| 500 Nations | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Historical documentary |
| Created by | Jack Leustig |
| Written by | Jack Leustig,Roberta Grossman, Lee Miller (head of research), and W. T. Morgan, with John M. D. Pohl |
| Presented by | Kevin Costner |
| Voices of | Eric Schweig,Gordon Tootoosis,Wes Studi,Cástulo Guerra,Tony Plana,Edward James Olmos,Patrick Stewart,Gary Farmer,Tom Jackson,Tantoo Cardinal,Dante Basco, Sheldon Peters Wolfchild,Tim Bottoms,Michael Horse,Graham Greene,Floyd Red Crow Westerman,Amy Madigan,Frank Salsedo, andKurtwood Smith |
| Narrated by | Gregory Harrison |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | April 20 (1995-04-20) – April 28, 1995 (1995-04-28) |
500 Nations is an eight-part American documentary television series that was aired onCBS in 1995 about theNative Americans ofNorth andCentral America. It documents events from thePre-Columbian era to the end of the 19th century. Much of the information comes from text, eyewitnesses, pictorials, and computer graphics. The series was hosted byKevin Costner, narrated byGregory Harrison, and directed by Jack Leustig. It included the voice talents ofEric Schweig,Gordon Tootoosis,Wes Studi,Cástulo Guerra,Tony Plana,Edward James Olmos,Patrick Stewart,Gary Farmer,Tom Jackson,Tantoo Cardinal,Dante Basco, Sheldon Peters Wolfchild,Tim Bottoms,Michael Horse,Graham Greene,Floyd Red Crow Westerman,Amy Madigan,Frank Salsedo, andKurtwood Smith. The series was written by Jack Leustig,Roberta Grossman, Lee Miller (head of research), and W. T. Morgan, with John M. D. Pohl.
The documentary series is based on the eponymous 480-page book byAlvin M. Josephy Jr., published in 1994.[1] The documentary re-aired onDiscovery Times in 2006.
The series begins "where our story ends" with eyewitness accounts ofWounded Knee.The Ancestors next offers excerpts from Native American Creation stories, then explores three early North American cultures, including the 800-room Pueblo Bonito in the arid southwest, theCliff Palace atMesa Verde andCahokia, the largest city in the U.S. before 1800.[2]
A history of the native nations of Mexico from pre-Columbian times, through the period of European contact and colonization, including the rise and fall of theToltecs and the growth ofTenochtitlan, the capital of theAztec Empire.[2]
As Native nations defy a plundering advance ofSpanish expeditions in theCaribbean and what will become the southeasternUnited States, two undefeatable attacks,muskets anddisease, cause thousands of deaths.[2]
Tensions rise as more foreigners arrive in North America, and affect the lives of native peoples. InJamestown, the story of thePowhatan princess,Pocahontas, unfolds.Thanksgiving atPlymouth leads to a bloody colonial Indian war in 1675.[2]
European powers fought to control American resources, turning native homelands into aCauldron of War. Manyindigenous nations side with France, but when the defeated country leaves its native allies vulnerable, a determined leader,Pontiac, rises to prominence.[2]
Being forced to follow theTrail of Tears displaces Native Americans even though they adopt American ways. Shawnee leaderTecumseh sparks a return to traditional ways but theIndian Removal Act is enforced in 1830. Many stoically accept; others resist.[2]
Lifestyles ofnative peoples of the Great Plains end as American settlers destroy huge buffalo herds. Though native leaders pursue peace, they are massacred atSand Creek. The massacre provokes severe repercussions.[2]
Legislative attacks on native ways included the disbanding of communal land. Today, native cultures are allowed to renew, and to remember the lifestyles of America's original people, and the hardships they endured.[2]
Microsoft released an educational computer game based on the documentary, and its "rich multimedia content" also covered the experiences of indigenous people with Europeans in Canada and Alaska.[3]