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( violin music playing )

MAN: It begun at the Jericho mine, Jericho City, Tennessee,

in the year 19 and 35,

the day after Ma died.

She'd lasted only a year after Pa was killed in the army.

And that's how I come to live with Granma and Granpa

when I was eight years old.

One time Granma told me

that when you come on something good,

the first thing to do

is share it with whosoever you can find.

That way, the good spreads out

where no telling how far it'll go,

which is right.

So I'm telling the story of them days,

and how Granma and Granpa got me away from Aunt Martha

and taken me to live in their mountains,

where they'd raised my pa before me

and which I know now was the secret part of the world.

( people clamoring )

Oh no, you stop right where you stand!

I said no!

You ain't goin' off with no backwoods white Injun

so long as I got a breath left in me.

Sally was my sister and she give him to us!

Put a hand to it, Henry, for Jesus' sake!

No.

You can't just waltz in here, Wales,

and carry him off to some godforsaken--

Martha, leave him be.

It ain't right!

It ain't right by a damn!

GRANMA: Wales, he's wearing out.

Yep.

You okay, son?

Take the light.

( singing in Cherokee )

Little Tree.

Come now. You ain't waking him his first morning, are you?

Just giving him the option, is all.

Little Tree, you awake enough to hear me?

We're heading up to the corn patch now.

Figured you might like to come on and help us.

Wales.

It's up to you.

Come on, now.

Well, now.

( dogs barking )

GRANMA: Go on, get off of him now.

Oh, they's just heartened to see someone new, is all.

They see plenty of Granma and me.

That's Blue Boy.

GRANMA (laughs): Oh, my.

These the only shoes you got, Little Tree?

I bet you can't feel a thing through them soles, can you?

Well, we'll take care of that.

To learn anything, you got to feel the ground under you.

All right.

You gonna stay?

She's coming alive.

( gasps )

Aw, don't feel sad, Little Tree.

It's the way.

Falcon caught the slow bird,

so the slow bird won't have no babies that are slow.

He helps the bird out. You see?

GRANPA: It's a lesson, Little Tree. Animals know that.

You just look around.

It's only the white man takes more than his share.

He claim whatever he can,

no matter how much it is.

He'll run his flag up saying, "This here stands for my right to more."

then there'll be a war over it

and men will die,

like your daddy.

Well now, you're saying to yourself, "Hold on, there."

I thought Granpa was a white man hisself."

and it's the truth.

I was born white,

( chuckles )

no doubt about it.

But when I met your Granma.

Oh, how young she was,

and mm-mm-mm, how she could dance.

Oh, Wales.

And then we was married,

and I begun to see the world through Cherokee eyes

till I come at last to understand the way.

And so will you, Little Tree,

and you'll learn you can't change the rules of the way,

even if you are white, and that's that.

My ma was white.

As was mine,

as fine a woman as ever lived.

As was mine.

She was. She pleased your daddy too.

He told us.

( crickets chirping )

Dictionary,

seeing as how Little Tree can't get to the settlement every day for school--

Which is a crying shame,

nothing we can do about it--

I plan to teach him myself,

alls I know, anyhow.

Let's look at the first word here.

Can you make out what it says?

"Ar--"

"Arr--"

"Aardvark."

"Aardvark."

"Aardvark."

"Ard" what? GRANMA: "Aardvark:

Large, burrowing African mammal

that feeds on ants and termites.

That's his first word? Mm-hmm.

Tell me, when is the occasion gonna arise

for him to employ this word?

Can't never tell.

Yeah?

That's right, Little Tree.

You go on down to the settlement,

you never can tell what's gonna come up in the conversation.

You know, like, "Oh yeah,

Little Tree's downcast, all right.

Seems he went and lost his aardvark."

"Now that's funny," says Mr. Jenkins.

"Old Miss Perkins over at the library,

she been having trouble with her aardvark too!

Had to go all the way up to Knoxville,

up to hospital,

have her whole dang aardvark removed!

She's resting comfortable now, but mm-mm-mm,

them aardvarks!"

You can't never tell.

( all chuckling ) GRANPA: Yup.

* And we'll all Go together *

You'll stay!

* To pluck wild Mountain thyme *

* All around The blooming heather *

( singing echoing )

* And we'll all Go together *

* To pluck wild Mountain thyme *

* All around The blooming heather *

How old you gonna be on your next birthday, Little Tree?

Um, nine, come March 22.

That's what I thought.

Then it is time you started on a trade.

That's her.

What does she do?

Why, she makes whiskey.

Ain't you ever seen a still afore?

Oh...

This here's my trade-- Whiskey-making.

Been handed down on the Scot side of my family

for 200 years.

Now I'm gonna hand it down to you.

Of course, when you get older

you might want to switch trades.

But leastways you'll have something to fall back on

in times when you're pressed otherwise to make a living,

times like these here-- Hard times.

Now this you call the beer.

And what we're gonna do today is we're gonna turn the beer into whiskey.

Mm-hmm. Okay,

pour away.

Now this here is pure corn.

Yep.

Some fellers--

And this is the reason

whiskey-making gets such a bad name--

Some fellers use potash or even lye

to make the mash quick.

They'll put it through sheet iron, or truck radiators

that got all kinds of poisons that can kill you.

Now these fellas oughta be hung, in my opinion.

Then there's the other side, thems that say

whiskey oughta be aged.

Yeah, well, I tried that once.

I set back some fresh-made for a whole goddamn week.

By the by, Little Tree,

there's a word you won't be finding

in your Granma's dictionary,

so you probably shouldn't be trying it out on her, okay?

Okay. Okay.

Now where was I?

"Set some fresh-made back a whole goddamn week!"

A week, yeah.

Didn't taste a damn lick different from all the other whiskey I ever made.

I think I'm gonna have to raise the flame on this a little bit.

See, you want to boil it but you don't want to scorch it.

What I could use is just one more armload of good dry wood.

I'll get it, Granpa!

You be Little Tree?

Well, let's see what you brung.

Little Tree, this here's Willow John.

He has the magic.

What do you reckon?

Ain't you gonna taste it?

Well now, this here's what you call your single.

Damn near 200 proof.

We only get a couple of gallons of this.

Then you add water to it, start all over again,

and that's how you get your sellin' whiskey. See?

Still, a man ought to know what his single tastes like,

seeing as how it's the backbone of the whiskey and all.

Hey?

Agh!

That's out of the early corn.

I don't know what you'd call it exactly.

Kind of--

Bad. Bad.

Yeah, that'd be it.

Have you told him of our history?

Not as yet.

He should know.

It's a hard tale.

It is that, but if you don't know your past,

you won't have a future.

Why don't you all leave it up to the boy?

This here's a story about your ancestors, Little Tree,

and how they come to be here.

Do you care to know?

I do.

( deep breath )

Well now,

the Cherokee have lived in these hills

since the do-da put them there.

They farmed the valleys,

made the winter hunts

and taught theyself the way.

But then the white man come

and the Cherokee made a paper treaty with them.

They said, "These white men ain't so bad. We could live together."

Then the government soldiers came

and said that the paper treaty had changed its words.

Now the words said that the Cherokee had to give up their homes,

and move far west, where the government had other lands for them,

lands that the white man didn't want, of course.

And while the Cherokee were trying to understand,

the government soldiers found this big old valley

and ringed it in with their guns,

and drove the Cherokee in there just like cattle.

And they filled up that whole valley.

And then they brought in their mules and their horses,

and said that they could ride out west.

Now the Cherokee, they had nothing left, now did they?

They had no homes, no farms,

no land, nothing.

But they would not ride.

Damn right.

So you see, they did save something from it, now didn't they?

You couldn't see it and you couldn't wear it,

you couldn't eat it.

But they did save something.

They would not ride.

They walked. Yes.

That was a long walk,

and as they got farther and farther

from their mountains,

they begun to die.

At first it was just the very young and the very old.

And the soldiers stopped

and let the Cherokee bury their dead.

But then more begun to die.

They died by the hundreds,

by the thousands.

Now the soldiers said,

"Why don't you put your dead in the wagons,

and we'll carry them for you?"

But did they?

GRANMA: Huh-uh. No sir.

Nope.

No.

The Cherokee would not put their dead in the wagons.

They carried 'em, walking.

Yes.

A man carried his dead wife,

a son carried his dead mama,

and a little boy

carried his baby sister.

Now the white people, they lined up along the trail there

just to watch them pass by.

And some of them people begun to cry.

And that's why they call it the Trail of Tears.

But the Cherokee did not cry.

They did not speak,

they did not look.

They walked on.

But by some magic that I don't know

some of them managed to escape

and make their way back, staying off the trail,

until they found their mountains again.

And they went far back into them.

And time went on.

By and by the white man forgot all about them

and passed by and finally left them in peace.

And that's you, Little Tree.

That's us.

That's where you come from.

And that's why we're here.

( singing in Cherokee )

Well now,

I reckon Willow John likes you.

He left it for me?

Looks like it.

But I didn't get to thank him or nothing.

Oh, he didn't do it for thanks, Little Tree.

He give it to you 'cause you deserve it.

And that don't call for no show now, does it?

I suppose not.

But shouldn't--

Go on to bed now.

Long day tomorrow.

( kisses )

Take them big shoes off for once and for all.

They're finally ready.

Ain't they kind of wet still?

You put them on wet and walk them dry.

That way they fit like they growed on your feet.

Ah, got rid of them clobbers, did you?

Just in time.

It's a long, heavy haul down to the settlement.

How many jars do you reckon you can tote?

How many in all?

13-- Two to keep for medicinals.

That makes, uh, what number?

Eleven to go.

All right. Try it now.

What say I put two in a sack for you?

Three.

You sure now?

'Cause if'n I put in three,

that's how many you'll carry.

Three.

All yours.

( grunts ) Don't feel like nothing at all.

That new knife kinda balances things out, don't it?

How do them moccasins feel?

Like they growed on my feet!

Now that there is Jenkins's store.

You got them good eyes.

You tell me, is there a pickle barrel out front?

No, only some men sitting.

All right.

That's the sign to come on in.

Pickle barrel means the law.

That's another thing to remember.

( tractor puttering )

GRANPA: Howdy.

MAN: Hey Wales, how you doing?

( men greeting ) How you guys doing?

...I just knew fortune's on its way. Hey, howdy, Wales!

( all greeting )

Who's the little feller?

This here's my grandson Little Tree.

ALL: Hey, Little Tree!

It were a Wednesday--

No no, it were a Tuesday,

for I been a-playing at a Jumping Jody dance on a Monday night.

I come through the settlement and I see old Smokehouse

Turner, you know, police.

I was standing there talking with Smokehouse,

( fiddle string plucks )

and this big shiny car comes pullin' in to the filling station.

Well, it hit me right off. I said to myself

that's one of them big-city criminals.

Old Smokehouse asked him, "Where you from?"

He says, "Chicago."

( men murmur ) Meantime,

I pull old Smokehouse aside and I say, "He says he's from Chicago.

He's got an Illinois tag on his car."

( men laugh )

Old Smokehouse come down on him like Judgment Day.

He was--

Let's give it the acid test, eh, Wales?

Here we go.

Elegant! ( laughs )

MAN: I ain't surprised...

JENKINS: Hey, Little Tree,

come over here.

Thank you.

Would you do an old man a favor

and go out to the wood pile-- Mmm.

And fill up a sack of them wood chips for me?

I'm getting mighty low. LITTLE TREE: Yes sir.

JENKINS: I appreciate it.

What's them things on your feet?

Moccasins.

Can I touch 'em?

I suppose.

They soft.

Yep.

You're an Injun then.

Well, I'm workin' at it.

You been inside that there store?

Uh-huh. They got dolls in there?

I expect so.

They have almost near everything.

Would you look and find out for me?

I suppose.

Pa says he's gonna buy me one as soon as we get our share.

He says-- Share of what?

What?

You know, the share.

The share of tobacco you pick, dummy.

I ain't never picked no tobacco before.

Well, that's 'cause Injuns is lazy and don't work none.

What's this here I'm doing, then?

I ain't saying it's your fault or nothing.

You're just different, that's all.

I mean, look at the color of you.

Here, come ahead, put yours up.

Come on.

Which one do you like better?

I don't know.

Do you like mine?

Yours is dirty.

( fiddle music playing )

( fiddle music playing )

All right, now. Me and Mr. Jenkins is all settled up.

I figured out your cut of the deal here.

50 cents.

Mine?

We're partners, ain't we?

But-- No, you done the work,

you get the pay.

That's how it is.

( Granpa grumbles )

Let's get it over with.

This morning, God is truly shining his beatific light on us.

It is said that he also serves who stand in wait.

Lord knows we've been standing here a long time.

But today our prayers are answered,

for a great man is about to arrive and bless us with his words,

all the way from Washington City.

Our own congressman,

the poor man's best friend--

Johnny Mack Stoddard.

( congregation oohs )

above all the churches in east Tennessee,

he went and chose ours!

And I think the Christian thing to do

is to get up and march out there right now

so he can see his chosen people as he drives up.

And...

Well, stand up, now!

* What can Wash away my sin? *

* Nothing but The blood of Jesus *

* What can make Me whole again? *

* Nothing but The blood of Jesus *

* Oh, precious Is thy flow *

* That makes me White as snow *

* No other fount I know *

* Nothing but The blood of Jesus *

* What can wash away My sin? *

* Nothing but The blood of Jesus *

* What can make Me whole again? *

* Nothing but The blood of Jesus. *

( all cheering )

How are you? Real good to see you. It's good to see you.

Hey, how are you?

Thank you for coming.

WOMAN: Can I shake your hand?

Nice to see you. How are you?

Hey, good to see you as well. Thank you for coming.

Hey, how are you? Bye for now.

PREACHER: Right this way, Johnny.

Up I go.

My friends,

my fellow Tennesseeans,

sons and daughters of the great pioneers

who fought their way through forests

and mountains

to found this rich land

that has been given with good heart

and trust to myself,

your humble servant.

MAN: You got that right!

( clapping )

I come here today to tell you

of a mighty battle I am fighting for you...

Like my calf, kids?

Yes sir.

No, you go ahead, pet him all you want.

Won't hurt him none.

Would you like to take him home?

Yeah. Yeah.

You got any money?

No.

Well, then,

ain't that a cryin' shame?

I got some. Well, how much is some?

50 cent.

Where did you get 50 cent?

Well, this here calf's worth 100 times that much.

Oh. Yes sir.

I wouldn't figure no way at all to buy him.

Well, I'm a Christian man, son.

Somehow or other, even costing me all this here calf's worth,

I figure in my heart you oughta have him,

the way you've taken up with him and all.

I wouldn't go and take him from you, mister.

No, don't worry about me none.

It's for the best.

Here.

Thank you, sir.

I didn't mean--

I said where did you get 50 cent?

Do you think I take advantage of him?

Nah, that's what Christian people do.

Do you reckon?

Yep.

Well then, I guess he's mine.

I gotta go show my Granpa.

You can come up and visit him.

I can?

If you want.

Send me back to Washington City, 'cause I can fight for you

against this army of Jews and Catholics

who's bent on picking everything from your pockets excepting the lint!

( cheering )

Thank you!

Thank you! Thank you all.

God bless.

Granpa, look!

A fella sold him to me for 50 cent.

But you see, he was a Christian man,

and that's what them fellers do.

So it's okay, 'cause I didn't take advantage of him or nothing.

( horn honks )

Take care! Bye bye!

Granpa!

Do you know any Jews or Catholics?

I'll tell you what, Little Tree,

if'n you was to take a knife and cut into that politician's heart,

all day you'd have a hard time finding a kernel of truth.

You'll notice the son of a bitch didn't say nothing

about getting the whiskey tax taken off,

nor the price of corn, nor nothing else of value.

I stand against politicians and all sons of bitches!

Now you listen here,

that's a new cuss word for you

with a whole lot of starch attached to it.

You don't want to use that no way at all around your--

I believe your calf's died.

No, he ain't neither.

Come on. Get up.

Get up.

Come on. Get up.

It's dead, Little Tree.

Something's dead, it's dead.

( blade slices )

There's disease on the liver.

We can't eat it.

We'll send the dogs back.

Make a meal for them anyhow.

For the calf's hide.

Ain't no way of learning you, Little Tree,

'cept by letting you do.

If'n I'd stopped you from buying the calf,

you'd have always wanted it.

If I told you to buy it, you'd have blamed me for its dying.

You just gotta learn as you go.

Yes sir.

Well now, tell us what you learned out of this.

Well, I sure as hel--

I reckon I learned not to trade with no Christian.

( grandparents laugh )

Tell me something, Little Tree.

You find your secret place yet?

Secret place?

Mm-hmm.

I don't know.

Well, you'd know.

What's it look like?

It's a place that's only for you.

Sometimes you just feel like you gotta go there.

All Cherokee got a secret place.

Is that so? Mm-hmm.

I tell you what,

instead of working the still this morning,

I think you'd be better off searching out your own place

before the snow comes.

You think?

I do that.

Come on, Blue Boy! Come here.

Yeah!

Gotcha!

This is it!

This is my place.

( men speaking )

( Blue Boy growls )

Revenuers! Damn!

How far back? Some.

All right.

Take this.

I gotta clean up here.

I'll meet you back at the cabin.

Can you manage it?

Yes sir.

Come on, Blue Boy!

Injun. Oh, it's just a kid.

Yeah, Injun kid.

Wait a goddamn minute now.

Hey, ain't you Sally's kid?

Sally, you know, Adams-- What married the Injun.

Could it be? Sombitch!

Ain't you? What you got in the sack?

What you got in the sack, boy?

( growling )

Can I take a look?

Terrible thing they do. Teach their kids to be whiskey runners.

Give it over. You ain't going no place.

( growls )

Watch her.

Just hand the sack out.

Easy as one--

( growling )

Two--

( Blue Boy barking )

Ow! Let go!

( screaming ) Get off!

He's getting away!

( Blue Boy whimpers )

Hey, Blue Boy.

( pants )

GRANMA: Little Tree?

I'm here, Granma.

Over here!

Little Tree, you all right?

You okay?

You can let go of the sack now. Let go.

Let go.

Didn't break a one.

I couldn't have done no better myself.

Fact is, you're coming on

to be one of the best whiskey-makers in these here mountains.

Come on.

JENKINS: Maybe they didn't knowed him.

Maybe they thought it was somebody else's kid.

Hows they'd know he's your'n?

There's plenty of young'uns these parts.

Sure sure!

They recognized him right off, called his ma by name.

One of 'em said how could we

put him in the whiskey trade at his age and all?

It don't look good.

Bound to get back to somebody.

And then what?

This your'n?

Nah.

Looky here what I got.

It's a present. I owe Willow John.

He gave me this.

It ain't as good, is it?

Well, I like it.

You do?

Oh, did you show 'em the calf?

The calf.

You named him yet?

'Cause I come up with the perfect name.

You wanna hear it?

Sure.

Okay-- Brown eyes.

You know, 'cause he's got them pretty brown eyes.

How is brown eyes?

Can I still come up and see him?

He's--

He's dead.

Say what?

He just, he just keeled over and died,

just like that.

I couldn't do nothing about it.

Fella cheated me is what happened.

( church bell rings )

I didn't know. I mean, he said he was--

GRANMA: Little Tree,

come on to church now.

I'm sorry.

Ain't nobody in the world oughta cheat you.

( bell continues ringing )

All right.

And what makes this day different than all others? Tell me!

Tell me! Speak it!

All: Testifying day.

Testifying day!

Today you will stand before the Lord and confess your sins.

MAN: Amen! Yes, sir!

Stand up and make yourselves clean!

Praise Jesus! MAN: Tell me more!

Praise God!

I'm a sinner!

I'm a sinner in the face of the lord.

MAN: Say it! WOMAN: Tell it, sister!

I committed-- Tell it!

WOMAN #2: Tell it!

fornication...

( gasps, murmurs )

WOMAN #3: Praise Jesus! MAN #3:Amen!

( speaks in tongues )

...with Junior Logan...

And--

And with--

MAN: Tell it, sister. PRIEST: Testify!

And with-- Tell it!

And with--

( frog croaks )

( croaks )

( laughter echoes )

Got it?

Ye--

I believe you want to be shortening up on that handle, son.

No. Just kind of let her fall.

See now,

that there maul has got enough weight on top of her

to split that pine just like a--

Hang on now.

Son of a gun, you know what?

It just hit me like a bolt of lightning.

Here I been teaching you everything I know--

The land, the business,

and I forget practically the most important one of all.

What's that?

Half of dinner!

Now you get the other half,

we'll have the whole shebang.

Oh yeah-- If you come across a frog or two,

I don't believe we'll be needing any more gifts just now.

( snake rattling )

GRANPA: Don't move, Little Tree.

Don't turn your head. Don't even blink your eyes.

( Granpa yells )

Thank you, Granpa.

Hell damn fire!

We showed that son of a bitch, didn't we?

Yes sir, we did.

He's gonna steer clear of us from now on.

He's gonna tell his relations to steer clear of us!

It's hotter than hell, isn't it,

for this time of year?

What happened?

Granpa is dying-- Rattlesnake.

Where?

I got him as far as the shelter.

But he--

( birds chirping )

Build up the fire, Little Tree. Make it as hot as you can.

( gasping )

( bird squawks )

Damnation!

That's good.

We need to keep the fire hot.

We can't move Granpa,

so we've got to keep him warm all through the night.

Thank ye, Little Tree, but that won't be necessary.

What will help is the heat off from our bodies.

( mumbling )

He ain't gonna die no more, is he?

After all you've done?

Well, now...

There's all kinds of dying, Little Tree.

I've seen people down at the settlement walking around like you or me,

but they're just as good as dead

'cause they spent their lives

on meanness and greed.

The spirit inside of 'em went and shrunk down

to no more than the size of a pea.

'Cause the only way to make your spirit big,

is to work on it.

You've got to use it to understand.

The more you try to understand, the bigger it gets,

till it gets so big and powerful,

you come to understand everything.

Remember all your past body lives?

I believe Granpa is getting near such understanding,

though he don't know it.

But...

If'n his body dies,

he'll remember us.

That's what I want you to know.

We'll all us be together

in spirit always.

That's the important thing.

That's the important thing.

( birds chirping )

( sighs )

My God, Bonnie Bee,

a fellow can't lay his body down nowheres

without you stripping buck naked and hunching at him.

( dogs barking )

Oh, my God.

Okay.

Ahem...

Mr. Wales.

( clears throat )

I'm Elisabeth DuBois.

This is Mr. Lane.

We're from the state... Politicians.

Pardon? Oh, no.

We're from the State Department of Welfare, Mr. Wales.

Politicians.

Sir, we'd very much like to talk to you.

It's really quite important.

It, uh, it has to do with...

MR. LANE: I-- I think-- I think the boy,

Little Tree, is it?

I think you should...

He sets in on everything there is to set in on.

A complaint has been filed

by Mrs. Martha McCallers.

Damn.

Aunt Martha? Shh.

She alleges

that you're not sending your grandson to school--

That is in violation of state and federal codes--

And that

you have involved him

in illegal activities.

MR. LANE: In short, it states that...

Are you sure?

That you are unfit guardians for your grandchild,

and that he should be removed to an environment

better suited to his moral and educational upbringing.

He's going to her, then?

Who? No.

He's on the Cherokee rolls.

And therefore, he is officially an Indian.

I am? Shh.

Mm-hm.

And as such, he will be sent

to the Notched Gap Indian School, to board there

until the age of 18.

MR. LANE: You have 30 days to appeal the decision

in court.

Otherwise...

We have to go.

Elisabeth?

MAN: Now alls y'all have to do is

come up here the next circuit I make, okay?

I'll have this cease-and-desist lawyered out.

You just gotta put your mark to it. You follow me, Bobby?

Yeah. All right, then.

Wales. Stiller.

You've been in jail, I recall.

Whiskey making?

Once.

Well, I could take this to court, sure,

but it wouldn't do no good.

Government bureaucrats that run these things

don't understand mountain people.

Nor Indians neither.

I don't think them sons of bitches

understand anything at all.

We'd lose.

They'll take the boy.

( fire crackling )

I'll not be coming.

You've heard of the Dog Star, Little Tree?

It's the brightest star you can see

in the dusk of evening.

Understand?

Good.

Well then,

wherever you may be

in the dusk of evening,

you look up at the Dog Star.

Me and Granpa will be looking too,

Willow John as well.

Whatever you have to tell us,

we'll hear you then.

All right?

( dogs barking )

You're this close to learning the way, Little Tree.

I am?

Don't you let go of it. No, sir.

I won't.

You're being good.

Hey.

Hey.

I'm going away. Me too.

Where?

Depends on turtle dove.

We ain't heard from him yet.

What's he gonna say?

He don't say nothin', silly.

He's a bird.

It depends on the direction he calls from.

That's where we'll move, see?

Don't you know that?

Well, no turtle dove called me out.

Where are you going?

Here.

For me?

You can put them on.

My Granma made 'em from a little calf's hide.

They ain't cost nothing.

They's perfect fit.

They's soft.

My daddy.

I thank ye.

Daddy!

See what Little Tree gave me. See?

You stand there. Daddy, no!

Please? Turn around!

No! Turn around!

( screaming )

Give me those moccasins. ( crying )

We don't take no charity from nobody,

especially from no Injuns.

Come on now. We're going here.

Come on. Come on.

He'll be along anytime now.

She get the shoes okay?

She said they's the best present

anybody ever thought to give.

Granma will be glad to hear it.

Hi.

How nice you look.

Here,

I want you to wear this,

so there'll be no confusion.

All right?

He'll be along anytime.

( violin playing )

I'll be back.

Definitely.

( car horn honking )

You have to go.

Do you speak English?

Yes, ma'am. Good.

Do you see that gate? Yes, ma'am.

When you step through that gate,

you shall not speak Indian again. Is that clear?

Yes, ma'am.

Follow me.

Actually, I can't speak no Indian hardly at all.

Except Granma did tell me

the names of her medicinals,

some in Indian. But I can only recollect

one or two at best.

You know the one that's kinda green like,

and you scrape it off the sourwood tree?

Now that one's called... Udoqueya.

I think it could be a mushroom--

I ain't totally sure a mushroom...

All right.

Come with me.

You are gonna see the headmaster.

Be quiet, don't cry,

and be respectful.

I have never been-- And do not speak,

unless he asks you a direct question.

Do you understand?

Yes, ma'am. Good.

MAN: Come.

Stop swinging your legs.

You speak English, I'm told.

W-- Was that

a direct question? What?

Well, 'cause if'n it was, I could tell you,

yes, sir, I do.

Yes.

Well...

They call you

Little Tree.

Have you had

an intelligence test?

No, sir. No.

Anyhow, Little Tree

is an Indian name.

Americans don't name children after...

Objects.

This is an American school.

Therefore you will be given

an American name.

And that will be...

Joshua.

Do you understand, Joshua?

No, sir.

You will.

( chattering )

Quiet! Quiet down.

Get into bed.

( chattering )

Put it on and get into bed.

Be up bright and early in the morning.

Prayers.

Good night, boys.

BOYS: Good night, Mrs. Higginbotham.

MRS. HIGGINBOTHAM: Not another peep.

( farting ) ( all laughing )

( chuckling )

KID #1: He did it. KID #2: Shut up.

( kids whispering )

Granma and Granpa,

I'm okay.

They've taken my clothes,

and they cut most of my hair off,

and they gave me an American name,

but I'm still Little Tree.

I ain't never gonna let that go.

MAN: Up! Everybody up.

I know you're awake, Wilburn.

Get up or I'll get the strap.

Wilburn!

KID #1: Ouch.

WILBURN: Say what?

Somebody talking to me?

( bell ringing )

( bell rings )

Begin.

They don't give you none for dinner.

( bell ringing ) ( kids cheering )

Hey, kid.

Your name ain't Joshua.

Fat man gave me it.

Fat man?

What's it really?

Little Tree.

Little Tree?

No kidding. That's what I'm gonna call you then.

Give Mrs. Big-bottom conniptions.

KID #1: Hey, get the ball.

KID #2: Get the ball! Come on, kid. Throw the ball.

Throw the ball!

Throw the ball! Come on!

Throw the ball!

Wanna play?

Come on, come play.

You can go play. Come on!

No. Suit yourself.

I don't give a damn.

Two times eight is...

Two times nine is...

Two times 10 is...

Time.

All right. Time, Wilburn.

( kids chuckle )

Psst, Little Tree.

What's two times 10?

Wilburn, stop or you get a zero.

Shh.

Now, who can tell me

what animals are in the first picture?

CLASS: Rabbits.

Very good.

And what are they doing?

( voices overlapping ) Blah blah blah.

Mm-hm. And what are the next animals?

ALL: Deers.

Very good.

And what are they doing?

They're running... Blah blah blah.

They's matin'.

You can see right off they's matin'.

'Cause it's the buck deer that's jumping the does.

( kids chuckle )

See? You can often tell by the trees.

That is the time of the year-- Oh!

( chattering )

Joshua,

do you know what you have done?

No, sir.

Then you'll have time to think about it,

won't ya?

( water dripping )

( kids chattering )

Did they say how long till I can come out?

Now I know what I had done was bad.

I come to realize it.

You can tell the headmaster

and the lady teacher too.

Tell them that Little Tree-- I mean, Joshua-- Joshua--

Tell them that Joshua stands ready to make amends, all right?

And tell them-- Tell them that I stand ready to...

Make it right.

Granpa and Granma and Willow John,

sometime ago now,

I ain't sure how long,

the headmaster had taken me up and locked me into this little room.

And he says I gotta stay in here till I know

what I've done wrong.

But I have no way in the world of figuring that out.

I didn't mean to worry you with it none,

as I should be old enough

so I can get by without your help.

I found a piece of glass in here,

total round and clear.

It turns the dog star blue when you look through it.

Granpa,

i don't think I can

handle this situation no way at all.

I wanna come home.

( door opens )

Joshua?

You can come out now.

Today is Thanksgiving.

Nice people from the town have come to put on a play for us.

Joshua?

( organ playing )

What?

No provisions in the larder?

And the cold days drawin' ever closer.

I am sorely afeared

that we shall starve

ere the spring breezes

stir the land again.

No.

White man show way of God to us.

And in thanks we give to him much food

and wampum to keep him through many moons...

I've been saving it for you.

They give you bread and water.

I heard that's all they give you up there is bread and water.

Little Tree.

I found this.

If'n you look through it

turns everything blue.

ACTOR: ...In peace and harmony.

'neath the vast American sky,

Under God,

with liberty and justice

for all.

Wave goodbye to the nice ladies and gentlemen.

Bye. Thanks for coming.

Thank you. Thank you.

They only come here so they can feel good

when they go and get drunk at the country club.

TEACHER: All right, all right. Inside, inside.

Thanksgiving dinner.

Whoopee!

Would you like this here?

I don't mind.

It's yours.

You can see...

Come on, Wilburn.

Granpa!

Well, Willow John had heard 'ya.

So I come.

Now tell me true.

You wanna come home? Yes, sir. I do.

Got you shut in here like goddamn livestock.

They gonna come and take me back?

Let 'em come home.

Them woods just wanna make sure it's you.

Just happy to know you're back is all.

Something's wrong.

What's that?

I couldn't feel the tree out, Granpa.

And you can have them clobbers.

And you can have them clobbers too.

GRANPA: * Where you go, lassie, go *

* And we'll all Go together... *

( dogs whine )

Granma!

Blue Boy, come on!

Thank you, Willow John.

ADULT LITTLE TREE'S VOICE: I remember that moment.

The four of us

standing there together again.

It was then

I knew I was home.

I also knew it couldn't last.

Maybe we all felt time getting close,

but we didn't speak of it.

Granpa's step got slower,

so I carried more of the whiskey jars.

We didn't speak of that either.

LITTLE TREE: "Tom appeared on the sidewalk

with a bucket of whitewash..."

ADULT LITTLE TREE: Granma pushed me on learning.

I read to 'em at night now.

With Granma helping some. "And a deep m--

Melancholy. Melancholy.

...Settled down upon his spirit.

Thirty yards of board fence,

nine feet high.

To him it seemed taller."

ADULT LITTLE TREE: The politicians come looking

to take me back to Notched Gap,

but each time Granpa led us up the high trail

where nobody could find us.

She's coming alive.

It was on the high trail that Granpa slipped

and fell.

He kept telling us,

"I'll be all right directly."

but something terrible happened in that fall

and he wasn't goin' to be.

( gasping )

GRANPA: Give me my hat,

would you, Little Tree?

It's been good.

Next time...

It'll be better.

Be seeing ya.

( loud hammering )

( screams )

( mumbling )

( screams )

ADULT LITTLE TREE: I knew where Granma was taking Granpa.

It was to his secret place

at the top of the high trail,

where he'd watch the day birth

and never got tired of it

and never quit saying,

"She's coming alive,"

like each time was the first time he'd ever seen it.

Maybe it was.

Maybe every birthin' is different

and only Granpa could see it.

Not long after that day,

Granma had taken me aside and told me again

about how her and Granpa was moving closer

to the understanding,

so that I shouldn't be sad,

'cause when their bodies died

they'd still be together,

always,

their spirits knowing.

And that was the last thing Granma ever said to me.

( chanting softly )

( water trickling )

She died in the night.

I found a note which read,

"Little Tree, it's been good.

"Next time

"it'll be better.

"Remember,

"if you need us anytime,

"just look to the Dog Star

and we'll be there."

I went up the high trail that same night.

And I asked Granma and Granpa,

"Reckon I could get close to the understanding as well?

So I could catch up to you?"

It was lonesome, I told them,

always being left behind.

What I didn't know was that Willow John

was looking to the Dog Star too,

and talking with Granma and Granpa.

He told me they were sorry they had to go

before my education was done,

but if'n I went off with Willow John,

he could teach me all there was to know

about being a Indian.

( whining )

Yeah, come!

I have not made it back to the cabin since,

but I will.

I've been ranging 'cross this country,

me and Blue Boy,

digging oil with the Cherokee,

riding fence with the Navajo,

getting caught up in white man's wars.

But no matter where I am,

in the dusk of evening

I look to the Dog Star

and I say to Granma and Granpa

and to Willow John,

"Wait for me.

"I'm still learning the way.

"But some day I will catch up to you,

"and we'll all of us be together again,

"always,

our spirits knowing."