This is my country,
This is where I was born.
The first 9 years of life
I spent in this Indian village
with many of my mother's people, but
most important with my father.
This man is my father.
This is like I knew him best.
My Dad wasn't just one man named
Flint Mitchell he was a breed of men,
mountain man who lived
and died in America.
He use to tell me about these
men he knew
Men who walked the Indian trails and blaze
new one's for no men been ever before.
Man who found lakes,
rivers and meadows,
Man who found paths to the west
and the western seas,
Who roamed Prairies and mountains and plateaus
that are now states ,
Man who search for beaver
and found glory
Man who died un named
and found immortality.
My father always began story
by
telling me about meeting place
of the mountaineers,
This is where they met every July
after year of caraping in the Rockies.
Here they cashed in their furries
caught up on their drinking,
In the fighting, in the gambling in the fun.
And the girls.
They lived hard and they played hard
Winner is the man who gets the
most shoots on his mark in a minute.
Ready
fire
Shooting competetion was
not for marksmanship
The competetion was for speed.
speed of reloading,
which was not easy
thing in those days
Powder and ball cap and,
ramp rod.
A man's life of a mountain man's life
didn't always dependes on his hitting the target,
depended on how fast he could get ready
for the next shot.
If by accident he miss the first time,
He have to be sure
he had a second chance.
Mr. Chennault, this gathering
is a unique in my experience.
Where they all come from?
Captain Lyon,they come from
beyond the maps.
One of the strangers took my
My father's friends was Captain Lyon,
He was a Scottish man, a veteran
of Waterloo.
He came to the Rockies with a double barrel gun
a whole suit of armor,
and a man who would paint pictures
of all that he saw
So that the captain would ever had
a record of his adventures.
Yes, with pleasure.
But put him on now.
"Outside? Too bad.
- Mr. Chennault.
- No, no you does not drink.
- Please Mr. Chennault.
- No.
You owe me money.
Do you have money to pay me?
- He knows I have nothing.
- Of course.
Sorry. Forget it. I am
trader, I do charity.
What a unkind.
Among French ...
All I ask is a cup,
What it costs?
I'll pay you next week.
I need ...
When the 7 stars arealigned with the
mountain peak she will be in the willows.
- Gowie, Gowie.- yes sir!
7 stars willows remind me
- Are you sure its done here?
- don't be silly, ladies choice.
- I think they speak red Indians?
- Yes, all: Pie Black, Nez Perce ...
- Do you work for the company?
- oh no mr.i am free .
On his own. he owes me
$ 600. of me.
yeah i'll pay you back someday maybe.
Do not forget, Mr. Chennault,
That once i was a rich and influential man .
You might use him, Captain.
I could show you some good shooting.
- Thank you, sir.
- What's your name?
Pierre Alphonse Marie Joseph Victorof Promusenne,
the Framboise.but you may call me Pierre
- Have a drink, Pierre.
- Oh, Captain.
This perticular summer my father was
buying horses and recruiting
The best men to go with him to
the Blackfoot territory
A new and rich country my father have to explore.
it was a lot of Beavers to be hang
And lots of beavers meant lots of money.
Have you see any better horses place captain
I find these very happy
This lady's name was Kamiah,
She was a full blooded Black foot Indian.
She was proud, strong
and beautiful.
She's not a snake girl.
These Nez Perce bring her up mighty strict.
Oh well,
its only a small investment.
Hi
Hi
Compliments of the season
Oh no,no,no
this some mistake
Seven stars, willow ...
I told you captain.
I am So, sorry,i beg your pardon
I had no idea.
She wants to know, are you buying horses
to trade for a wife.
No,
Do you have a wife already
No
She says it is foolish for a man who
can buy so many horses not to have a wife.
Tell her about a pony of her's
She says pony
goes where she goes.
Go now.
Look,Recain
We missed you
Recain was a Scotch man
who was the old trading partner of my father.
But Recain was now living
with the Blackfoot indians.
He was tired of the hunting and killing
and he liked the Indians the way they lived.
Recain was a man with the strong heart
and strong convictions.
Captain, this's an old friend of mine:
the Recain.
- Recain? How Argyll?
- No, of McGregor.
I've some whiskey i think you'll like.
"Mr. Chennault?
Want to join us?
- You too, Pierre.
- Me? Yes, thank you.
- You don't like do that.
- No, I never did.
- Gowie, do you think i can learn to blow this thing?
- No, that's not learning, its the gift.
There's nothing like the pipes for
war.i remember Waterloo.
I been looking for another
moment like it ever since.
- Maybe in this Blackfoot country.
- Maybe.
I've a notion this adventure of yours
will take all the money you have got.
- I hate to see you lose everthing you saved
i've saved for this.
I wish you take the money and live the
life where you born too in Kentucky.
Oh,i am not rich that yet.
I am going to the Nez Perce.
Have a good whiskey, Captain.
What does he wants from Nez Perce?
He's making a trade with looking glass
for girl's on pony.
- Recain? he's going to marry her?
- No, no.
He's going to take her back
to her own people
- What you say! Black Is a Foot!
- What I tell you.
- But listen ...
- No way.
Wait a minute, Wait a minute.
I beg you pardon,i was explaining to him She is not Black foot,
she can not be, she is the old looking glass daughter.
No,no,no looking glass steal her from the
as black foot when she was a little girl.
- It's that simple.
- you sure that?
Her grandfather is Bear Ghost,
black foot medicine cheif.
He all the time wants to get his granddaughter back
he ask Recain to come down and buy her.
Ghost Bear "? and he's the big medicine man
of the Blackfeet tribe.
And this Iron
he's just a young war chief.
And Ghost Bear is the big man
in that beaver country .
Go and Tell Dick to get everything out
we got to trade.
Flint you can't do that.
You can not just go and buy the girl.
Why can't i?
There's one thing for Recain
take her back to her own people.
But looking glass won't trade her to you
No,he will expect you to marries her.
I would've except to my seft
She can't do to me any harm.
and she might do me lot of goog.
Tell looking glass
Looking glass's hut is on the ground.
He loves his black foot daughter
he would be very sad without her.
- How much more is that going to cost?
-you make him steepy bribe.,
She's a sun and moon to him.
Well tell him that my heart is on the ground
Because i can not give him the sun
and the moon to take the place of his black foot daughter.
But as much as Recain his offered
I've offered more.
But trade is a trade.
His heart is bleeding.
Recain is his friend
The mountain is his friend,
he can not give his daughter to both.
Well make up his mind between this thing.
It is not like the chief of the Nez Perce that will have
to sun go down on thinking what the matter is this.
Recain says that if looking glass
will returns his daughter to our black foot grandfather,
he Recain will try to make peace between the
Blackfeet and Nez peirce good thing for both
Well tell looking glass if Recain
is a man of his word. he must do what he says .
Looking glass think that peace
is very good thing,
but he's an old man and very poor and he
have many greedy relatives.
Go get it.
Tell him King George's captain brought this
warrior's medicine, all the way from the land of his fathers
Its very old and very strong
It is not affraid of arrows
and it is good against relatives.
He will speak to his daughtr.
He can not give it to you
unless she say yes.
If she says that she will marry to you,
then they may ready.
When you enter,
she will be a there as your wife.
He will send for his daughter
and let her choose.
You're both to go
and wait for word
flies in the butter milk two by two,
flies in the butter milk two by two,
get them little, my darling.
Mr. Mitchell she say yes!
Go tell Chennault that serve some barrels.
Let's put it upside down.
You know i came down to
take her back to her own people.
I'll take her back my self. they want
a make trade for her ,i'll trade.
She won't do you any good. you never
get in that country again.
No,
doesn't it anything matter to you?
Yes.Trafic
The four couples
forward and back ...
Say hello to the girls
before you go.
Make it spin.
Ahead, across and back.
Repeat and return
to the previous position.
Back to you, the prettiest.
Repeat the same step and a walk.
Make her turn with pace and swing,
make her turn and returns to the circle.
Eight hands up and round.
Still round and round
never let go.
Leave your old lady
to make her a trade.
Take the new
and tries to kiss her ...
into the trap beavers
look at you dancing.
The groom in the center. Takes
a glass of Mountain Dew,
Shake hands with this beauty.
Find your companion
and come back to the ring.
Beg your pardon sir,
is this a private fight?
- No, help your self.
- Thank you, sir.
- Entrez, to lattaque.
- What did he say?
Come, fear nothing.
Entrez, a l'attaque.
Entrez, a l'attaque.
Lord! Enough!
What she said?
- She said?
- you're drunk.
And by God you're drunk.
-Hey hell you're sclaping me.
- Yes
- It's cold.
- Yes
What's that?
Perfume.
- You put that stuff on me?
- No, I drink it.
Mr. Flint, you know
all about the mountain,
but you know nothing
about the women. not yet.
But you will learn ... maybe.
What's the matter?
Trappers HAVE AN APPOINTMEN HERE THE 4TH JULY NEXT YEAR
RUN FOR THE VOICE
Chennault MOUNTAINS
That was called the brigade
this thin brow line of 30 people and 75 of animals.
They were spare horses and pack mules
loaded with traps, food,clothing
ammunition. regular
cargo included courage.
These thin trees were the 1: boundry
of the Blackfoot tcountry.
Explorers went forward
to look and learn and die.
Let's get out of here.
- What about Luke?
- 10 minute no good for luke.
This young Blackfoot Prince
was named Iron Shirt.
They him trappers like my father were
intruders and enemies to be hunted and killed.
Iron Shirt have the idea
that this was his country,
and he wanted it kept that way.
We will have a good big fight
you know.
Clear. we
This Iron Shirt he will jump us sure.
I know you long time
This is first time you stop and think
why do you fight Blackfeet.
Your women maybe she
make back for you.
Shut up,doubles
the guard tonight.
I'll made up my mind What i am
going to do, I'll tell you.
Ask Kamiah if she knows
another path into the Blackfoot country.
Not the big north war road, but a quick way
a small parties might use.
When the Nez Perce stolen
her ,
from her people They bring her over mountain
very fast.
Does she think,she can take us over.
If you want to go
she will take you.
We want to go.
Let's go tell Du Nord.
- I'm staying here.
- No, come on.
Dad use to tell me that
he was all for glad
That he only have to make
that trip over the mountains once.
They were forced day marches
through trackers timber.
hot,dry days
and bitter cold nights.
Montana had not been named yet.
no Idaho
These men had only the faith that
this wilderness would end,
But the next mountain would be
the last one to be cross,
and then the green pleasant
valleys would appeared at last.
But always there seems to be another range
to cross,
and another. And ever
higher and colder.
- What is that mule carried?
- Two sets of traps.
These stars. i could reach up
and touch them with my hand.
It was a snow drift
but the heart beat no one knew.
If the horses get through?
No one knew.
They going forward seem doubtful,
but going backward seemed impossible.
Her people call it
"In light of the mountain."
She say: "Here I was born,
this is my country. "
The sun that gave it to my people.
gave them the earth, sky and water.
I never saw anything like it.
The best beaver country in the world.
Some day i'll
lot pull you good .
Their arms were strong, and their axes
were sharp and timber abundant .
Soon they built a stockade
strong, tall and white.
They lived trapped.
Here the skins were stretched, dried
and packaged.
- So you've made the picture going?
- Yes sir, but the meaning is unkown to me.
- Blue Grass.
- It's I was born there.
Who,which it to be a sort of family history,
it begins with a coat of arms.
Your husband's bear:
Blue Grass.
And yours, bear.
there.
The bear, the bear is her grandfather.
Ask her if she remember her grandfather?
Ask Kamiah
if she remembers her grandfather.
They call him Bear Ghost because old
man grizzly gave him much power,made him very wise
Ask if her if she knows
where is he now.
In this time of era he go to
hotsprings in Three hills .
She wants to know does your grandfather go
to hot springs
this time of era
in Blue Grass?
My grandfather? No.
the indians killed him in Virginia.
Well,i must be getting my beauty sleep.
Come on Gowie.
Tell Kamiah that I'll to go up in the morning.
we're gone for two nights may be.
here is your elk's teeth.
You can Play with these
while I'm gone.
No, you will stay right here
and keep your shirt ont.
For next few days, my father
hunted for beavers with Du Nord one of our best tracker
Dad was busy, tracking beavers but at the same
Time he kept looking around for any signs
to see if the Indians were looking for him
in a same way as he was looking for beavers.
What's scared you little fellows?
Trees lie over they fall
And men
were buried where they died.
Du Nord, fathr's companion, was buried
with arrows still in his back.
"Run?
No, I can't run.
Saying run for your life had
a meaning in those days.
If you get out ran Blackfeet than you
did have your the life.
But that's all you had to face
the mountains, and wolves.
Iron Shirt had every reason
to believe that the forest
or wolves had killed
my father.
And so he decided to strike
at the fort.
The first step was to steal as many of
the horses that he could get away with.
Hadn't i fool
didn't even got a shot.
-It was Iron Shirt.
- Yes
Horses gone!
Blackfoot.
Mother got mad,
Indian mad.
She's gone to tell her grandfather
to get the horses.
Now i've got to tell the boss.
My father was not only escaped
the Indians, but he escaped the wolves.
When he came home he heard the news.
The loss of horses
bothered him,
but my mother running out
really broke the axe.
I'm going in.
- You'll need these, sir.
- Come on.
What he say?
What he say?
He can see that you are her husband.
No doubt.
My father told me that for the
first time he saw these Indians
as he has never seen them before:
as People with homes,
traditions
and ways of their own.
suddenly they were no longer savages.
They were people who laughed,loved and dreamed.
He said the last Star has killed
a buffalo. It invites us to a feast.
He says that Iron Shirt has bringing new horses
in tomorrow morning .
Tell Bear Ghost
that I am obliged to him.
When Bear Ghost was young he thought only
of war killing his enemies taking their horses.
Their sons were born they became
strong young men. They pleased his eyes.
But they all killed in war.
one bye one.
And longed to see his granddaughter
before his eyes close,on earth and sky.
His people have a say
Not found his
happiness without women. "
Iron Shirt have
three good reasons for being mad.
1. Flint Mitchel
was still alive.
2, He was a guest of
Bear Ghost , the chief.
3.And may be the most important:
iron shirt was going to have to get back those horses.
- What did he say?
- There is blood on the ground between you.
Tell him he talks like a crazy dog,
soldier.
If he would shake my hand
it is out to him. If not ...
- He will go back now.
- Tell Bear ghost he has made my heart warm,
but my tp will not be warm
untill he is come to visit us .
When Recain returns from
his hunt,Bear Ghost
will ride with Recain to visit
his granddaughter and her husband.
He says may you go safe
while travelling far.
May you both live long and love
each other,we will all meet and happy again.
What is mika kah?
- Where were you born?
- In kentucky ...
I was born In kentucky
In the Blue Grass. In the country
where the grass is blue.
- Blue Grass?
- Blue Grass.
- Blue Grass.
- That's it.well i've to go now.
Come here
You want the teeth
Pidgeons there are not enough riffels and traps
to get you all the trinkets you want.
Oh good morning madam
Would you mind testing my stew?
Oh..I see.
You cook, I paint.
Blue grass,Blue grass
My words ?
you speak English?
They helping hunt for Elk
Dad took with him Roy Du Nord,
Who was brother of Baptiste
who had been killed few days before.
Roy wanted to see where
his brother have been buried.
Having seen the grave
he made his own private promise of revenge.
You made a best shot to
pay on that Elk i ever saw
Do you mind if i keep the teeth.
For the women?
Winner is comming.
- Snow soon.
-plenty of snow.
We will have to move winter quarters pretty quick.
Your grandfather have told me of a good place.
May be we could talk him and spending
winter with us.
"North? No.no
they aren't going north they're going south.
Oh, when they go north again?
What? A boy, a son?
Hear hear,put that down,
let's somebody else do that.
Well,that's the way you feell,
its your work, its your work.
- Mr. flynt Bear Ghost sending us signals.
- What does he say?
He will meet you
when the sun is highest in the sky.
- Fine,Tell him we have great news.
- Yes, sir.
get out my red coat Dick,yes sir
we won't do any more trapping today to north.
We will put on a parade.
let me have all the men spare from camp.
I'll give this Bear Ghost
to myself .
Tell Bear Ghost my heart is warm
because he is come to visit his grandaugher and her husband.
I meet him with a gift
Take him back to the fort.
Just a few months before, my father
was worried only about
What this might have meant and terms
of Beavers skins.
But now there was something more
He was looking at the man who was died.
And this man
had been his friend.
-There's anything i can do?
- Not now.
You know Iron Shirt is Chief now.
i know
We will spend the winter here.
Iron Shirt is their cheif now. that means trouble.
Snow is comming pretty soon,
That will keep him quiet
but don't count on it.
Don't go out alone,
we'll have the parties..
We're going to get that spring Beaver.
And when Iron Shirt shows up
we will be ready for it.
- Richardson. you take over place
of Du nard. "Yes, sir.
My father often told me
that that December 25.
was the first time it ever been
aware of Christmas ,and what it really meant.
- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.
Hurray for the summer session.
And the rum!
Pack him up
Let the birgade fight order today.
Sign a big war party,
across the fort at center.
Let's pack, guys.
You're full of magic.the
one woman in the world for me.
I love you pigeon
May be I did not know when I found you,
but I know it know.
You can't understand
what I'm trying to tell you.
And I don't understand very much
you say. Someday, may be.
And now the brigade was on the way
back.back to assembly point.
And now pack mules with heavy with
furs.
It was my first trip to roundtabo
but i was hardly old enough to aware of it.
Indians.
Indians.
Its all right little chip.
all right.
Kamiah
1830 WIFE OF MITCHELL FLIN You push on with us now.
The old looking glass will have
a woman to look after the young.
She wanted to be
with her own people.
Here, sir. some sugar for a little
boy. very good food.
I go with you.
No, not this time, Pierre.
And so we went away from that place
where my mother left,just my father and i
He belonged to the indian country now
with heart and soul.
Now he helped open the west
for new trappers,
For the men who loved
the country as he did,
New outposts and civilization
new understanding.
He wanted me to with him, but as
grew up he began to bother his consiousness
I was not getting into schooling.
he wanted me to have
He didn't realize,as i do now,
that no schooling of body and charactor
could eaqual
those early years with him in wilderness.
He taught me things that you
don't learned in school.
And yet he felt that
I should be going back to east
To prepare my self for some sort of what
he called a respectable life.
A sound of that door closing.
was like a door
closing on my life.
My pony was fast
and I knew how to ride it.
Dad looked at me and smiled.
He agreed that my learning and
doing could wait untill next year.
Each year before year i was able to
talk him out of it.
And those years
were the happiest of my life
because i was old enough to then
to know my father, to understand it.
and have him tell me
what I have told you.
His story is more than
story ,
It is the story of
the mountain man,
of the giants who walked
the west and became part of out history.
Subtitle by Arif chandio
The End