Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Over a century ago, the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory were home to several tribes of Native American Indians, including the Lakota Sioux. This land was rich in resources and provided plentifully for these people, who were very spiritual, and believed that it had been left to them by their god. By 1876 however, life had been violently disrupted by the greed and disregard of the white men who felt entitled to the gold of the Black Hills and invaded the territory; laying railroad, depleting resources, and forcibly driving the Indians from their homeland.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is an HBO production directed by Yves Simoneau and based on the final two chapters of Dee Brown’s identically titled best-seller. It shares the heart-wrenching story of the American Indian’s legendary resistance against the U.S. Government’s oppressive reservation policy and settlement expansion into the Black Hills of the Dakotas. Through over two hours’ worth of shocking revelations, the viewer’s eyes are opened to the unsavory actions of the white men and the inhumane, often violent treatment of the American Indian tribes.
There are several historical figures that shape this story and are accurately portrayed in the film, each one playing a critical role in the fate of the Indians. Chief Sitting Bull, a highly regarded leader of the Lakota Sioux tribe, resists the white men for as long as he can, but becomes increasingly disturbed by all the violence and killing, ultimately conceding, in hopes of bringing peace to his people. However, after seeing the direction that this takes them, he renews his resistance and restores hope throughout the tribe. Ohiyesa, a young Sioux, is slow to conform to white expectations when he is taken to civilization by his father. However, after being broken down and forced to take a Christian name, Charles Eastman, he excels in school and eventually becomes a doctor. Senator Henry Dawes supports civilization of the tribes and forms a plan to relocate