representation of united states expansions to sioux...

REPRESENTATION OF UNITED STATES EXPANSIONS TO SIOUX

INDIAN TRIBES

IN BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE FILM

A Thesis

Submitted to Faculty of Letters and Humanities

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Strata One

Fajwa Zanjabila

1110026000113

ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT

LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH

JAKARTA

2017

i

ABSTRACT

Fajwa Zanjabila, NIM: 1110026000113, Representation of United States

Expansions to Sioux Indian Tribes in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Film.

Thesis: English Letters Department, Letters and Humanities Faculty of Syarif

Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta 2017.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007) film directed by Yves Simoneau

is the unit analysis of this research. This research concern to United States

expansion representation to the Native American. The purposes of this research are

to know and understand the way of United States is carrying the expansion from

the representation concept by Stuart Hall. The writer uses qualitative descriptive

analysis as the method to reveal findings. All data are collected from the script

dialogues and the pictures of the film. The result concluded that Bury My Heart at

Wounded Knee shows the way white man shows as superior. Bury My Heart at

Wounded Knee Shows white man as superior to Indian looks from the way United

States governments carry out their expansions. In the film Bury My Heart at

Wounded Knee the United States government suppresses Indians to surrender and

stay in reservations and live life like white man. Indians in Bury My Heart at

Wounded Knee in American expansion are depicted in a very unfavorable life,

losing his place of residence and living under the power of White man.

Keywords: American, Indian, Expansion, Representation.

iv

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the of my

knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by

another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the

award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher

learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text.

Jakarta, July 2017

Fajwa Zanjabila

v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful.

Alhamdulillah, all praises to Allah, the Lord of the universe, who always

blessed us every time. Peace and Blessing be upon to the great messenger of Allah

our prophet Muhammad SAW and his families, his relives and all of his followers.

First of all, let the writer say his respect and gratitude to his beloved family,

especially his parents, Drs.H. Aminudin and Hj. Ummu Hani because they are ‘the

writer’s spirit’ to give all the best things to make them proud. Then, the writer would

like to say her gratitude to Nina Farlina, M.Hum as the advisors. Because of her

guidance, advice, and motivation, the writer can finish the research and write it to

this thesis.

In this opportunity, the writer also wants to express his gratitude and

appreciation to the following persons who have given many contributions during

the writer’s study in State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.

1. Prof. Dr. Sukron Kamil, M. A. Hum. the Dean of Faculty of Letters and

Humanities.

2. Dr. Muhammad Farkhan, M. Pd. the Assistant of Dean of Faculty of Letters

and Humanities.

3. Drs. Saefudin, M. Pd. the Head of English Letters Department.

vi

4. Elve Oktafiyani, M. Hum. the Secretary of English Letters Department.

5. All lecturers in English Letter Department for the experiences and

knowledge that they had given.

6. All staffs in Faculty of Letters and Humanities.

7. All friends in English Letter Department Class D 2010 and Linguistic Class

2010 for the memories and unforgettable moments in our beloved campus.

8. The Big Family of WRWB Jalur Gaza, Kosan Tower, LITIGASIONG

Alakatak.

9. The Big Family of Satria Fu 150 Kaskus Community, Scooteries Vespa

Sengkol.

May Allah always bless them in every step they take and the writer hopes

this research will give benefit for all the readers.

Jakarta, July 2017

The Writer

vii

TABEL OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................ i

APPROVEMENT ................................................................................................. ii

LEGALIZATION ................................................................................................ iii

DECLARATION .................................................................................................. iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .................................................................................... v

TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................... vii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 1

A. Background of the Study ................................................................... 1

B. Focus of the Study ............................................................................. 5

C. Research Question ............................................................................. 6

D. Significance of the Research .............................................................. 6

E. Methodology of The Research ........................................................... 6

1. The Method of Research ............................................................. 6

2. The Object of Research .............................................................. 6

3. The Technique of Data Analysis ............................................... 7

4. The Instrument of Research ........................................................ 7

5. Unit of the Analysis .................................................................... 8

F. Time and Place the Research ............................................................. 8

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ............................................. 9

A. Previous Research .............................................................................. 9

B. Concept of Representation ............................................................... 10

C. United States Expansions ................................................................. 13

1. Western Land ............................................................................. 13

2. Exploration of The Land West ................................................... 13

3. Gold Rush .................................................................................. 13

viii

CHAPTER III RESEARCH FINDING ............................................................ 16

A. The Representation of Way of U.S Government Expansions ......... 16

CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION & SUGGESTION .......................................... 34

A. Conclusions ...................................................................................... 34

B. Suggestions ...................................................................................... 35

WORK CITED .................................................................................................... 36

1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

America is a vast land with a wide range immigrants who settled there.

Before the immigrants occupied that continent, America was occupied by Indians.

Indians tribe was an old tribe in the continental United, like Johansen said in The

Native Peoples of North America, the Indians had been there since more than 20,000

years ago. Southwest, Pacific Northwest, and Basin were enormous area of the

Great Plains. Those areas represented the homelands of many Indian communities.

At least 28 tribes might be called Plain Indians. Before the arrival of Europeans, the

movement of trade existed between these people (Indians), and protecting hunting

domain was essential for their economies, depending on natural resources of the

environment.

According to Arlene Hirschfelder (2000), around 1600 first immigrant who

came to the land is European. The arrival of the Europeans as immigrants at that

moment has changed the situation and atmosphere in America. Since the end of the

15th century, the migration to the America has led to centuries of conflict and

adjustment between Native Americans and newcomers societies. At that time the

Americas already has its own government. Immigrant who are whites gradually

start building a civilization there, such as open fields, farming, building

transportation facilities, even they built a massive industry for the sake of their

people, it is becoming the cause why Indian marginalize at that time and it made a

2

reduced number of Indians even able to lead to the extinction of the Indian race in

America (Arlene Hirschfelder, 9).

At the time of first contact, the Indian cultures were quite different from

those of the industrial immigrants. Europeans had patriarchal cultures system and

had developed concepts of individual property rights with respect to land that were

extremely different. The differences in cultures between the established Native

Americans and immigrant Europeans, as well as shifting alliances among different

nations in times of war, caused many problems including political tension, ethnic

violence, and social disruption.

Film can reflect on many aspects, such as history, biography, ideology and

others. The making of film also has a social dimension for several reasons. Film has

recorded political processes, post-war circumstances, multiculturalism events and

others. Film is able to represent the viewpoint of an event simpler than making it as

a document of a great event (“Film as Cultural and Social History”).

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a film that tells about the United States

government's expanding territory and its effects on the Indian peoples, as seen

through their eyes. The period between 1860 and 1890 is the major focus of the

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee film. This period represented the peak years of

conflict between the white settler with Indian, and the Native America tribes already

present on much of the land. The period was bounded in the beginning with the start

of the Civil War and ended with the massacre at Wounded Knee Creek, the last

major incident between native tribes and the United States militaries.

3

All the things that have been described earlier have made Native American

Indians slowly starting to disappear as presented in film, and their image

increasingly marginalized. So when people want to know Indians, they can be

known from the works of fiction. One of them is the work of a film, which in this

work has an important role in recording the phenomenon that happens around us.

In this film, which is based on events covered by several chapters of Brown's

book as well as other sources, revolves around four main characters: Charles

Eastman né Ohiyesa (Beach), a young, mixed-race Sioux doctor educated at

Dartmouth and Boston University, who is held up as proof of the success of

assimilation; Sitting Bull (Schellenberg), the Sioux chief who refuses to submit to

United States government policies designed to strip his people of their identity, their

dignity and their sacred land, the gold-laden Black Hills of the Dakotas; Senator

Henry L. Dawes (Quinn), an architect of government policy for allotment of Indian

lands to individual households to force adoption of subsistence farming; and Red

Cloud (Tootoosis), whose decision to make peace with the United States

government and go to a reservation disturbed Sitting Bull.

While Eastman and his future wife Elaine Goodale (Paquin), a reformer

from New England and Superintendent of Indian Schools in the Dakotas, work to

improve life for Indians on the reservation, Senator Dawes lobbies President

Ulysses S. Grant (Thompson) for more humane treatment of the Indians. He

opposes the adversarial stance of General William Tecumseh Sherman (Feore). The

Dawes Commission (held from 1893 to 1914) develops a proposal to break up the

Great Sioux Reservation to allow for American demands for land while preserving

4

enough land for the Sioux to live on. The Commission's plan is held up by Sitting

Bull's opposition. He has risen to leadership among the Sioux as one of the last

chiefs to fight for their independence. Dawes, in turn, urges Eastman to help him

convince the recalcitrant tribal leaders. After witnessing conditions on the Sioux

reservation, Eastman refuses.

The prophet Wovoka (Studi) raised Western Indian hopes with his spiritual

movement based on a revival of religious practice and the ritual Ghost Dance; it

was a messianic movement that promised an end of their suffering under the white

man. The assassination of Sitting Bull and the massacre of nearly 200 Indian men,

women and children by the 7th Cavalry at Wounded Knee Creek on December 29,

1890 ended such hopes.

Henry L. Dawes' wanted to increase the cultural assimilation of Native

Americans into American society by his Dawes Act (1887) and his later efforts as

head of the Dawes Commission. During the 47 years of implementing the Act,

Native Americans lost about 90 million acres (360,000 km²) of treaty land, or about

two-thirds of their 1887 land base. About 90,000 Indians were made landless. The

Implementation of the Dawes Act disrupted Native American tribes' communal life,

culture, and unity.

In this study, Charles Eastman né Ohiyesa (Beach) educated Indian was a

character that would be the object of a major issue in this study, because his effort

try to help United States government to assimilate Indian. This research need to be

done, because the writer see in this film, trying to represent how is the way United

5

States government carry out territorial expansion plans. Bury My Heart at Wounded

Knee tries to presents way of United States government expansions in the period of

time.

This analysis will use the representation theory of Stuart Hall. By reviewing

the use of the analysis, it looks representation Indian illustrated clearly in this film.

Like Sut Jhally said in culture studies approach by Hall, he shows that an image

can have many different meanings and that there is no guarantee that images will

work in the way we think they will when we create them (3). Bury My Heart at

Wounded Knee is the chosen corpus that the writers will discuss in this study. The

writer try to figure it out about the way United States government carry out about

expansions.

B. Focus of The Study

According to the explanation in background of the study above, the writer

focuses on analyzing how the film represent United States government carry out

about expansions. The writer will focuses on analyzing events in story line that

represents the way of United States government expansions.

6

C. Research Question

Based on the issues in background of the study, the writer tries to analyze

the way United States government carry out about the expansions, trough characters

and events in film. Researchers developed there formulations of the problem

associated with a research focus:

1. How does the film represent United States expansions?

D. Significance of the Study

The result of this research hopefully could be used as an input in literary

studies. The writer hopes that this research gives a new contribution for knowledge

development; particularly in cinema. This research signifies how the United States

government carry out about expansions.

E. Research Methodology

1. The Objectives of Research

The purpose of this study is to address issues related to the

formulation of the problem which was developed by researchers. This study

intends to demonstrate the process of research in explaining the

representation the way of United States government expansions.

2. The Method of Research

Based on the issues that have been told above, the writer uses

descriptive analysis and qualitative methods. Farkhan (2011) stated in his

book,

“Penelitian kualitatif merupakan penelitian yang mengandalkan

data verbal dan non numerik lainnya sebagai dasar analisis dan

7

pemecahan masalah yang sedang dikaji, seperti analisis isi,

wacana, dan penelitian naturalistic”

He also described that descriptive does not need statistics analysis

and has to analyze based on the methods, theories or relevant approaches

(44). According to Bahtiar and Aswinarko (2013), qualitative method can

give more attention to data analysis, the data related with the context itself.

By using this method, the writer will do explaining, describing, and

analyzing the element of the film. The writer will collect, describe and

analyze the data then write the supporting analysis from any sources.

3. The Technique of Data Analysis

The writer uses Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee film as a primary

source in this research. In addition, the secondary sources are from books,

article, journal online, and others. The writer begins with collecting some

source of the data, the data itself and classified it into some categories, then

analyzing descriptively. Thus, the second step is the writer will identify the

data, after that the writer analyzes the data from the movie especially

through the major character. After those steps are carried out, the writer

writes the analysis and the conclusion in the last step.

4. The Instrument of the Research

The writer is the main instrument of this research. Watching and

paying attention in the film carefully are the ways to get the information and

explanation about the unit and data analysis. The writer also uses many

sources to support the analysis.

5. The unit Analysis

8

The unit of analysis in this study is the Bury My Heart at Wounded

Knee is a 2007 television film adapted from the book of the same name by

Dee Brown. The film was written by Daniel Giat, directed by Yves

Simoneau and produced by HBO Films.

D. Time and Place

This research is conducted at the year of 2017 in some place are in English

Letters Department UIN Jakarta, Library of Adab and Humanities Faculty, main

Library of UIN Jakarta, and all other place where related one. The references which

is found, gives the writer information about the materials that the writer needed.

9

CHAPTER II

THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK

In this chapter, the writer will explain some theories and facts used to

analyze the data and answer the research question. First, the representation concept

by Stuart Hall to analyze how the way U.S government carry out the expansions

appeared in the movies. Thus, the research will supported with the elements of

analysis such as event in story line to strengthen the analysis.

A. The Previous research

The writer cannot found others discussion about Bury my Heart at Wounded

Knee film, in other ways the writer found that the representation of Native American

had been analyzed by other researchers in another film. The writer found

Mohammad Fikri (2015), a UIN Jakarta graduate student who analyzed Native

American’s representation in The Lone Ranger film. The researcher used theory of

representation to reveal the character construction in the film. The researcher

explained how the character in the film represents Native Americans.

Different from brief explanation above, the writer wants in this research

more detail and different, which is used same concept / theory, but the writer in this

research will focus to story line which way in the film represent how the way United

States government carry out the expansion. The writer wants to reveal the

representation of Native Americans through the story line in film order to give

something different to the readers. The writer used the concept of representation by

Stuart Hall to explain how meaning of the Indian is produced and exchanged in the

10

film. The writer also hopes this research can be considered as a source and reference

for next researchers.

B. Concept of Representation

Representation theory is one theory / concept that can be used in the study

of culture. Like Stevenson (2010) said in The Oxford English Dictionary

representation is to represent something to describe or depict it, to call it up in the

mind by description or portrayal imagination; to place a likeness of it before us in

our mind or in the senses; as, for example, in the sentence, ‘This picture represents

the murder of Abel by Cain. To represent also means to symbolize, stand for, to be

a specimen of, or to substitute for; as in the sentence, ‘In Christianity, the cross

represents the suffering and crucifixion of Christ’. While in the book Studying

Culture’s (1999) Giles and Tim Middleton stated that representation has three

definitions: to stand in for, to speak or act on Behalf of, and to re-present. It appears

in wide variety of study including art, architecture, music, film, literature,

sociology, fashion, communication, and technology (Dr. Marry Klages).

In those studies, representation is used in the process social of meaning

through symbolization system which is available. Representation means using

language to say something meaningful about, or to represent, the world

meaningfully, to other people (Stuart Hall 15-17). The theory is based on how

something symbolized, represents something, and something presented again. In

accordance with what the objective of researchers is how the film became corpus

described the American expansions in a film of this theory is relevant to peel

representation something in a film work. A simple definition of representation is a

11

production of meaning through language. Language is a tool to show a meaning. It

is the link between concept and language which enables us to refer to either the real

world of objects, people or events, or indeed to imaginary worlds of fictional object,

people, and events.

Representation is the production of the meaning of the concept in our minds

through language. According to Stuart Hall (1997) used the suggestions from the

Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, that representation has two relevant meanings

for the word:

1. To represent something is to describe or depict it, to call it up in the mind

by description or portrayal or imagination; to place a likeness of it before us

in our mind or in the senses.

2. To represent also means to symbolize, stand for, to be a specimen of, or to

substitute for (16).

Representation has two processes each other involved. First, there is the

system by which all sorts of objects, people and events are correlated with a set of

concepts or which we carry around in our heads. Language is the second system of

representation involved in the overall process of constructing meaning (Stuart Hall

17).

Representation is derived from to represent. It means to described and call

it up in human mind by description or portrayal or imagination, and also to

symbolize, stand for, or to substitute for. Represent of something purposes to

communicate about what events, objects, or people through language in ways which

other people are able to understand. But every human thought, concept, or idea, to

12

stand for or to represent what they want to say is impermanent. Hall said

representation is an essential part of the process by which meaning is produced and

exchanged between members of a culture. It does involve the use of language, of

signs and images which stand for or represent things (15). So, there are some

systems to process human concept and produce the meaning in their minds through

language.

The general term we use for words, sounds or images which is carry

meaning is sign. These signs stand for or represent the concepts and the conceptual

relations between them which we carry in our heads and together they make up the

meaning-system of our culture. Hall stated if there are three approaches of

representation. There are (a) reflective, (b) intentional, and (c) constructionist or

constructivist approaches. These approaches are used to explaining how

representation of meaning through language.

In this research, the writer only uses one approach, constructionist approach.

According to Stuart Hall, this approach has most significant impact on cultural

studies in recent years. Constructionist do not deny the existence of the material

world, such as people, particular event or place. However, it is not the material

world which conveys meaning: it is language system or whatever system we are

using to represent our concept. It is social actors who use the conceptual system of

their culture and linguistic and other representational systems to construct meaning,

to make the world meaningful and to communicate about world meaningfully to

others.

13

Constructionist approach is appropriate to be used in analyzing film.

Because the film is a system which designed exclusively by its creator, free to

construct. This film has meaning which by the director in the pictures.

C. United States Expansions

According to U.S.A History in Brief books (2010), in 1820, American

pioneers had established many frontier settlements as far west as the Mississippi

River. By the 1830’s, the westward movement had pushed the frontier across the

Mississippi, into Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and eastern Texas. The land beyond,

called the Great Plains, was dry and treeless, and seemed to be poor farmland. But

explorers, traders, and others who had journeyed farther west told of rich farmland

and forests beyond the Rocky Mountains. In the 1840’s, large numbers of pioneers

made the long journey across the Great Plains to the Far West. The pioneers

included Easterners from both the North and South. Many other pioneers came from

Europe seeking a better life.

1. Western Land

The lands of the Midwest: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin

and Minnesota attracted farmers, miners, and Lumber barons seeking rich

natural resources. Farmers were attracted to the lush, fertile, glacial soils

that supported many varieties of grain, fresh produce, and fruit. Miners

sought copper, iron, silver and gold in the mines of northern Michigan,

Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Lumber Barons harvested the great hardwood

and pine forests of the Midwest producing world class oak, and white pine.

14

Americans turned west shortly after realizing the potential of these new

lands as reports came of more natural resources lying to the west.

2. Exploration of the Land West

Explorers, traders and trappers pushed into the unknown lands

before settlers. These men were tremendously tough in body and mind. They

learned Indian survival methods in the wild, and could stand months of

isolation. Trappers, or “mountain men” were the most independent of all the

frontiersmen; loners who had turned their back on settled life. It was their

stories of trails and passes through mountains that helped government

explorers to map the new lands properly. There was one government

expedition which went where no white man had ever been before. In 1803,

the United States had made the Louisiana Purchase purchasing many

hundred thousands of square miles of land between the Mississippi and the

Rocky Mountains which was claimed by the French. Napoleon, the ruler of

France, was fighting wars in Europe and did not care much about America.

So, in order to finance his wars in Europe he agreed to sell the French claim

to the land. Daniel Boone explored the territories of Kentucky and

Tennessee west to Missouri.

3. Gold Rush

On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold in the

American River at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California, in the foothills of

the Sierra Nevada range northeast of Sacramento. Although he and Sutter

tried to keep it a secret, word got out—the first printed notice of the

15

discovery was in the March 15, 1848, San Francisco newspaper The

Californian (Rosenberg). Not long after, gold was discovered in the Feather

and Trinity Rivers, also located northeast of Sacramento.

The first people to rush the gold fields were those already living in

California, but as word slowly got out overland and via the port city of San

Francisco, people from Oregon, Mexico, Chile, Peru, and Pacific Islands

arrived 1848 to find their fortunes. In 1849, there was such a huge influx of

gold-seekers—approximately 90,000—that they would be referred to

collectively as "forty-niners." They came over the Rockies from other parts

of the U.S. Foreign treasure hunters came by ship from Australia, New

Zealand, China and other parts of Asia, and some from Europe, mainly

France. It is estimated that by 1855 some 300,000 people had streamed into

California hoping to strike it rich. Silver discoveries, including the

Comstock Lode in 1859, further drove California’s population growth and

development—over the course of the gold rush, California went from a

military-occupied part of Mexico to being a U.S. possession to statehood as

part of the Compromise of 1850. The port town of San Francisco went from

a population of about 1,000 in 1848 to become the eighth largest city in the

U.S. in 1890, with a population of almost 300,000 (Wilson 1999).

16

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH FINDINGS

In this chapter, the writer would like to analyze the way United States

government carry out about expansion and assimilate Native American that appears

in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee film. In this film, United States government

portrayed in the stories take steps to expedite the expansion. The writer saw couple

of things in the story, especially in the character of Charles Eastman is the writer

believes to be the main actor in the film. Educated Indian character in the film,

Charles has the potential in the storyline than the other characters. He takes an

important role in leading the plot, and held up the United State government about

the expansions. Firstly, in this chapter the writer will reveal the way how the United

States government carry the expansion through the scenes and Charles characters.

A. The Representation of Way of U.S Government Expansions

The writer would like to show a way of the expansions which is discussed

from the aspect of characteristic the main character and the event in the film that

showed up about the expansions. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee film tells and

represent about how the United States government carry the expansion to the Indian

land. In this film many of scenes that showed up about the expansions of United

States portrayed.

The United States government invading Indian land to search for gold, and

again, the government does little to stop that invasion. However, the government is

willing to negotiate for the Black Hills minerals rather than simply seize them by

17

force. The Indians, though, chose to protect their land rather than make money by

selling their mineral rights. First of all, in the scene below is showing character in

the film it is the United States President Ulysses S. Grant, Senator Henry and

General Sherman, discusses about war between governmental and Sioux tribe from

newspaper about the resistance.

Picture 1

General Sherman : the man was a fucking idiot. Splits his

forces, daylight raid, high noon. an indiot

perhaps.

Senator Henry : but he had his orders, Mr. President.

“drive the Sioux out of the Black Hills,

onto the ration rolls…” so that we could

get to that damn gold. The Sioux resisted.

General Sherman : resisted? Bullshit.

Senator Henry : they resisted General Sherman.

(Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, 00:05:37-00:06:06)

The image and conversation above show about resistance of Indian. The

Indian tribe whose existence is forced to move to a shelter area so that the United

States government can gain access to the mountains where gold is found there. The

Sioux who refused to be transferred to the reservation because of a previously

negotiated agreement, that the land was the land belonging to the Indian tribe, had

rejected. Senator Henry, an architect of government policy on the Indian affairs,

rejected General Sherman's assertion that what happened was an Indian tribal

18

brutality to a cavalry of United States soldiers. Thus the cavalry who attacked Indian

tribes in advance for getting orders from the President, but the effort failed to run

well and became a defeat to the United Stated government.

Senator Henry, who is concern on the survival of the Indian tribe, objected

to the decision taken by the President and General Sherman. Senator Henry strives

in every way to avoid a war between the United States government and the Indians.

For the sake of economic stability of government, any attempt whatsoever in the

travel in order to reach the mountain known there is gold in it. Below is described

a conversation that explains about the efforts to be taken for the survival of the

Indian tribes.

Mr. President : Henry?

the survival of the Indian is your deepest

concern, isn’t that so?

Senator Henry : you know it is. I thought it was yours.

Mr. President : and it still is. I appointed an Indian to the

head of Indian Affairs, I’ll remind you.

Another decision that your colleagues were

So fond of. And another damn knot in the

noose of this administration.

General Sherman : along with a three-year depression and a

bankrupt treasury.

Senator Henry : this isn’t about money, gentlemen, this is

about human beings. And when you make

an agreement you have a solemn obligation

to fulfil..


Quotation above gives an illustration that explains Henry's partisanship of

the survival of the Indian tribe. Expansions of the Indian territories by the United

States government to stabilize the economy were declining at that time led to a

series of ways that must be taken by the government. The writer assumes in this

19

film many scenes that describe the way the United States government expedite the

expansion, one way is to urge the Indians to move to the reservation.

Mr. President : I still believe that setting the Indians on the

course to civilization best ensures their

survival. Now do you or do you not agree?

Senator Henry : yes, sir. I do.

Mr. President : then you can’t deny that there’s no saving

the Sioux unless we compel them to

give up their way of life and settle on the

reservation.


From the quotation above, clear vision of how the governmental support and

care about Indians life. Meanwhile on the other sides, thus that is the way to

expedite the expansion. Going to reservation and giving up way of life an Indian,

Leaving traditional ways and life there is no hope for the Indians to survive, except

leaving in reservation. Assimilation or extinction of the feud between American and

Indian.

In this film, shows that United States government expedite the expansion,

to reach the golden mountain in Sioux land. In this film after the battle of Little

Bighorn, where the Indians won a great victory against the American for protecting

their land. There is a character showed up in the story, father of Indian boy who

arrested by the white man (called for the Americans) at the Little Bighorn. He

dressed up like a white man, not an Indian, wearing clothes, hat, shoe and Cross

necklace. He is an Indian, killed two white man in the battle. While the others

hanged up, not for him, he is saved by the Great Father Lincoln (called of the

President of U.S).

20

Picture 2 picture 3

In the picture above looks the way the government expeditions by

eliminating the tradition of Indian tribes in general. It is clear that a man who had

been dressed as most people wearing a hat, while Sitting Bull there fixed with his

traditional clothes. In addition to the picture 3 wearing a cross necklace, which the

author assume in this film, the United States government makes it a more civilized

and have a religion, whereas before, the tribes of Indians are uncivilized and have

no religion.

In this film, in addition to eliminating the traditions of the Indian tribe, in

carrying expansions, in addition to what is seen in the picture above, the war also

became one way for the Indian tribe to surrender the land he left to the government

of the United States and willing to stay in the shelter. Sitting Bull very hard to hand

over what he and other Indians believe in their land. The Sioux rebellion under the

leadership of Sitting Bull is very troubling and troublesome United States

government.

21

Picture 4

Col. Nelson Miles : Crazy horse has surrended with his entire

band. And by his surrender, he says to you

and your people that you are defeated. And

by ceding the Black Hills to us, so say Red

Cloud and the other chiefs who demand that

you end this war and take your place on the

reservation.

Sitting Bull :Red Cloud is no longer a chief. He is woman

you have mounted and had your way with.

Do not speak to me of Red Cloud!

Col. Nelson Miles :I supposes you are the only chief then?

Sitting Bull is king of all the Indians. Ah,

humility. It’s one of the four virtues of a

Sioux chief. Sitting Bull shows true nature

now.

Sitting Bull :I have had my say with you.

Col. Nelson Miles :And I have had my say with you.

Sitting Bull :then we will have a fight.

Col. Nelson Miles :So be it.


The image and conversation above shows the previous uprising not only by

Sitting Bull alone, but from other Indian tribes. Colonel Nelson warned Sitting Bull

22

to immediately surrender and was willing to live in a shelter like the other Indian

chief who had earlier surrendered. The ultimate goal of the expansion of the United

States government over Indian tribal land to acquire gold in the Black Hills

Mountain that some Indians hold in is a sacred and forbidden place.

From the above conversations and images we can see that the Sioux tribes

strongly reject the United States attitude statement stating that it must hand over the

Black Hills Mountain. Warfare is one of the ways in which the United States find

what they are aiming for. But that way is very inhumane. This film the writer

believes in addition to war, there are many ways that are represented in the story,

about the expansion run United States. To eliminate the old way of life of Indians,

in this film the author sees the way that is represented not only in warfare, one of

them is to send young people who come from Indian tribes to go to school as shown

in the picture below.

Picture 5

Teacher :Who can give me the names of the last four president?

Charles :(raising up hand)

Teacher : I would call on you, Ohiyesa, but it must be by a

white name have you chosen one from your book?

Charles :No, missus.

23

Teacher :Shall I choose one for you?

Charles :No, missus.

Theacher :Raise your hand only if you can name all four. If just

one student can name all four, I will dismiss you early.


From the picture and dialogue above, is a school where there are students

who come from Indian tribes, one of which is Ohiyesa. A native of the Sioux tribe,

his father was a good friend of Sitting Bull but has now abandoned the old life of

the Indian tribes and started a new life. Ohiyesa is an intelligent child, of the many

students present in the lesson, only Ohiyesa is able to answer questions from the

teacher. But the teacher turned out to have another way, Ohiyesa had to change her

name like the name used by white man, not her Indian name.

Ohiyesa refused because he did not want his name replaced with the name

White man. Then the teacher went away without asking another student. Because

Ohiyesa is one of the talented students, he gets a scholarship to continue his studies.

Ohiyesa refused him for not wanting to leave his hometown and renounced his old

life as an Indian. But after being persuaded and told by his father finally Ohiyesa

agreed to continue to college. This film represents how Indian tribes should leave

their old life and mingle with the white man. Because of the purpose of the United

States government to expand its territory is part of what is believed to be Indian

tribal territory. The Indians are exposed to extinction, or coexist with the white man,

by abandoning their old life.

24

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee represents events and conflicts between

Indians and United States government, the writer believe in the expansions of the

United States, the Indian tribe is one of the victims. Bid by bid is given to the Indian

tribe in order to surrender to the government. The writer sees what is represented in

this film is the Indian tribe must die of life and old tradition and surrender the land

to the Unite government. The assimilation or extinction of the Indian tribe in the

film is depicted on the verge of extinction for refusing to give up its land to the

American government. But in this film is represented in subtle ways in

The writer assertion is reinforced by several events and characters in this

film, which represent the United States in expanding the region, in addition to the

way of war and rebellion by Sitting Bull. Ohiyesa son of a native Indian tribe who

went to school where the white man of the school author sees it as one way.

Previously on the dialogue in the film above, before Ohiyesa changed his name to

the name of the white man in general, he would not be ignored by his teacher in

answering his teacher in school questions. However, because always urged by his

teacher to change his name, finally Ohiyesa changed his name to "Charles" and

renounced his old life as an Indian. Below is the picture and conversation of

Ohiyesa and his desert at the time of debating his teacher's mistake with one of the

Indian leaders.

25

Picture 6 Picture 7

Elaine : where did “Charles” come from?

Charles : well.. Eastman is my mother’s name. her father was a

white, don’t tell the friend of the Indian.

Elaine : and “Charles”?

Charles : I was in school one day and the teacher was mistaken

about something, the name of the chief of my Sioux

tribe. She called him “Spotted Bear”. So, I raise my hand

because I felt it was a dishonor to the chief to misspeak

his name. but she wouldn’t call on me, because I hadn’t

taken a white name. I just couldn’t do it.


The picture and dialog above illustrates how Ohiyesa changed his name to

"Charles". In picture number five illustrated in the scene Charles meets a woman

named "Elaine", in their conversation Elaine asks how Charles got his name like

the white man name. As we can see in a conversation Charles got his name for

disagreeing with his teacher while still at school misquoting the name of one of the

Indian chiefs.

Charles told Elaine that she had been neglected for not choosing a white

man by her teacher. Charles is urged by his teacher to immediately choose a name

so he can answer and be accepted by his teacher. As picture 6 illustrates, after

Charles got his name, the teacher easily accepted the statement from the Charles

26

without rejection. In this scene it is seen how any Indian tribe should give up on

white man, and leave everything related to his old life as Indian tribe.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee displays and represents how the white

man is superior and the Indians have to succumb to the situation. In this film tells

the circumstances in which the Indian tribe must surrender the land it left to the

United States government, because to expand its territory. The white man how in

the film is mentioned clearly illustrates the difference between Indians and whites.

The uprising by Sitting Bull caused an elongated battle, other than the Red Cloud

chief who first surrendered to the United States government and stayed at the

reservation.

Picture 8

Senator Henry : this new agreement will ensure your

continued support and a new home at agency

to be known as Pine Ridge.

Young man Afraid : we no longer wish your support. We wish to

hunt on the lands which the treaty said we

may keep.

Col. Nelson Miles : only as long the game abounds. The game is

scarce now.

Red Cloud : because of your hunting for amusement.

27

Col. Nelson Miles : the paper you signed allows for us lay rail.

You agreed to this when you touched the

pen.

Red Cloud : I touched the pen because I wanted peace.

For the past eight snows, my people have

been living like the poorest of whites. Where

are the fine things you promised? The kind

you lavish on us when you want our mark on

your paper?


Furthermore in the picture and conversation above illustrate how the United

States government to make agreements with the Indian tribe. Senator Henry, who

cares about the survival of the Indian tribe, has revealed that there is a new covenant

in which he will provide life and residence named Pine Ridge. As the authors

believe, this film represents how the United States government's government

suppressed the Indians to give up on defending their land. In various ways

represented in every scene of this film, the Indians are in oppressed condition, the

land where they live is taken by the government,

As in the above conversations, Indian tribes do not need to get help from the

United States government, they just want to live freely and hunt. Because before

the whites come they too have lived their lives like that. Making peace with the

government but only worsening the condition of the Indian tribe itself. As we know

initially the United States government seeks to expand the territory to the Black

Hills, which is where there is a gold mine. But it turns out the Black Hills included

into the territory or land that is forbidden to the Indian tribe.

Indians hunt for their daily needs, with Red Cloud giving it to the American

government as in the above conversations limiting their hunting area. Peace and

28

freedom are everyone's dreams, as does Red Cloud as the chief of the Indian tribe,

reconciling and surrendering to the United States government because wanted

peace. Furthermore, in expanding the territory of the United States government

through Senator Henry with the help of Charles mapping the reservation area

division for Indian tribes.

Picture 9

Senator Henry : all right, let us begin. Northern boundary of

the new Pine Ridge Reservation, south fork of

the Cheyenne River, downstream to the mouth

of Battle Creek. The Indian must have full

citizenship and a deed in his hands like any

white man, Assimilation, Charles, or

extinction. (talk to Parlements) Gentlemen, the

plan we put before you for the Sioux will be a

model for Indians from the Pequot in

Connecticut to the Pomo in California. Now

step one is the division of Sioux land into six

distinct reservations.

Charles : Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Cheyenne River,

Standing Rock, Crow Creek

Senator Henry : and then, due west to the 102nd meridian.

(Talk to Parlements) Step two is division of

each new reservation into individual tracts.

29

Charles : 160 acres to each man to farm, to feed his

family, to market his crops, to earn a living.

Senator Henry : Step three- thus apportioned, excess lands

will be sold to white settlers.


In the scene above, shows Senators Henry and Charles are working on three

steps for Indian living. The reservation division depicted in the film seeks to give

every Indian family the right to have its own territory, for daily living, farming,

trading and socializing with the white man. We can see the United States

government doing this so that the Indians gradually get used to life like white man

and leave their old life. Staying on the reservation would be easier for the

government to oversee and regulate the Indians. In this film is clearly visible how

the United States government to eliminate the customs of the Indian tribe and leave

the old tradition.

Living on the reservation does not make Indian tribal life better, in this film

is depicted only that is able to adapt to a new life that can survive, and who cannot

follow a new and permanent life with the old way on the brink of collapse.

Gradually the Indians lost their identity as Indians, dressed as white man, wearing

hats, and having new beliefs. Seen in the picture below how after a long stay in the

reservation changed the Indian tribes life habit.

30

Picture 10 Picture 11

The picture above illustrates the life on the reservation eliminating the

Indian identity, the first picture of the Red Cloud chief using a hat as well as the

Sitting Bull on the second picture. Obviously this is not the custom of Indians using

hats, but the habits of white man that gradually imitated the Indian tribe. Living in

the reservation made the Indians feel no freedom, surrendered to the United States

government that expanded its territory to the Black Hills where there was a gold

mine.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee film seems have an ideology. The

ideology in the film can be found from the whole of the film, from the film’s screens

to the dialogue contained in the film. The ideology in Bury my Hearts at Wounded

Knee represent since the U.S expansions made Indians increasingly marginalized.

In this film, through presenting from the scenes, the film tries to give opinion that

the white man is more superior to the Indian. This is seen where in the film depicted

always the Indian tribes who are in an unfavorable position.

Red Cloud : I touched the pen because I wanted peace. For the past

eight snows, my people have been living like the poorest

of whites. Where are the fine things you promised? The

kind you lavish on us when you want our mark on your

paper?

31


The above conversation explains how this film depicts Indian tribes always

harmed. Dialog above explained because following the rules of white man actually

make Indian tribe so the losers. This film the author believes to convey that white

man is very important role in ensuring the survival of Indian tribes.

From the explanation above, we can conclude that Bury My Heart at

Wounded Knee film tries to give an idea to public and make them believe in the

story of the film. The writer states that there is the ideology of belief showed in the

film. The film wants to presents Native American Indians representation for a

particular purpose, because the ideology of belief has a function to change and

organize an understanding of something. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee film

wants to deliver some massages that white man has power ensuring the survival of

Indian tribes.

Picture 12

Ohiyesa Father’s : the earth belongs to the white man. There is

no future outside his world.


32

That picture above Illustrates that for Indians who do not follow a life like

white man the Indians will not survive. From the picture above this film intends to

convey that white man for Indian tribe is as guidance and helper for Indian tribe

survival. From the scene above, we can conclude that Bury My Heart at Wounded

Knee film wants to show that the white race was actually became superior on

American soil. Through the revelation of the evidences above, the writer assumes

that Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee film also tries to prove about American

power.

After analyzing the representations of American expansion above, the writer

states that the ideology of the film related to result of the analysis above. Bury My

Heart at Wounded Knee tries to give opinion to people who watch the film and

make them believe in the story. The story of the film show that America through

the way U.S government carrying the expansions becomes as superior as well. Bury

My Heart at Wounded Knee conveys ideology of belief implied into the film story.

The ideology of belief refers to the trust. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee through

the representations of expansions wants to give its own perspective that represent

White man or U.S America as superior.

As the representation concept by Stuart Hall said that language as a tool to

transmit the production of meaning of the concept in the minds. This concept is in

line with in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee film. Bury My Heart at Wounded

Knee film through its story, script and scenes tries to say something meaningful to

the people. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee want to shows America in order to

say and deliver the concept into people’s minds. Through the ideologies also, Bury

33

My Heart at Wounded Knee film produced to indicate how some texts and scenes

distorted images of reality. That is same with the ways of understanding ideology

which is stated by John Storey. He said that one of the purposes of ideology refers

to a systematic body of ideas articulated by a particular group of people. Bury My

Heart at Wounded Knee gives the ideas to the people who watch the film.

34

CHAPTER IV

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

A. Conclusions

This writer analyzes Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee using representation

and ideology concept. Through the representation theory, the writer revealed how

Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee shows the expansions of America to the Indian

soil. This research also reveals the ideologies of the film. The writer uses qualitative

descriptive method with Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee film as the unit of

analysis. The writer answer the research questions through the explanation of the

pictures and the texts of the film. The other sources outside the film are used to

support the analysis.

From the findings, the writer concluded Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee

shows the way America shows as superior. Bury my heart at Wounded Knee Shows

America as superior to Indian looks from the way American governments carry out

their expansion. In the movie Bury my heart at Wounded Knee the American

government suppresses Indians to surrender and stay in reservations and live life

like white man. Indians in Bury my heart at Wounded Knee in American expansion

are depicted in a very unfavorable life, losing his place of residence and living under

the power of white man. Bury my heart at Wounded Knee film raises the American’s

role this film represents Indian tribe as the villain.

Bury my heart at Wounded Knee film also tells the actual event of the

expansions at the time. The film also conveys the ideologies implied in several

scenes. The ideologies of the film shows that Bury my heart at Wounded Knee

35

represents America as superior to the Indian and proof that the film based

on true story.

This research wants to reveal how Bury my heart at Wounded Knee delivers

the history through some texts and scenes. The film tries to show the actual event

as well as possible on the screenplay. Bury my heart at Wounded Knee through its

story delivers some ideologies.

B. Suggestions

The writer suggests to the other researches to use another theory or concept,

because this film could be analyze through many theories or concepts in order to

find the different things. For example, this film could be analyzed through the

identity of main character Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa). Therefore, the writer hopes

this research gives more contribution to all students of English Letters or all

students of other universities outside who want to use this concept and theory to

analyze a film.

36

WORKS CITED

Film:

Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee, Screenplay by Daniel Giat. Dir. Yves Simoneau.

Perf. Aidan Quinn, Adam Beach, August Schellenberg, and Anna

Paquin HBO Films, 2007. Film.

Books:

Bruce E. Johansen. The Native Peoples of North America. Omaha: Rutgers

University Press. 2006.

Cliffford, Geerrtz. The Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essay. London:

Hutchinson & CO Publisher. 1992.

Farkhan, Muhammad. Proposal Penelitian Bahasa & Sastra. Jakarta: Cella. 2007.

Giles, Judy & Tim Middleton. Studying Culture A Practical Introduction. New

York: Backwell Publisher. 1999.

Hirschfelder, Arlene. Native American: A History in Pictures. New York: Dorling

Kinderley. 2000.

Jhally, Sut. Stuart Hall Representation & The Media. Media Education Fondation

Transcript, Northamptom: MEF. 2005.

Stevenson, Angus. The Oxford English Dictionary. London: Oxford University

Press. 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_E._Johansen

http://books.google.com/?id=yiKgBuSUPUIC&lpg=RA1-PA44

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutgers_University_Press

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutgers_University_Press

37

Storey, John. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction 5th Edition.

London: 2009.

Wallach, Susan. U.S.A. History in Brief: Learner English Edition. Bureau of

International Information Programs United States Department of

State. 2010.

Websites:

Klages, Mary. Postmodernism. University of Colorado, Boulder. Web. 23

December 2016. < www.bdavetian.com/Postmodernism.html>

History Matters. Film as Cultural and Social History. Web. 20 December 2016.

<http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/film/socialhist.html>

Rosenberg, Amy. Westward Expansion. California State University of Northridge

(CSUN). Web. 17 October 2017.

<http://www.csun.edu/~asr15199/westwardexpansion/index.html>.

Wilson, Lori Lee. Wild West. Web. 17 October 2017.

<http://www.historynet.com/california-gold-rush>

http://www.bdavetian.com/Postmodernism.html

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/film/socialhist.html

representation of united states expansions to sioux...

Documents