Original subtitles

It is done, you may walk free.

That's him.

The one in the vest.

He's the one I saw kill another Indian in cold blood.

Crow Dog?

Well, he's one of the Indian Police.

I don't care what he is.

He murdered and he's gonna pay.

Oh, take it easy, will you, Barkey?

Crow Dog,

did you kill Chief Spotted Tail?

Yes.

But I have just paid what is owed

to Spotted Tail's family.

Yeah. I'm going to have to take you in.

Take him in?

Let's take him to the nearest tree and hang him.

No.

It's White Man's law, Crow Dog.

You'll get a fair trial.

You come on. Don't make any trouble, you hear?

No cause trouble.

I will go.

I will tell White Council what happened.

White men are no good for Indian, my friend.

Trick.

Howdy, folks. I'm the Old Ranger.

When the Indians of the plains were defeated,

peace treaties with the United States Government were signed.

The Indians tried hard

to live up to the white man's laws.

They didn't understand these laws

but they upheld them...

Do you want to hear

just about the funniest story

you're ever going to hear in your life?

You know what he's doing?

He's bringing an Indian in for trial,

a live Indian,

just like he's any other white man...

a trial, mind you.

Barkey,

why don't you shut up?

I've had all I want out of you.

Now, the law is the law,

whether you like it or not.

He seems to be forgetting all the folks we lost

with Custer!

You, Buck, and Ryan, you had kin at the Bighorn, didn't you?

Well, do you cotton to bringing Indians in

and giving them trials?

I'd say no. I say hang 'em.

Hang every bastard one of them.

Well, it's time around here, Mr. Plowman.

I've been sitting in that office

looking at those bare walls

for almost a month.

Well, new lawyers are funny critters.

Folks gotta get used to seeing his face around.

Come in.

Oh, I'm sorry to bust in on you like this, Judge.

All right. What is it, Marshal?

I had to arrest an Indian, for murder.

An Indian?

Uh-hmm. Crow Dog.

He killed Chief Spotted Tail.

Hmm, Spotted Tail

was an important man.

They held him in high regard in Washington.

He was one of the signers of the treaties with the Sioux.

But this is an Indian matter,

how'd you get brought into it?

Lucius Barkey witnessed the killing,

demanded an arrest.

Barkey.

An Indian's never been tried before

in a white man's court

for killing another Indian.

This Crow Dog, is he guilty?

He admits it.

Well, Mr. Plowman,

you've been looking for a client,

this Indian, Crow Dog

will need legal counsel,

what about you?

An Indian?

Me?

Well, someone has to defend him.

Well, he's already admitted he's guilty.

Then you refuse, Mr. Plowman?

Well, sir, I...

No, sir.

Take him to the Indian, Marshal.

Yes, sir.

And good luck, Mr. Plowman.

There was never all this

And now we've got it. Trouble.

Yeah, too many people in these parts

remember what the Sioux has done to Custer's army,

and other things.

Crow Dog, this man is your lawyer,

he'll speak for you in a white man's court.

Um,

my name...

A.J. Plowman.

Me, friend.

I speak English.

Oh.

Oh, well then, tell me what happened.

And it began many, many moons ago.

I had lived

25 summers

before she came to our village.

Flower in the Sun, she was called.

I hunt,

catch a horse,

many buffalo skin,

then I ask her father for her,

for my own.

Flower in the Sun became my squaw,

my wife.

Go on.

Then one day,

Chief Spotted Tail came to our village.

He saw Flower in the Sun,

and he grabbed her.

He had many squaws

but he wanted her, too.

He told her he would steal her from me

while I was hunting,

he would have taken her while I was gone.

I warned him,

but he only laughed at me.

He was a chief,

and I was a brave,

when his hand

went to Flower in the Sun,

my hand went to my knife.

I paid a debt

to the family of Spotted Tail.

It is over now.

No, Crow Dog,

I'm afraid it isn't.

I did what a man must do

to save the honor of his squaw.

Will White Man's council

hang me for this?

I'll do everything I can.

Coffee?

He's no savage.

He's a man very much

in love with his wife.

Now, how am I going to convince a jury

that an Indian can even love?

It won't be easy.

He's already paid

what's required of his law.

Maybe tried twice

for the same crime?

Mr. Plowman?

You're the attorney that's defendin' the Indian, ain't ya?

I'm Lucius Barkey.

Mr. Barkey.

Gonna see that they hang him legal-like and all, huh?

You didn't answer me, Mr. Plowman.

You are gonna see if the hanging is...

I am going to defend him, Mr. Barkey.

Defend a murdering Indian?

He's got his rights.

He's got a right to die,

that's what he's got.

Oh, I get it.

You lawmen...

you, the Judge, the Marshal...

making a big show just to impress Washington, huh?

Mr. Barkey...

Mr. Plowman!

That Indian's gonna hang.

One way or the other, he's gonna hang.

- All right, folks. - All right now, settle down.

Judge Bennett's coming in.

Sam Haskins, put that bottle away.

This here's a court,

not a saloon hall.

Now sit down and be quiet!

This court, United States Federal District,

Dakota Territory, is now in session.

And I'll not tolerate any interruptions.

Are you ready, Mr. Plowman?

Yes, Your Honor,

Defense is ready.

This is the case

of the United States Government

against the Indian called Crow Dog,

accused of murder.

How do you plead, Mr. Plowman?

Your Honor,

I asked that the charge

against my client be dismissed

on the grounds that this court

has no jurisdictional power

to prosecute him.

What do he mean by that?

Quiet.

Quiet.

Well, this is highly irregular, Mr. Plowman.

Upon what you base your argument?

My client has already been tried

and sentenced, Your Honor,

by his own people

the Sioux,

who, I contend,

have been placed in the status

of an independent nation

when the United States Government

recognized them as such

and signed a treaty with them.

He paid his debt

to his people for his crime.

What did he pay it with?

A couple of blankets

and a few head of sheep?

Mr. Barkey,

sit down and keep quiet, sir.

One more word from you

and I'll find you in contempt.

Now, please continue, Mr. Plowman.

I further argue that my client,

a citizen of the Sioux Nation,

cannot and should notbe tried

under the laws of a foreign nation.

Hmm.

And, uh, you contend, Mr. Plowman,

that the United States

is a foreign government?

Yes, sir, I do.

You raise an interesting point of law, sir.

But according to my knowledge,

there's no precedent for your claim,

therefore I order this case to continue.

Crow Dog pay debt

like honorable man.

He walk free.

You may go now, Chief.

You've heard the witnesses for

and against the Indian, Crow Dog.

You must now decide his guilt

or his innocence.

Consider this seriously,

a man's life is in your hands.

Now set yourselves down, the Judge is coming in.

The Jury seems to have

arrived at a verdict.

Mr. Bailiff, will you get it please?

Will the prisoner rise?

The jury has found the prisoner,

Crow Dog,

guilty of first degree murder.

We got to string him up right now.

Mr. Barkey. I warned you,

you are in contempt,

and I fine you $10,

or 10 days.

I now must pronounce the only sentence allowed by law.

Crow Dog,

you are to be held in jail,

until taken,

and hanged until death.

White man law wrong to hang Crow Dog!

Mr. Plowman, your plea interests me.

You presented a brilliant argument.

I'm going to postpone the execution

long enough for you to appeal.

I think this a decision

for the Supreme Court.

Court adjourned.

You can't do this!

You...

Any news from Washington, yet?

No.

Yeah, that's fated.

There ain't gonna be no decision.

At least not one is gonna be any help.

I wanna see Crow Dog.

Do you know how much this costs, to run a jail?

Crow Dog, don't lose courage.

There's still hope.

Maybe.

Mr. Plowman, I am not afraid,

but my heart is heavy.

So many things that are not done.

I don't understand.

It is an old Indian custom

for his soul to put his life in order

before he die.

I owe much to friends.

Skins to Brown Bear,

working land to Hawk Nose.

I must put my life in order.

I want to go home

then I'll return to die.

But you're a prisoner.

Please, talk to them for me.

I must go back

to do these things before I die.

I'll talk to Judge Bennett.

No harm in asking.

You know, Plowman,

you talked me into this.

I hope Crow Dog is as honorable

as you seemed to think.

I'd be willing to stake my life on it, sir.

Crow Dog, we're putting

a lot of faith in you.

I will return as I promised.

I will gladly take the oath in blood as I offered.

No, that's not necessary.

You go, good luck.

My Indian.

Who turned him loose?

What's going on here?

I permitted him to visit

the reservation, Mr. Barkey.

He promised to return.

He gave me his word.

His word.

That Indian's gonna be halfway

to Canada before you fools

figure out they can't be trusted.

Barkey, your mouth is too big.

You talk an awful lot but nothing comes out.

Now, just one more word,

and I'm gonna fix that big mouth.

Well, you mark my word, it'll be a long time

before Deadwood sees that murderin' Indian again.

You just mark my word!

Crow Dog gave his word,

and I believe him.

He'll be back.

I hope so, Mr. Plowman.

I sure hope so.

News?

No.

What do you want, Barkey?

When you gonna bring that Indian in, Marshal?

We feel he's been on the loose long enough.

It's none of your concern, Barkey.

You're not still hoping, are you?

Waiting for word from Washington?

Well now, any fool knows

that the Supreme Court

is not gonna waste its time

over one Indian.

Don't you go on the prod, Barkey.

I said it was none of your concern.

Well, it's the law's concern.

And the law says

that that Indian's supposed to be in court tomorrow

to settle a hanging.

Now, where's the Indian?

Are you gonna fetch him or do...

Or what?

Well, I'm gonna see

that that Indian gets what's coming to him,

and I'm not the only one.

There's others...

there's others that don't believe

in mollycoddlin' Indians.

Well, I told him!

I told him when he did it.

I said he wouldn't be back

but he wouldn't listen.

None of them would listen.

Maybe they'll listen to me now.

Marshal?

Like I told you.

That Indian didn't keep his word,

so we figured it's about time

you rode out with us to bring him in.

Barkey, I warned you.

Now, give me that gun.

Give me that gun.

Barkey.

Marshal.

Crow Dog.

I found this on Reservation.

It was there by mistake.

Flower in the Sun came with me

to take my body back

to burial ground.

I am ready to die now.

Mr. Plowman.

This court is pleased

to note the presence of the prisoner,

and to compliment him

as being a man of integrity.

As a matter of grave importance

before the court,

and I want to inform everybody,

and that includes Mr. Barkey,

that I do not want to be interrupted

while reading this letter

I've received from Washington.

"Office of the Chief Justice,

"United States Supreme Court,

Washington DC."

And quiet!

Quiet!

Now, sit down and be quiet!

I'll repeat what I said

for those who didn't hear.

The Supreme Court,

highest tribunal in the land,

rules that the United States Government

recognizes the Sioux Indians as a nation.

My ruling is set aside.

The charge against your client is dismissed.

Congratulations, Mr. Plowman.

Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

Your Honor!

You're free, Crow Dog.

You're free. You can go home!

Free, I'm free?

Good.

Git! MAN: You didn't have to do that, Barkey.

Barkey.

I ought to lock you up.

Why don't you have tea

with your Indian friends first?

What's eating at your insides, Barkey?

You didn't lose anybody with Custer, or anybody else.

You're just full of hate

just for the love of hating.

There's a name for your kind,

and it sours in my mouth.

They're not fit to clean my stables.

You insult my wife.

You must say you are sorry.

Crow Dog,

there's an old white man's custom

that says a man's got a right

to hit a man who's insulted his wife.

Isn't that right, Marshal?

If a man insults my wife,

he'll get knocked down pretty fast.

Well?

Leave it. You brought it on yourself, Barkey.

The white man's custom is good.

We go now.

What's this?

Keep it.

It will bring you good luck

like it brought you to me.

It means you have good, full life.

When spring return,

we will come back to see you.

Both of us.

Maybe even three of us.

So in 1882,

in Deadwood, Dakota Territory,

Crow Dog, an Indian

who was sentenced to death, was pardoned,

because the United States Government

had to recognize the Sioux Indians

as an independent nation.

As a result, to this day,

for minor crimes,

the Sioux Indians are still entitled

to hold council to punish offenders.