Program Time: 144
minutes in three parts Host : Bill McCune Original Music Score by Jay Steinberg
This three hour, three
part series, is without question the most comprehensive
examination of southwesern Indian tribes ever produced.
Presented here without commercials, it is comprised
of three 48 minute segments (totalling 144 minutes)
covering the people of Arizon'a twenty three tribal
communities - from their prehistoric roots to modern
day issues.
PART ONE...
travels from 13,000 BC
and Arizona's earliest known prehistorics - Cochise
Man - to the year 1519 AD when Hernan Cortez and his
Conquistadores arrived to conquer the Aztec, Inca, Mayan,
and Toltec cultures. It details each existing tribe
and traces their roots by language group, territory,
date of arrival and movements.
The segment reviews prehistoric arts (pottery, baskets,
textiles, jewelry and tools), and dicusses the foundations
of native American spirituality. Also included are examples
of negative stereotyping of Indians in movies and literature
and observations about that from Indian and non-Indians.
PART TWO...
in a phrase, deals
with the "Indian Wars". But unlike most presentations,
it is not confined to "the 7th Cavalry coming to the
rescue". Considerable time is spent addressing the often
ignored history of inter-tribal warfare. (The Quechan,
for example, were in armed conflict with certain other
tribes for hundreds of years.) Light is shed on the
practices of economic raiding, ritual warfare, dream-inspired
and boredom inspired (or endemic) warfare.
Significant attention is paid to the conflict with soldiers
and missionaries of new Spain early on, and with Mexico
after 1821.
Of course, attention is also paid to combat with the
Anglo-Americans who began to arrive in greater numbers
after 1849. Only one-third of Arizona's tribes were
ever "at war" with the US military. All such cases are
covered, including the most prolonged hositility with
the Chiricuaha Apaches, concluding with the final surrender
of Geronimo in 1886.
PART THREE...
follows the Indian
story "after the wars", when they suffered further defeats
at the hands of the Congress, real estate agents, lawyers,
judges and government in general.
Attention is given to
the Dawes Act (that took much of their reservation land)
, legal battles over water rights, and often changing
federal experiments with tribal government. The ongoing
policies aimed at changing Indians into "white men"
are explored. Of particular importance to that cause
was the operation of off-reservation boarding schools,
reviewed by various alumni. The role of southwestern
Indians in the US military - especially their participation
in World War II is covered also.
Finally we examine the
current day issues and concerns of health, employment,
economic development, tribal government and law, and
sovereignty.
Featured Participants:
Mrs. Billie Earley -
age 104
Peterson Zah, President Navajo Nation
Bill Hastings, Theodore Roosevelt School, Ft. Apache,
AZ
Emil Haury, PH.D. Anthropologist, University of Arizona
Professor Emeritus
John Martin, Ph.D. Anthropologist, Arizona State University
Ralph Camerson, Phoenix Indian School alumnus and WWII
veteran, (Maricopa)
Alberta Tippeconic, Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona
(Navajo)
Edgar Perry, Apache Historian
Radford Quamahongnewa, Hopi Educator
Dr. Donald Bahr, Anthropologist, Arizona State University
Emaory Sekaquaptewa, Hopi Lexicographer, University
of Arizona
Clara Lee Tanner, Ph.D. Anthropologist, University of
Arizona Professor Emeritus
Bernard Fontana, Ph.D. Anthropologist/Historian, University
of Arizona
Mark Santiago, Arizona Historical Society
James Officer, Ph.D. Anthropologist/Historian, University
of Arizona
Jay Van Orden, Arizona Historical Society
Don Dedera, Historian
Lori Davisson, Arizona Historical Society
Rod Lewis, Tribal Attorney, Gila River Indian Community
Paul Bender, former Dean ASU College of Law, US Deputy
Solicitor-General
Kermit Smith, MD, Indian Health Services (Assiniboine
Tribe)
Ernest Victor, Jr. San Carlos Apache Tribal Council
![[INDIAN]](http://mccunetv.com/indian.jpg)
