Thunderheart Page #15

CROW HORSE:

But he is not unhappy with you because

he knows you.

RAY:

He knows me?

CROW HORSE:

He says he saw you in a vision some

time ago.

Crow Horse stops translating suddenly even though the old

man continues speaking. Crow Horse looks concerned, and ASKS

A QUESTION IN LAKOTA. We don't know what he's asking but the

tone is absolute amazement.

This question triggers an exchange between he and Grandpa,

the old one getting angry. Grandpa wins.

CROW HORSE:

I guess he had this vision some time

ago, in the Moon of the Popping Trees --

uh, back in the winter. He says you

come from Wasi'cu city in the East

but that your people... way back...

are of the Minniconjou Sioux. But

you yourself don't know that.

Ray's brow is drawn tense as he stares at the old Indian,

absorbing the translation. Grandpa speaks more fervently

now, incorporating Indian sign. Each time Grandpa does the

hard Sioux HAND SLAP, Ray blinks.

CROW HORSE:

He says he knew you'd be coming to

Bear Creek. He was told. It is the

will of Tunkasilia -- the grandfather

that you come here. He says let's

smoke the caanunpa the sacred pipe,

symbol of truth. So that there will

be no lies between us.

The old man has taken a long wooden stem and a red stone

bowl from a beaded pipe bag. He joins the two together then

begins offering a pinch of tobacco to the Four Directions.

While this goes on, Ray fidgets.

RAY:

What's he smoke in that?

CROW HORSE:

Sacred herbs. Tobacco. Don't worry,

we don't smoke no Mexican agriculture

in The Pipe. That's a white man's

myth. This is a sacrament.

The old man is offering the pipe to Ray.

GRANDPA:

Mltaku Oyasin.

Ray looks at Grandpa. The old man offers the pipe again.

CROW HORSE:

You don't smoke with him, it means

you're hiding something.

Ray takes the pipe, looks at it... then passes it to Crow

Horse. The big Indian takes it from Ray, giving him a long

eye, then offering the pipe to The Directions before smoking.

Crow Horse puffs hard, eyes closed, then slowly releases

some smoke upward. Ray watches it climb and fade. The old

man then takes up an old turtle shell rattle. He speaks.

CROW HORSE:

He says Wakan. Sacred. Five hundred

year old turtleshell rattle, passed

down from the Grandfathers. Heavy

duty.

He shakes the rattle very slightly, moving it in front of

Ray. He speaks just above a whisper.

CROW HORSE:

He says, it is good. The Spirits are

here. The Spirits want to know what

you're doing here?

Ray smirks.

RAY:

Tell him I'm trying to find the man

who murdered Leo Fast Elk. Ask him

if he knows where he is.

Crow Horse asks the old man in Lakota. No answer. The pipe

is back to grandpa, and he offers it to the Directions, to

the Earth then upward before smoking himself. He begins to

speak again.

Passionately. In long glottal Sioux sentences, adding sign,

fingers crossing, brushing an arm, a slap here and there,

He is working himself into an excited state, and Ray keeps

looking at Crow Horse, very interested in the old man's

answer.

Finally Grandpa's breath comes up short and wheezing, he

ends his oratory with a solid hand slap.

RAY:

What did he say?

CROW HORSE:

He said he doesn't know.

RAY:

He just did the Gettysburg Address

in Sioux. What did he say?

Crow Horse ignores him. Grandpa speaks again. More hand

language.

The old man is staring at Ray while whispering to Crow Horse.

He strokes his badger claw necklace.

Crow Horse looks at Ray and seems hesitant to translate this

new piece of information.

CROW HORSE:

Uh... Grandpa likes to trade; no one

stops by here without gettin' stuck

in the old Indian barter. He, uh...

he likes your shades.

Grandpa smiles toothlessly. Ray who has his driving glasses

in hand, lifts them to say "these?" but Grandpa sees it as

an accepted deal, and swiftly removes his necklace. He holds

it out.

Ray slowly, hesitantly surrenders his sunglasses, and takes

the necklace. Crow Horse bursts into laughter and so does

Grandpa, enjoying a good trade. He draws a hand through the

air in a sort of horizontal karate chop, meaning done deal.

Ray looks confused. Out of his element. And out of his shades.

Another fly gets snagged on sticky tape.

EXT. GRANDPA REACHES TRAILER

Crow Horse is hurrying toward his bike, Ray with him.

RAY:

What was he saying?

CROW HORSE:

Why should I tell you.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes