This is a household debut; and I never got the chance to see it at the theater--actually even if I had the chance I probably wouldn't have gone after reading that the studio forced a short edit of the film for wide release. Cherokee actor Wes Studi who stars as the historical Oppenhoucanough (or as it is spelled in the cast Opehancanough), gave several interviews about how outragous the theatrical edit was, he said that he was sure Malick would correct it for DVD release. He further joked that if they didn't let Malick to that, they should let him edit it.
So, I've never seen it before. We bought the Blu Ray, and so far it looks terrific. I know that Terrence Malick's films are not to everyone's taste, but I do like him as a director and find most of his films poetic. I am especially a fan of The Thin Red Line, the beauty with which he filmed native Pacific Islanders amidst such a horrible war between two races of people on their tiny island was done with a great deal of care. I obviously do not know what I will think of this film, but I will say that it is deeply personal to me, as part of my ancestry is Tsenacomoco (that is Powhatan) and I actually have a European ancestor, Roger Alberton, who was part of the Jamestown colony in 1610, he had a Native wife.
Obviously there are a whole host of native actors here! So I'll get listing:
Q'orianka Waira Qoiana Kilcher
She is of Quechua-Huachipeari ancestry on her father's side. Her mother is a Swiss national who grew up in Alaska. Her first name means "golden eagle" in the Quechua language, it was the language of the Incan empire. One of her cousins on her mother's side is Jewel. She is Pocahontas or Matoax (aka Matoaka), later Rebecca Rolfe. She was received in the court of King James I of England as a fellow royal. But she died in England, probably of Tuberculosis, and is still buried there (Wingapo Great Britain, can we PLEASE have her remains returned to her ancestral homeland??)
August Schellenberg
Portrays "Powhatan" whose real name was either Wahunssonacock or Wahunsenacawh. He is famous for being Pocahontos' father amongst the rest of the world; in native circles he is remembered as a just ruler of a large confederacy, the heart of which is now Richmond, Virginia. Schellenberg is a Canadian national, of Mohawk, German and Swiss ancestry, in other words a Metis. (another Swiss Indian??? :0)
Well known Tsalagi, that is Cherokee actor is Opechancanough, Powhatan's younger brother. Despite that he appears to have had a rather funny sounding name, he is remembered mostly as a villain who led an uprising in 1622 against Jamestown. One interesting fact about him is that he was already the chief of the Pamunkey tribe a the time of his older brother's death. And, although the modern Mattaponi claim him for their tribe, it is highly unlikely that his younger brother would have been chief of the Pamunkey's without Powhatan himself being a Pamunkey. Studi himself is not only an internationally known actor, he is also a well respected scupture and a musician. He hosted last year's Nammys.
Raoul Trujillo
His heritage is Apache (Indeh)/Sephardic Jew/Arabic/Spanish/French Wow, that a mouthful!
Michael Greyeyes
Greyeyes is a very well known Native actor from Canada. He is Plains Cree from the Muskeg First Nation on his father's side and the Sweetgrass First Nation on his mother's--they are both located in Saskatchewan. Michael is also a dancer in ballet, native traditions, and conceptual dance.
Kalani Queypo
Native American AND Native Hawaiian
Thomas Clair
Alex Rice Kanien'kehaka (Kanhnawake Mohawk)
Irene Bedard
Inupiat Inuit (Eskimo)/Cree/French
Myrton Running Wolf
Blackfeet
Inuk (Greenlandic Inuit) musician Nive Nielsen
AND AS I SAID--A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER PEOPLE!
NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS ARE UNDER WAY
CONGRATULATIONS
Best Flute: Cody Blackbird
Best Blues: Mark Brown
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