Backbone of the World: The Blackfeet

"I'm looking for your church," says the mining company official on the mountain. "You say this is a spiritual place--where is your church?" Replies the Blackfeet official, "You're standing in the middle of our pew. Nature is our church." Literally backed up against a wall, the Blackfeet reservation lies in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains of Montana, near Badger Two Medicine, a 130,000-acre tract of treaty land opened in the early ‘80s for oil and gas exploration by the U.S. Forest Service. Badger Canyon is an important spiritual retreat for the Blackfeet, who say that the region is threatened by water contamination and the destruction of plants used for medicinal and spiritual purposes. But beyond that, they say, the language, religion, and art of a native tribe is also at risk, as western culture continues its encroachment on traditional ways of life. Director George Burdeau does wonders with the northwestern Montana scenery, vignettes of tribal life, and beautiful, evocative music, but he is less successful with the nuts-and-bolts demands of his topic. In a meandering, leisurely style, complete with occasionally "hip" camera angles, he weaves the ancient legend of "Scarface" with background and contemporary perspectives on the Badger Two Medicine issue, which, we come to see, is inextricably bound to all of Blackfeet history. Burdeau does not mention the exact location of the Badger area (how about a map?), give current Blackfeet population figures, or tell us how these folks currently make their living. More important, however, he never really gets to the bottom of the central issue: were the Blackfeet paid for their land in 1895 free and clear, or was the land (or portions thereof) merely to be leased? Or were portions never sold or leased at all? Burdeau also gets sidetracked with a "making of the video" angle, which doesn't help his pacing. Note: despite this video's date (1997), its issue is still alive. Though there is currently a moratorium on drilling in the Badger area, Montana's congressional delegation has been unable to strike a permanent deal to protect it. Optional. Aud: H, C, P. (K. Glaser)