Thunderheart Page #16

RAY:

Because he was talking to me.

Crow Horse keeps walking.

RAY:

Does he know something?

Crow Horse stops walking and eyes Ray, deliberating.

CROW HORSE:

The old man saw an owl. Over there

in the dry wash. Last week.

RAY:

And...

CROW HORSE:

He saw an owl.

A silent moment. Ray tries to figure out what he's missing

here.

RAY:

So what?

CROW HORSE:

The owl is a messenger. When one

shows itself to a Sioux... it means

someone's gonna die. The owl told

him about Leo.

Ray stares vacantly.

RAY:

The owl told him about Leo. That's

incredible. I guess we just broke

the back of this investigation, didn't

we? Evidence doesn't get any harder

than that -- not for my money. Is

there anyway we can seduce this owl

into Federal Court?

CROW HORSE:

He also said "listen to the water."

RAY:

Listen to the water. Listen to the

owl. He also said, don't trust the

f***ing Cookie Monster.

CROW HORSE:

Go back to your DNA finger-printin'.

Crow Horse KICK STARTS his bike and burns off down the drive

Ray feels the presence of the old man, standing behind the

busted screen door. Just watching.

OVER THIS, A SCREAMING. A HIGH-PITCHED, CHILLING, SCREAM

that takes us straight into --

SLACK TAIL POWWOW GROUNDS - RES - LATER

CLOSE ON A TERRIFYING FACE -- painted in blazing red and

yellow, black around the eyes. A ridge of feathers high along

the hairline, and a mouth open, tongue trilling -- SCREAMING.

A WACIPI:

is going down. A Powow. Held in the center of a huge arbor.

This DANCER, a traditional Kit Fox dancer, is dressed in

authentic costume and is dancing with TEN OTHERS dressed in

various traditional garb and paints.

Under the arbor, TWO HUNDRED INDIANS in modern clothing sit

on blankets or in lawn chairs, watching the dancing. A group

of SINGERS sit around a big drum, beating on it, and wailing

the song that keeps the dancers hopping.

SIXTY CARS (res beaters) are parked off around the arbor,

less interested kids sitting on them, smoking cigarettes. A

few actually have MTV hair-cuts.

Drifting through the cars and people are Special Agents

Couture, Miles, Sherman and Levoi. They stroll through,

incongruously, checking out faces. Vehicles.

Ray slows his step and takes in --

THE POWWOW CIRCLE

as the dance ends. WEAK APPLAUSE. The POWWOW CALLER, a big

Sioux with a crew-cut and cowboy shirt, speaks through a

scratchy P.A. system.

CALLER:

Was-te Yelo! Let's have five more

veterans. Five more veterans. Hoka

Hey!

An OLD-INDIAN MAN sitting in a lawn chair, removes his cowboy

hat and reaches down toward a blanket. He brings up his VFW

hat, adorned with medals and puts it on. Slowly, he rises,

and shuffles out to the center pole along with --

FOUR OTHER VETERANS who have exchanged cowboy hats for

veteran's caps. There is even a traditional dancer in there,

wearing a veteran cap. As a mournful WAR SONG is banged out

by the singers, a flag is unrolled by the veterans. An

American Flag. Unrolled, and set on the mast. And together,

all five Indian men, hoist --

THE AMERICAN FLAG

high. Slowly it climbs. Proudly. It blows in the hot South

Dakota wind.

OUTSIDE THE ARBOR

Ray stands, watching this. And then the SONG ENDS. A loud,

angry voice breaks across the P.A.

AT THE CROW'S NEST (CALLER'S BOOTH)

ANDERSON CHASING HAWK, a young Indian in ribbon shirt and

long hair has taken possession of the microphone. SIX W.A.R.N.

MEMBERS stand behind him. He speaks loud, firm, with the

sharp gestures of an old way Chief.

CHASING HAWK:

What is that that you honor there,

uncles? After all the Wasi'cu country

has done to you, after all he still

does to you, you honor that flag?!

That flag has been desecrated by the

United States, because they have not

honored what that flag represents!

The veterans just stand under the flag, solemn, looking at

Chasing Hawk. The flag undulates soundlessly.

CHASING HAWK (O.S.)

To them, we are the Bank of America.

Whenever they get into a little

difficulty, they go to The Bank,

withdraw a little land, withdraw a

little oil --

OUTSIDE THE ARBOR

the four FBI agents stand, watching.

MILES:

Okay. Here we go.

COOCH:

Who's this guy?

SHERMAN:

Anderson Chasing Hawk. Second in

command behind Jimmy.

AT THE CROW'S NEST

Chasing Hawk hands the mic over to another Warrior. MAGGIE

EAGLE BEAR would be the most beautiful woman Ray has even

seen if she was not the meanest-looking. Her thick black

hair falls over a denim jacket down below her horse-hair

belt. Her faded jeans are stuffed into worn cowboy boots.

And she is full of fire. She begins speaking in LAKOTA.

Fluently. And with hand sign, like the old man.

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