500 Nations (1995)
500 Nations (1995) An excellent 8-part DVD/video series narrated by Kevin Costner. What is special in this survey of Native American history is that it give information and interpretation by Native Americans of their own history; so, for everyone, you learn a lot of history, names, events, interpretation etc. that are not in most textbooks. I really enjoy seeing Native Americans of today speaking about their past with their names and tribes listed below. You will see tribal names you’ve never heard of.
Other compelling aspects are past and present documentary footage, some that I have never seen before. In some cases, they add computer graphics to give you an idea of the complete past splendor of such famous sites as Chaco Canyon National Historic Monument or the Cahokia Mounds N. M. The camera flies over a canyon like a hawk with drum throbbing, then it enters Pueblo Bonito complex but restored by computer graphics as you hear Indians chant to rhythmic music. At the end, you see an aerial view of Chaco Canyon as it looks today. For Cahokia, which has the largest mound in the US, the computer graphics restore it to its prime, even with a religious ceremony in action on top.
Also helpful is the blend of maps, timelines, etchings, paintings, portraits and photographs from the past. In some cases, the Native Americans are extraordinary narrators because they inject deep empathy, respect and spirituality for their ancestors and their culture. They have a special way of communicating their identity with the earth and its spirituality, something foreign to the European conquerors, the masters of thoughtless exploitation—which continues today of course in many respects.
The film clearly illustrates the clash of two cultures, the lack of understanding and the terrible results. I would have liked the film to have probed in depth the benefits of the exchange of ideas between the cultures from plants and animals (corn, wheat, horses, turkeys, citrus fruit) to the arts.
Kenny Karem, Collegiate School, Louisville, Kentucky, kennykentucky@aol.com
