Great Native American Warrior Chiefs

Gr 6 Up—This information-packed film presents brief biographies of familiar Native American chiefs, such as Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Geronimo, as well as lesser known leaders such as Red Cloud, Black Hawk, and Mangas Colorades. After offering a detailed definition of a chief, biographical information about each chief is presented along with photographs, paintings, and brief film clips. The material is not presented in chronological order. The biography of Sitting Bull, famous in the post-Civil War era, is presented first, and the production ends with Pontiac, who lived in the 1700s. The narrative is sympathetic to the Native American plight, documenting treaties broken by the United States and mistreatment of Native Americans at the hands of the white men, including the massacre at Wounded Knee and the Trail of Tears. One of the highlights is the biography of Chief Joseph, with excerpts from his memorable 1877 surrender speech read aloud. The final few minutes provides brief profiles of prominent 20th-century chiefs, including Wilma Pearl Mankiller (Cherokee Nation) and Esther Ross (Stillaguamish of Washington State), and closes with the mention of the 2010 election of Paula Pechonik as the first female chief of the Delaware Tribe. This program is a useful overview of Native American leaders and could stimulate for further research.—David Bilmes, Schaghticoke Middle School, New Milford, CT