Broken Cord with L. Erdrich and M. Dorris VHS 30 min. Circle of the Spirit VHS 60 min.
Viewers experience the traditional native dances performed amid the silhouette of powwow fires.
Tribal members tell of the coming of the Jesuit 'blackrobes' in 1837 and the tensions that have existed between acceptance of Christian beliefs and their traditional tribal spirituality. The perspective of the Church and how it relates to Native Americans today is seen through the eyes of Archbishops Raymond Hunthausen and Thomas Murphy of Seattle. The remarks of Bishop Charles Chaput of Rapid City, one of two Native American Catholic bishops in the U.S., enables viewers to appreciate both the religious and cultural differences inherent in being both Native American and Catholic. Tells the history of the American Indians over the past two centuries and features the American Indians from the State of Indiana, the 'Land of Indians', telling their stories as seen through their eyes and heard through their words. Compares and contrasts the Indians' relationship with the environment with modern Americans relationship to the environment.