Thunderheart

When we first started watching Thunderheart I was not sure if I liked it or not. I thought it was kind of slow in the beginning but as the story went on I started to get more invested. I caught myself really wanting the character of Ray to get in touch with his Indian ancestors and heritage. The more Ray started opening himself up to Walter, Maggie, and Grandpa the more I liked him.

As the story get to the climax I found myself getting emotionally invested in Walter, Grandpa, Maggie, and Ray. Most of the time when I see a movie I do not get emotionally invested in characters. I can feel emotions while watching the movie but it is hard for me to get attached to a character. (Unless it is a movie like Harry Potter or Narnia that I have grown up with. Then, I get very emotionally attached to characters.) I was incredibly upset when Walter and Ray find Maggie's body. She was such an amazing female character. She was not afraid to search for the truth and let the world know all the horrors that the government was doing to their land and how it was contaminating their water supply. She knew everything she was doing was dangerous and she paid the ultimate price for trying to do what is right and find justice for her people.

Walter was Ray's guide in a way. He helped Ray get in touch with the Indian part of his heritage. Even when Ray was being a jerky FBI agent Walter, still invested his time on Ray. He might not have been nice about it but for some reason or another Ray was intrigued to listen to him and because of that Ray was lead to Grandpa who took him further into his journey to his Indian roots.

Grandpa is the old wise guy who knows everything. Whether it is through age or because he was told by the spirits he is a very wise man. At the beginning Ray thought Grandpa was crazy but he realizes after he attends a powwow that Grandpa really does know a lot of things and that he is truly in touch with the spirits.

I loved how as the story went on you see how Ray evolves from a cold close minded FBI agent to a warmer more open minded individual. He sees that what Walter, Maggie, and Grandpa are saying is not all rubbish or crazy but it makes sense and their guidance ultimately sends Ray on a journey that reveals the truth about the murder that he is there to investigate.

I loved that Ray ends up having a good relationship with Walter, Maggie, and Grandpa. He sees that their knowledge is something of value and that they are not just talking crazy to confuse him or lead him down a dead ended path. They truly want to find out who is responsible for not only the murder but also why the river water is making people sick.

I feel this movie was exceptional and I would definitely watch it again and recommend it to anyone wanting to watch a good mystery.

   


 

Work Cited

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105585/

http://inevitablestardom.com/thunderheart/meta.pimp.html

The Bride by Hallie Crawford Stillwell

http://www.texasheroes.net/stillwell.html

As I read through this short story I found Hallie Crawford Stillwell to be a very admirable person/character. She is not afraid to take chances in her life. She moved to Presidio, Texas which, at the time Stillwell was there, was a very dangerous place to go. But she went anyway to teach children. She loved her kids and teaching them.

Hallie Crawford Stillwell was not afraid to take charge of her own life. Like I stated above, she moved to one the more dangerous cities in Texas to teach children who had taken refuge in Presidio with their families from Mexico. Not only were they not the "safe white kids" they did not have the same common language in common. Hallie Crawford Stillwell took a leap of faith, even after her father asked her not to, and did something wild and something that she was passionate about.

I found the story of "The Bride" very enjoyable to read. Part of the reason I enjoyed it was because I knew the area she was talking about. Being from Texas it is great to be reading stories by Texas authors about areas of Texas. I could picture West Texas and the Big Bend area as I was reading the story.

 http://www.lib.utexas.edu/geo/fieldguides/bigbendgeology.html

http://gardenhoseadaptor.com/big-bend-national-park

I love how she has an answer for every inappropriate or crass question and comment the three cowboys have for her as she moves to her new home with Roy Stillwell. When Lee mentions that he thinks Hallie will spend most of her time in town, because of the thought that the ranch was "no place for a woman," Hallie responds with "No, I expect to live here with Roy, or I wouldn't have married him." Although she does not really enjoy having to put up with the three cowboys she is not going to let them push her around. 

I love that Hallie Crawford Stillwell takes risks. I envy her because she is not afraid to live her life and take those risks even if they are scary or dangerous. I dream of conquering my fears of risk and change and being able to live the life I am truly meant to live. Hallie lived her life. She was 99 years old when she died and she lived a full life. Even marring a man that her parents were not found of but, making him apart of her family anyway. She has courage and stamina. When she was living in Presidio she had a few scary encounters but she did not leave because she loved what she did and where she lived. She completely picked up her life and created a new one. That takes a whole lot of courage and I wish I had that much courage to do that. I feel like my life would have more purpose and meaning if I actually did what I loved instead of stayed where I am because it is comfortable and safe. I have a job, a roof over my head, and a safe place to lay my head. But I could pack up my stuff, move to LA, live out of my car, learn to produce music, try to find an artist or band to give me a chance to produce their album, and work my way up in the music business. But I could never do that because I love my bed to much and my comfortable lifestyle. I'm going to try and by more like Hallie Crawford Stillweel and follow my dreams where ever they may take me.

Work Cited:

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/24/us/hallie-c-stillwell-a-rancher-and-texas-legend-dies-at-99.html

http://gardenhoseadaptor.com/big-bend-national-park

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/geo/fieldguides/bigbendgeology.html

http://www.texasheroes.net/stillwell.html

Jack London, Alaska

Jack London's story "To Build A Fire" caught my attention because over the summer I got the opportunity to go up the inside passage to Skagway, Alaska where Jack London went during the gold rush. (Also I know several members of George Carmack's, the man who claimed the Yukon territory, family members.)

Even though I went to Skagway during the summer months we went on the White Pass and Yukon Route train which was built during the gold rush to help miners get up to the Yukon. The trip was a three hour long train ride twisting and turning up a mountain side and even going over the US/Canadian border for a brief moment to switch the engine from the front to the back to go back down the mountain. Although I was taken on the scenic route on a nice train made specifically for tourism I could not imagine having to trek up or down that mountain at anytime of the year.

this is how the White Pass and Yukon Route looked when I got to take it over the summer. Absolutely drop dead gorgeous. A view that I feel this picture cannot even begin to capture and a beauty that could only be created by a higher power and not by chance or a cosmic boom or whatever you would like to call it. Mountains as far as the eye can see with trees soaring to the heavens, giant granite boulders sliding down the mountains, waterfalls, snow, clear sky and air. There are no words to fully describe the beauty of Alaska. Breathtaking, is the closest word I can think of to describe it all. 

http://wpyr.com/history/johnhenderson/index.php?RollID=Winter&FrameID=JH04317APR8003

http://wpyr.com/history/johnhenderson/index.php?RollID=Winter&FrameID=JH04317APR8003 

These pictures depict what the Yukon Territory was like when Jack London and the gold rush was like. Although the pictures are still breathtaking and beautiful the terrain is harsh with frigged temperatures. There were 100,000 men that started off on the journey up to seek gold but only 30,000 actually got to complete the trip. Not only did men not make it through the entire journey but more than 3,000 pack animals died on the White Pass trail. Once the miners got up to where the gold was they had to dig ten feet or more down below the surface through frozen ground that had to be thawed to get to the gold. All the mining had to be done during the summer because during winter it could get to -60 degrees.

The men who took the journey up the White Pass and Yukon Route had to be strong men. There is no way in the world that I could have done that. Their stamina and courage to keep on through some of the harshest terrain and temperatures mother nature can throw out at anyone is to be admired. And Jack London's writings about it make it easier to try and understand how truly traitorous it truly was. 

Work Cited:

http://questconnect.org/ak_klondike.htm

http://www.arcticwebsite.com/LondonJackKlond.html

http://wpyr.com/history/johnhenderson/index.php?RollID=Winter&FrameID=JH04317APR8003

John Muir's love of nature

http://www.naturefocused.com/archives/view.php?name=jmt/101_0121

This is a picture of Lyell Canyon in Yosemite National Park just as the sun is starting to hit the mountains. This picture would most likely look a lot different if John Muir had not been such an advocate for making and saving national parks.

I feel a connection with Muir in many ways. His love of nature and descriptive writings transport me to where ever he may be writing about. I can feel his passion and love for the beauty and awe-inspiring things nature creates.

Muir had a spiritual connection to nature and had the belief that God can be and is revealed through nature. I agree with that belief 100%. Most of the times I have felt the deepest connected with God was when I was out in nature. Whether I was laying on a dock by a lake or deep in the mountains in Skagway, Alaska there were moments where there was no doubt in my mind that 1. there was a God and 2. the He was there with me. http://www.pbs.org/
 This is a picture I took on a train ride through the mountains in Skagway, Alaska this summer. Alaska was the most beautiful place I have ever been in my life. It was almost overwhelming at times. I feel priviledged to say that I have experienced some the beauty and magnatude that this continent has to offer. Mountains in every direction as far as your eyes could see. Rushing rivers, glaciers, snowcapped mountains, trees soaring to the heavens, giganitc boulders of granit, seals and whales coming up from the water, and bald eagles soaring through the sunny clear sky. No tall buildings, or traffic, or pollution. Just nature at its best. Not being torn down for highways and buildings.

Muir's love and passion for nature is clear in his writings. He says things like "the colors and lines and expressions of this divine landscape-countenance are so burned into mind and heart they surely can never grow dim." And, "The whole landscape showed design, like man's noblest sculptures. How wonderful the power of its beauty! Gazing awe-stricken, I might have life everything for it." The passion he has in his writings bleeds off the pages. (Muir pg. 56)

It is this kind of passion that helped John Muir to get congress to pass legislation through in 1890 to make Yosemite a National Park. Muir was called the "Guardian of Yosemite" because of his love for the park. Also because of his determination to get the park to have the national park title and the protection that is provided by being given the national park title. (history1800s.about.com, www.nytimes.com)

Without John Muir not only would we not have Yosemite but people would not understand the importance of conserving some of our countries most beautiful sites to see. Without nature we can not live and I think that people forget that. Without trees we can not breathe, with out the sun and the moon the world won't turn, and with out oceans, lakes, rivers, and ponds we would not have water. God put everything on this planet for a reason. And everything natural on this planet is made to help us live even if its only to make us sit back, take a breath, and relax in this crazy busy world we live in.



The Literary West. John Muir. Pg. 55-59

http://history1800s.about.com/od/americanoriginals/a/johnmuirbio.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0421.html

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/john-muir-in-the-new-world/read-a-biographical-essay-john-muir-natures-witness/1806/