Thunderheart scribe saves horses
RANDOM THOUGHTS: The story of another Trail of TearsScreenwriter John Fusco owns Red Road Farm and he is working to preserve this horse descended from the Colonial Spanish Horse, America's first horse. The breed developed on the Arabian deserts, eventually moved to Spain and, during the 15th and 16th centuries, they were brought to the New World by Columbus and the Conquistadores.
As an adult, his writing featured Indian stories and the films Hidalgo and Spirit, Stallion of the Cimmarron were based on those stories. When he worked on Thunderheart he became very close with the respected elder at Pine Ridge and he learned to speak the Lakota language. He was adopted into the tribe.
4 comments:
I think Thunderheart is still the best of Fusco's screenplays. The critics and I have pointed out the flaws in such works as Hidalgo and Dreamkeeper.
Of course, it's odd that the non-Native Fusco was able to get it right. Didn't you say that non-Natives (e.g., Tony Hillerman) could never get it right?
Perhaps you misspoke when you commented as follows on my posting of 10/14/06:
"Hillerman's characters DO NOT THINK LIKE NATIVES AT ALL. And the reason is, Hillerman isn't Native."
Because this implies that no one can think like a Native unless he or she is a Native. If you meant to say that this problem was limited to Hillerman--that non-Native writers like Fusco and me can think like Natives--you should've said so.
In fact, you've denied this possibility before. This same posting is the one where you invented the concept of racial memories in an unsuccessful attempt to explain yourself. Quoting you again:
"The best I can do in expository terms is to say it is an almost-instinctive ability, sort of a genetic racial memory."
So which writers have this "genetic racial memory"? You? Hillerman? Fusco? Herbert? Lafferty? Waldrop? Me? Please specify which of these seven writers has the genetic racial memory you claimed is necessary to think like a Native and write like a Native.
I said, "Please specify which of these seven writers has the genetic racial memory you claimed is necessary to think like a Native and write like a Native," and you responded, "Incorrect!" This is called a non sequitur, Russ. It's also called non-responsive, evasive, and intellectually dishonest--at least by me. Try again:
Which writers have this "genetic racial memory"? You? Hillerman? Fusco? Herbert? Lafferty? Waldrop? Me? Please specify which of these seven writers has the genetic racial memory you claimed is necessary to think like a Native and write like a Native.
I think it's funny that since you invented the concept of "genetic racial memories" a few months ago, you've never repeated or even owned up to your own words. Is that because you find them as embarrassingly vague as I do? What's your current stance on whether someone must have a "genetic racial memory" or an "awareness granted by heredity" to understand what being an Indian is?
Interesting if non-responsive, again.
Actually, "EuroMan" learned about destroying things from his culture, just as Indians have learned from their cultures. It didn't come from your imaginary "genetic racial memories."
So which writers have the "genetic racial memories" necessary to think and write like a Native? You? Hillerman? Fusco? Herbert? Lafferty? Waldrop? Me? Please specify which of these seven writers qualifies.
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