morris Birdyellowhead as Chief

American Horse American Horse ( lkt, Wašíčuŋ Tȟašúŋke) (a/k/a "American Horse the Younger") (1840 – December 16, 1908) was an Oglala Lakota chief, statesman, educator and historian. American Horse is notable in American history as a U.S. Army Indian S ...

Eddie Spears Edward Spears (born November 29, 1982) is an American actor. He is a member of the Kul Wicasa Oyate Lakota (often called "Sioux") Lower Brulé Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. Early life Spears was born in Chamberlain, South Dakota on the Lower Br ...

as Chasing Crane * Sean Wei Mah as Bull Head *

Eric Schweig Eric Schweig (born Ray Dean Thrasher; 19 June 1967) is an Indigenous Canadian actor best known for his role as Chingachgook's son Uncas in ''The Last of the Mohicans'' (1992). Early life Schweig was born in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. He is ...

as Chief

Gall Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...

Jimmy Herman Jimmy Herman (October 25, 1940 - September 13, 2013) was an Indigenous Canadian actor who appeared in several films, including ''Dances with Wolves''. Biography He was born on the Cold Lake Reserve in Alberta, Canada. His descents were Chi ...

as Yellow Bird *

Patrick St. Esprit Patrick St. Esprit (born May 18, 1954)"Patrick St. Esprit"
Retrieved 5 June 2015 is an American character actor ...

as Major James Walsh * J.K. Simmons as James McLaughlin * Wes Studi as Wovoka / Jack Wilson * Marty Atonini as Colonel

James W. Forsyth James William Forsyth (August 8, 1834 – October 24, 1906) was a U.S. Army officer and general. He was primarily a Union staff officer during the American Civil War and cavalry regimental commander during the Indian Wars. Forsyth is best ...

Lee Tergesen Lee Allen Tergesen (; born July 8, 1965) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in '' Weird Science'', as Tobias Beecher in HBO's prison drama '' Oz'', and as Evan Wright in '' Generation Kill,'' as well as guest starring in many othe ...

as Daniel F. Royer

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * * {{Navboxes , title = Awards for ''Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee'' , list = {{EmmyAward TelevisionMovie {{Producers Guild of America Award for Best Long-Form Television 2007 television films 2007 films 2007 drama films 2007 Western (genre) films 2000s American films 2000s English-language films 2000s historical drama films American films based on actual events American historical drama films American Indian Wars films American Western (genre) films Cultural depictions of Sitting Bull Cultural depictions of Ulysses S. Grant Drama films based on actual events American drama television films Films about massacres Films about Native Americans Films based on non-fiction books Films directed by Yves Simoneau Films scored by George S. Clinton Films set in South Dakota Films shot in Calgary Historical television films HBO Films films Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie winners Revisionist Western (genre) films Television films based on actual events Television films based on books Western (genre) films based on actual events Western (genre) television films