Introduction
There is a prejudice against Native Americans that presents them as poor, uncultured, or even vulgar. However, the PBS Documentary The Spirit of Crazy Horse effectively dispels such myths, as it unveils the cultural beliefs, traditions, lifestyles, history, and worldview of one Native American tribe – the Lakota. The film highlights the uniqueness of the Lakota people and their philosophy, as well as the injustice they have suffered.
Main body
After watching the documentary, I felt both awe-struck and horrified. On the one hand, I admire Lakota’s love and respect for nature, patriotism, and the ability to enjoy simple things in life being happy and satisfied. On the other hand, it is unfathomable how the US government, a self-proclaimed fighter for equality and democracy, could terrorize this tribe. Even the attacks of radical Lakota groups could not justify the massacre of unarmed people. Thus, I have mixed impressions of this film, but it definitely made me review many things.
I want to note that in this documentary, one mostly sees the Lakota perspective on the historical events and their lifestyle. Therefore, the narrative may be biased, presenting some information inaccurately or not revealing all the important facts. On the other hand, there are many sources that show the US views on American history and interracial relations within the country, while people still know little about the Native Americans. It is always necessary to see different perspectives on conflict situations, and it is great that interviews of Lakota people, expressing their position and thoughts, are available now. Thus, this documentary is a valuable source of information, even if it shows a one-sided view of some historical events.
Conclusion
To conclude, the PBS Documentary The Spirit of Crazy Horse is a rare source of insight into the Lakota lifestyle, philosophy, and attitude to some significant historical events. It helps to see the Lakota people with their own eyes, not through the lens of existing prejudice or myths. It is impossible to say that the documentary is unbiased as it mostly presents a Lakota perspective on historical events. However, in my opinion, no other expert can give a better description of Lakota values, traditions, and beliefs than the Lakota people themselves.