Lakota author works to keep movie accurate
By Donna Fisher, Special to the Journal
A Rosebud Sioux Tribe member helped to keep the new Turner Network Television production "Into the West" as authentic as possible.
Lakota author Joseph Marshall III served as technical advisor for the series, which begins Friday, June 10, on TNT.
"My responsibility was to see that things were culturally and historically plausible and correct," he said. "This wasn't difficult because the production company, the directors and the producers knew that the reason for the movie was to present two perspectives."
In the series, Marshall plays Loved by the Buffalo, a medicine man who wrestles with the changes happening to his people.
"The Lakota were in their prime as nomadic buffalo culture in 1825. After 1850, we begin to see tragic effects of contact in places like Washita and Sand Creek," he said. "We see one perspective of what whites called the Battle of the Little Big Horn and on to the Ghost Dance and Wounded Knee. The story line doesn't pull any punches."
The TNT series follows a white family and a Lakota family into the changing West from 1825 to the 1890s.
"Within both families in the story there are some questionable characters — it's not filled with nothing but bad white people but believable thoughts and reactions to life," Marshall said.
Although "Into the West" is the third film on which Marshall has worked, he is best known as an author. His most recent titles include "The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History" (Viking Press, 2004) and "The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living" (Viking, 2002).
"Making a film is another way to tell a story," Marshall said. "It is a different perspective to see the action on a small monitor, to watch children hauled away to Carlisle (Indian School), for example, does something to you. It is gut-wrenching to see it happen in front of your eyes."
Marshall hopes "Into the West" sparks new interest and understanding.
"The series offers insights into both cultures — maybe it will answer some of the questions about why things happened and enable people to question history," he said.
Marshall is working on a new book to be published in 2006 titled "The Day the World Ended at the Little Big Horn."
"The whole message of the book is that we're still here, and we still exist, and we've adapted like we always have," he said.
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Special thanks to Bea Woodward for this lead.
June Reports
Last updated on June 08, 2005