Ghost Dance

The latest film from Christine Craton and Tim Shwab's Unity Productions (Ghost Dance, Ghosts on the Freeway), Dakota Encounters tells the story of French mapmaker Joseph Nicolet's mapping of the area between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers in the 1830s. Nicolet would befriend the Dakota people, and become enamored of both the people and the plains. "I cannot conceive why so many whites blunder in dealing with them," he said. Ironically, Nicolet's notably accurate map no doubt helped pave the way for the onslaught of white settlers. Dakota Encounters is a nice looking, atmospheric piece, but it's too short for the subject. We don't really get the measure of the man in 13 minutes, let alone a grasp of the Dakota people's culture. At best, Dakota Encounters is a somewhat romantic historical snippet. An optional purchase for larger collections. (Available from: Unity Productions, 7400 S.W. 70th St., Aberdeen, SD 57401; (605) 225-2559.)