500 Nations

When I was a kid in school, they made such a big deal about us learning every state and its capital; I certainly never remember being taught about the Native American nations or their locations or anything about the systematic genocide that was exacted upon the peoples of our land. While we have slowly (all to slowly) become aware of our legacy with regard to the Africans who we enslaved and the stain that lingers on our collective minds to this day, as a culture, we are barely aware of the Native American cultures, who these people were or their cultures. They meld together into a single notion of "people who were here when we got here and who lived in teepees," and that's about it. Everything else is learned from Hollywood's western movies ...films like Tarza, Son of Cochese," where they dress up Rock Hudson in what Hollywood thinks ALL Native Americas look. And the many rich cultures that existed on American soil for eons before White Eyes got here has been systematically, I would suggest painfully ignored. Our modern culture barely even acknowledges Native American history and these, some of the worse sins of our fathers . This documentary is essential i educating use so we can have an incite into who we really are, as painful as that might be.

500 Nations is told mostly in the exact words of those committing the atrocities, giving a rare authenticity to the narrative and keep everything anchored in the historical context. Having seen this documentary, the next time you hear those cliched discussions about how is that that ordinary people living ordinary lives in Germany could wind up committing those atrocities toward the Jews, it might give us pause to question how good European Christians forming a new country could do what THEY did to the natives who were here long before White Eyes stepped foot on this continent, bringing with them their diseases and alcoholism and religion and perverted ideas of ownership of the land, water and air, but worse, their propensity for violence and genocide. This documentary needs to be as universally taught in schools as is "Catcher in the Rye" or "The Great Gatsby."

Being of Cherokee descent, I have a long-standing, fervent passion for Native American history. I only recently purchased the 500 Nations DVD set, which somehow I had managed to remain unaware of all these years. I loaded the first DVD of the set with the intention of viewing it in small bites; however, the program is so well-produced and so informative that I found myself unable to stop watching until I had watched every DVD, every chapter, every moment of the program. It is obvious that the producers really did their homework, striving to maintain a rarely experienced level of historic detail and accuracy.

Anyone with an interest in Native American history should make it a point to get a copy of this program, which is a definite "keeper" for any good library of documentary videos. It is more than worthy of inclusion in any American history class, as it provides tremendous insight into a part of North America's history -- including the parts which are bloody, embarrassing stains which can never be washed from the hands of a nation.

Well, I certainly was NEVER bored with this documentary. 500 Nations brings a lot of emotion to the surface. It is an honestly presented, and meticulously research history of the native cultures of North America, and the effect upon them of the invasion of the white Europeans. When I say "honest", it is disturbing at times, and parents should be warned that, while accurate historically, it also pulls no punches in showing the highly organized and cultured tribes of the Americas being brutalized by ignorant european invaders. You can also sense that the white europeans would have been so much better off, had they truly wished to live with the Nations as brothers instead of conquerers. Our society is less today than it might have been, had the europeans brought more to the relationship that genocide, destruction, and disease to the Nations. IMHO, the best documentary on some of the Nations who called North America their home, long before Vespucci decided to give the land his name.

The geological time is the great power of the nature on the human being. This documentary is surely not perfect, but it's essential american history. It replace things were they must be. It tells us how nations of indians were killed and how american's army tooks there land. It's also dramatic true and i think this MUST be showed to all american schools, in priority. So cinema (US westerns) lies us when we where young, now we have no excuse to not know what really happens in this land at this time. Therefore, i'll just hope that a day Natives American Indians shall get at new what they lost. Geological time will perhaps do that for them, and for their great culture... Seeing the present actuality and the image of the US Bush administration in the world, this doc is urgent to see and let me think that a day it will change. To finish, i'll just quote here an american citizen :

"I can remember first seeing this documentary almost seven years ago and at the time, I was completely fascinated by so many unknown truths that this documentary uncovered. There are so many things that are not taught about the Native American struggle in our country. Many of the things in this documentary are simply not talked about in schools when I was growing up. I wish I could remember more details of this great documentary but it has been seven years."

I saw the series when it aired originally and I thought that it was an excellent documentary on the American Indians. I don't think it is boring at all, I think that it is an excellent history lesson for us all.

The Native American history is not explored enough, that is why I am very pleased about the new Smithsonian museum opening next week. I believe this is a good supplement to our own history. The history of the Native Americans is not told enough or always correctly. I think this and the new museum will help educate the next generation. But of course this is just my opinion.