TV REVIEWS : American Indian Viewpoint in ‘West’

The roster of miniseries-as-historical-document grows by one Sunday when “How the West Was Lost” begins a six-night run on the Discovery cable channel (at 10 each night through Friday). It belongs near the head of the class.

“How the West Was Lost” tells the story of the settling of the American West from the viewpoint of those who lost it: the native Americans who lived in many nations throughout the land. It is mostly a story of death, disease, displacement and broken treaties.

Tonight’s episode gives a quick overview of the white man’s coming to North America (says one indignant American Indian: “Nobody discovered (this country). We were already here. Americans need to learn their own true history”). In these days of politically correct revisionism, that story is well known but still painful to see.

After quickly recounting how the eastern nations were devastated by the newcomers’ diseases and greed, tonight’s program relates the plight of the Navajos of the Southwest. The Navajos had already defeated the Spanish and Mexican invaders but, in 1863, they couldn’t withstand the strength of the U.S. Army. The Navajos were marched 300 miles from their homeland to a reservation where they lived in sickness and poverty. It took William Tecumseh Sherman, the scourge of Atlanta himself, to see the folly of the government’s mistreatment. The Navajos were returned to their homeland, but they never raised their weapons again against the whites.

Monday’s episode deals with the Nez Perce, who were driven from their homeland in Oregon in 1877 after two treaties were broken by the United States. The Nez Perce were pursued 1,500 miles by the U.S. Army and finally captured, 42 miles from the Canadian border and safety. After the bloody Battle of Bear Paw Mountain, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce agreed to peace terms, saying, “I will fight no more, forever.” The Nez Perce were returned to Oregon but not to their homeland.

Subsequent episodes of “How the West Was Lost” deal with the fierce Apache of the Southwest, the Plains tribes and their victory over Custer and the Lakota tragedy at Wounded Knee.

“How the West Was Lost” is done in the Ken Burns-style of documentary, with plenty of scenic shots of historical locations, striking black-and-white photos of the chiefs and other figures. Descendants offer powerful testimony to what their ancestors endured.

“How the West Was Lost” was produced by the Discovery Channel and K*USA in Denver. You’ll never look at another cavalry versus Indians movie on the late show in quite the same way.