In December of 2009, the United States Congress officially apologized to Native Americans, The government crafted a resolution, part of the 2010 Defense Appropriations Act, stating that the U.S. "acknowledges years of official depredations, ill-conceived policies, and the breaking of covenants by the United States Government regarding Indian tribes." The apology covered the "many instances of violence, maltreatment, and neglect inflicted on Native Peoples."

Indian boarding schools provide a horrific example of the above statement. The mortality rate for these schools ran as high as 50%. Georgina Lightning, a Cree filmmaker, used this subject matter in her debut feature "Older than America" (2008). Although Lightning was born in Canada, she set the film in northeast Minnesota. Lightning directed, co-wrote, and stars as the wife of police office John Goodfeather, played by Adam Beach.

Lightning chose to craft her story as a genre picture in which the spirits of murdered students appear to her character in visions, demanding justice. The supernatural element, I feel, dilutes the emotional impact of the film. In addition, the priest and nun who run the school (appearing in flashbacks) are such cliched villains that it is difficult to take them seriously. Lightning has a compelling personal story, her father was sent to a boarding school and later committed suicide, but she chose not to make her film overtly autobiographical. Still, "Older than America" ends with a positive message about family and resilience.

Here's the latest article from the Drama Movies site at BellaOnline.com.

Reel Injun Film Review
Canadian filmmaker Neil Diamond is your guide for "Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian". Diamond travels the United States interviewing actors, critics, activists, and filmmakers to discover the history of Native Americans on film.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art307411.asp

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Angela K. Peterson, Drama Movies Editor
http://dramamovies.bellaonline.com