Nez Perce 1.4 - Confrontation

Nez Perce : Sorrow
Genre : Historical
Showrunner: Scott Cooper
Writer : Dwight Gallo
Cast: Adam Beach, Matthew Rhys, Martin Sensmeier, Gil Birmingham, Forrest Goodluck, Tatanka Means, Zach McClarnon, Ben Schnetzer and Mark Boone Junior

Plot:1877. Chief Joseph (Adam Beach) stands beside his brother Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) and Toohoolhoolzote (Gil Birmingham) in the grey light of early morning. They look tired, but focused. They watch as Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) rides up to them on horseback. He is chief of a Nez Perce settlement along the nearby Clearwater River. Looking Glass tells them that the news of Eagle Robe's death has filled his heart with sadness. He asks how Wahlitits is doing. Joseph says that his burden is heavy, but that Wahlitits has promised to honor his father's wishes and has sworn no acts of vengeance will follow. Toohoolhoolzote asks Looking Glass if there are white men along the Clearwater River. Looking Glass says there are not any yet.

Joseph, Ollokot, Toohoolhoolzote, and Looking Glass ride up upon the Lapwai Garrison with hundreds of warriors, all with faces painted red and in full battle dress. Captain David Perry (Ben Schnetzer) and the soldiers of the garrison look nervous. The Nez Perce warriors circle the perimeter of the garrison. Joseph dismounts, then raises his hand. With that signal, every warrior disarms. Rifles, bows, knives, arrows are thrown to the ground. Even Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means) reluctantly disarms.

In the garrison, General Oliver O. Howard (Matthew Rhys) sits at a table. Perry stands nearby at attention. The Nez Perce sit on the ground, Joseph front and center. Joseph tells Howard that they will not sell their land. The land is their mother, and you do not sell your mother, so they will not sell the land. Howard tells Joseph that it is his understanding that the land was already sold to the U.S. by a Nez Perce Chief in 1863. Joseph tells Howard that it was not Chief Lawyer's land to sell, that he did not speak for the entire Nez Perce nation. Joseph tells him that their people have inhabited this land since the beginning of time, and that the white man arrived less than seventy winters ago. He knows this because his own father was there when the Nez Perce kept Lewis and Clark from starving. Joseph approaches Howard's table, and says that all the Nez Perce want to do is live in the land of their ancestors. They don't care about gold, they have not made war like the Lakota or the Crow, when some of their people chose to adopt the white man's ways they let them go and live their lives how they saw fit. Joseph says that even his own father converted to the white man's religion and named him Joseph. The Nez Perce just want peace for all. Howard asks for time to explain because it is a complicated situation. Joseph tells Howard that lies are complicated, truth is simple. Howard tells Joseph that the Nez Perce have not had any legal claim to the land since they sold it in 1863, and that he stands here at the request of the President and on his authority. His orders are simple and will be executed. Howard orders Joseph and his people to leave this valley and go to the reservation at Lapwai. Howard says he's not here to buy Joseph's land, he's here to throw Joseph of of America's land. Joseph asks what if they refuse. Howard says he'll use force if need be. Toohoolhoolzote can take no more. He stands and approaches. He demands to know what man dares to tell another where he can go and how he can live. Howard looks right at Toohoolhoolzote and tells him that he is that man. Toohoolhoolzote swings at Howard. Howard ducks, grabs Toohoolhoolzote's arm, twists it behind his back, and slams Toohoolhoolzote down on the table. Howard orders his men to stand guard. The nearby soldiers take aim on the unarmed Nez Perce warriors. Howard tells them to not underestimate him. He may be missing an arm, but he will have all of them put down. He then orders nearby guards to lock up Toohoolhoolzote in the jail. The guards take Toohoolhoolzote away. Joseph tells Howard that they do not desire war. Howard looks at Joseph long and hard, then walks away.

Later in the Nez Perce village, a roaring fire blazes, illuminating the bodies of Nez Perce warriors and elders. Joseph and Ollokot stand before the tribe. Looking Glass is present as well. Red Grizzly demands to know what action Joseph plans to take. Joseph tells him they must try to keep the peace. Red Grizzly argues that there is no peace to be had. Eagle Robe is dead. Toohoolhoolzote is in jail. The whites are all over the land. He feels they are already at war, whether Joseph likes it or not. Joseph asks Red Grizzly if he is really so eager to on the warpath. Red Grizzly says that the white man can be beaten, that Sitting Bull beat them, so they can beat them too. War is the answer. Joseph insists that war is never the answer.

Wahlitits (Forrest Goodluck) lurks in the shadows of the forest. He hears the sounds of drunken laughter. There is a cabin in a clearing up ahead. Larry Ott (Mark Boone Junior) sits on the porch with his buddies, drinking whiskey. Wahlitits raises his rifle, taking aim. His finger tightens around the trigger. His breathing grows heavy. His arms begin to shake. He lowers the gun and drops to his knees. He can't do it.