Tag Archives: Pine ridge
Native Foster Care Lost Children, Shattered Families Focus on South Dakota & Lakota kids
This is a recent broadcast from NPR… makes interesting listening
A day I wish I was on Pine Ridge Rez for sure. Thorpes basketball celebration video
Just saw this for the first time, bit out of date but how I wish I was there to see the bus pull in to Pine Ridge, seen lots of solemn gatherings on the Rez, so to see such a celebration with friends there would have been so cool.
The Leonard Peltier Story – On Russia Today
The Peltier side of this report starts about 2 mins 30 seconds in. Russia Today cover Indian Country stories more than about anyone.
Just back from another trip to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (from director of Rez Bomb)
I got back the other day from another fabulous three weeks in and around Pine Ridge. The highlight definitely was being Fire Keeper at Russell Means’s Sun Dance in Wind Cave in the Black Hills. It was an incredible honour to watch close up the dedication, courage and dignity the Sun Dancers held throughout the week. It really was one of the weeks of my life.
Went on a road trip around Rosebud, Pierre, Crow Creek, Lower Brule and Cheyenne River making sure the Rez Bomb DVD is available as widely there as possible so we’re not one of those companies to film in the area and never be heard of again. No other film is easier to access in certainly Pine Ridge and Rosebud.
Spent a wonderful afternoon visiting with Tom Poor Bear who updated me that there has still been no progress in the 11 year “investigation” into the murders of his family members Ron Hard Heart and Wally Black Elk. He’s a good guy and very dedicated for the search for justice.
Spent a night camping with the 100 mile horse race riders which was very cool and followed them for part of the race. Also hung out at the Oglala Lakota College graduation Powwow. So much happens on Pine Ridge during the summer and I have to say there is no-where else on earth that I get so welcomed and have so much fun. Sadly I heard today that Autumn Two Bulls who I hung out with at Red Shirt Table a couple of weeks ago is in jail now facing a $10,000 bond. (see the facebook page)
The last afternoon was a blast visiting with Leon Matthews at the Higher Ground coffee shop he owns with his wife. It’s a real classy place and Leon is always up for some witty banter.
So yet again an amazing time. It really is a wonderful place to visit.
Keith Olbermann plea to support disaster aid to Indian reservations
I never had much of a view on Keith Olbermann some comments I like some I thought were overblown. Now I am a big fan for being a rare thing in journalism, someone who woke up for at least a few seconds to the plight of those in extreme hardship in Indian Country today. Lots of love and support to my friends on Cheyenne River, Pine Ridge and the whole region being pounded by the weather… AGAIN
48 minute long never before seen interview with Russell Means
There is a never before seen interview that I conducted with Russell Means that makes up part of the 3 hours and 45 mins worth of extra features on the Rez Bomb DVD. The inverview was conducted at Russell’s home on Pine Ridge a few years back and he discusses the origins of his people up to more modern events. What is interesting is that he talks about many other things than the contemporary political, social issues he talks of in his many broadcasts these days and so it is a very interesting new insight into this unique, compelling man who I am fortunate enough to call a good friend.
The list of other extra features at on the DVD pages here.
just back from Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
I’ve just spent a fabulous 2 weeks in South Dakota with the second part spent mostly with my friends on Pine Ridge and this was my first trip back since Rez Bomb has become available on DVD on the reservation and I was taken by surprise about how well it has been doing there. For those of you that have followed my blogs you may recall that back in the summer I did a series of screenings of the movie on Pine Ridge and that they had been really poorly attended as it was difficult to get people into the idea of seeing a movie on the big screen at a fixed place and time. But since then the film started selling on the reservation and it sold really well. So when I was wandering around this time I’d have a few people calling out “hey aren’t you the Rez Bomb guy?” and many were telling me how they loved the movie.
I bumped into a couple of guys who were drinking in their truck one morning and I noticed a copy of the movie sitting on their dash. In a bar in Rushville, just off the Rez a local white girl told me she’d seen it around two dozen times and loved it. There had also been a letter to the editor of the Lakota Country Times complaining that people were incessantly borrowing their copy. It is so gratifying that the film has been such a hit there as it is so important to me that those in the community are happy with the film.
So just before I left I made sure I lined up more retailers around the reservation so now it is also on sale and Lil Angels, Bob’s video and the OLC all in Kyle as well as the Procupine Trading post and the Heritage center shop at Red Cloud school. This is adding to Big Bats where we’ve sold a bundle, and a video store in Martin as well as the Antlers in Rushville, Mr Movies in Chadron and Prairie Edge in Rapid. Some others shall follow. At this rate Rez Bomb will soon be the most owned title on Pine Ridge which makes me very happy indeed as entertaining the community there was a big part of my motivation for filming it there.
REZ BOMB DVD – NOW AVAILABLE
There are some great viewer reviews on our forum here
There is also around 3 hours 45 minutes of great extra features including original documentaries. Snapshots of reservation life and small town America. I’m very pleased with it. A bit excessive but I am very keen to share these docs with the films audience as combined with the movie they’ll gain an understanding of a unique part of America that is rarely exposed. (both the Lakota and white communities). I love the whole area very much and hope that all the locals will be excited and proud to see these snaps shots of their life.
The extra features are: Russell Means interview 48mins
Snapshot: A day in the life of Russell Means (We film a Russian film crew at Russell’s house as well as me filming them filming the filming of one of Russell’s regular video blogs 
and also a snapshot of some of his campaigning)
At home with Arlette Loud Hawk (Arlette who is in the film shows us around her home and chats a bit about her life)
Director Steven Lewis Simpson at Wounded Knee (I give some background to the significance of this sacred place to me as well as my history with the reservation)
Pine Ridge drive around (a narrated look around Pine Ridge with some great photography).
Rushville locations tour (I take you on a tour of some locations
Sheridan Livestock Market (11min a tour of a Rushville market by it’s owner Dan)
Sheridan County Players (14 mins some of our supporting actors are members of this theater group who became a major support for us in the film. Some of the performers are amazing)
Ranch Life (17 mins with a wonderful guy Ron Fisher who has a fabulous, clear world view and takes us through the background of his family homesteading in the region)
Trailer (also on Youtube)
Nine minute opening of Scottish version (starring Henry Ian Cusick from Lost)
A great photo gallery
Full directors commentary
All and all it is a package I am very proud of and gives great added value to the purchaser. The shop link is below.
Roaring Fire Films Store
Big Bats on Pine Ridge sells out of Rez Bomb DVD’s in a week
I got a great call this morning from Big Bats the well known store and gas station on Pine Ridge Indian reservation to tell me that they’ve sold out of their sizeable order of DVD’s of our movie Rez Bomb that we shot there in less than a week on the shelves. They’ve doubled their order for more and apparently people there are frustrated that they’ve run out lol. Well I’m very pleased to hear this and more are on the way there. Other retailers are also beginning to stock it.