PBS Frontline - The Spirit of Crazy Horse (1990)

“The heart of everything that is.” These are the words which the Sioux Indians use to describe their ancestral homeland, the Black Hills of South Dakota. Those million acres form the spiritual core of the Sioux culture, and it's a land they have struggled to reclaim for a century. “The Spirit Of Crazy Horse” is an eye-opening vision of their quest, which has shaped the lives and destiny of the Sioux for six generations.

It is a tale recounted by Milo Yellow Hair, a fullblood Oglala Sioux, whose great-grandfather fought General Custer at the Little Big Horn. While the story echoes with famous names like Wounded Knee the last major Indian slaughter a century ago, this more than a tale of long lost wars. It reveals the modern Sioux struggle to regain their heritage, and how places like Wounded Knee became site for a fight that continues still.

The program carries us through the militant confrontations of the 1960's and 70's, the explosive results of 100 years of confinement on Indian reservations. By investigating the simmering conflict of recent decade, this program brings up crucial choices that lie ahead. For while the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Black Hills were stolen from the Sioux, the fight for the return of the land rages on. In the shadow of Mount Rushmore, the Sioux vision of their sacred homeland still thrives, and “The Spirit of Crazy Horse” lives on.

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