Hello, Posse!
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We had a storm pass through here yesterday with lots of rain and "high" winds. I put high in quotes because they were high according to the locals, but I'm from Kansas. Unless you see a grumpy old woman on a bike flying by, it's not really high winds. Visit Kansas in Spring and you will see what I mean.
Today's movie stars one of my favorite Native American actors, Wes Studi. I will admit I have been fascinated with him since I found out he is also Tsalagi (Cherokee) and in fact only spoke the Cherokee language at home until he was about five years old. (I have been trying to learn the language for years.) He enlisted in the National Guard and volunteered for active duty during Vietnam. He was discharged after a 12 month tour of duty. After returning home, he became very active in Native Rights and attended Tulsa Community College. It was during his time in college when he started acting.
Studi has acted in some of the best westerns in recent years such as the Academy Award-winning films Dances with Wolves (1990) and The Last of the Mohicans (1992), and the Academy Award-nominated film we are presenting today, Geronimo: An American Legend (1993).
This film has an all-star cast. Co-starring with Studi is Jason Patric, Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Matt Damon, Pato Hoffmann, Rodney A. Grant, Kevin Tighe, Steve Reevis, Carlos Palomino, Victor Aaron, Stuart Proud Eagle Grant, Scott Wilson, Stephen McHattie, John Finn, Lee de Broux, and Rino Thunder. While there is a good chance you do not recognize all those names, I guarantee you will recognize the faces when you watch this movie. The film is based on a screenplay written by John Milius and was directed by Walter Hill.
The story follows a fictionalized account of the events that led up to the eventual surrender of Geronimo to American troops in 1886. At the time, Apache Indians were forced onto a reservation. The Natives were expected to give up their traditions and become corn farmers for the rest of their lives. While some Natives resigned themselves to this fate, others like Geronimo, refused to submit to the travisty.
The U.S. military decided to take action in hopes of stopping an all out rebellion. General Charles Crook (Hackman) sends more than 5,000 soldiers to hunt down Geronimo and his fellow rebels. The soldiers are led by Lieutenant Charles Gatewood (Patric) who must suppress his admiration for Geronimo and his people to be able to do his duty and serve his country.
Movie Snack Recipe
In honor of Wes Studi and our shared Tsalagi (Cherokee) heritage, I found a traditional Tsalagi snack recipe, Fried Hominy. If you have never eaten hominy, you are missing out. I LOVE Hominy. I could eat it just straight out of the can (which is the only way I can get it here, when I can find it.)
Today's recipe comes to us from SparkRecipes. They have a lot of great nutritional information on their site and some pretty tasty recipes. You should check them out sometime but definitely check out their Fried Hominy - Traditional Tsalagi (Cherokee) Native American Dish recipe today. (click the red text to go to the recipe page ^^)
So that is it for today, posse. I hope you have a wonderful Monday and check back in on Wednesday for our New Whatever Wednesday with Burckhardt Books Podcast, hosted by Dianne Burckhardt. We had our very first episode last Wednesday. If you missed that, you can check it out by clicking HERE. This Wednesday is National Pizza Day in the US and Dianne plans to share some great recipes to help you observe it as well as share more about the Into the West Saga Serial book collection and upcoming plans for the podcast. You will not want to miss out!
Remember
Many great western movies started out as great western books. If you are looking for wholesome entertainment, the Into the West Saga Serial book collection is a must read. Just go to Stephen's Books (<--- click here) to check out all the titles currently on sale.
Be sure to join my mailing list and never miss out on news, contests, publication dates, and more. It is free to join. You can quit any time, no strings attached . . .ever! Plus, when you join, you get to read the first chapter of Part One, Into the West: The Orphan Train for free. If you have never read the Into the West Saga Serial, this is a great no cost way to try them out.
What have you got to lose? Join us today. (<--- click to subscribe)
Enjoy!