MovieChat Forums > Jeremiah Johnson (1972) Discussion > Blackfoot/Flathead Indians in Wyoming/Co...

Blackfoot/Flathead Indians in Wyoming/Colorado?

posted 17 years ago by GettnMovieBuff
5 replies | jump to latest

I was born and raised in Kalispell, MT where I know the flathead and blackfoot indians resided and still reside to this day.

My question is why then are they portrayed to live in Wyoming? My further issues are the sandy desserts and what looks like being backgrounded in Arizona (The red rockie cliff mountains when Jeremiah enters the Flathead tribe). Some of this landscape may exist in Eastern Montana but certainly not Northwestern where the flathead and blackfoot resided. Is this just a cinema flaw or am I mistaken?

[–] joanne-150 17 years ago

Not Wyoming. Utah with its desert. Implied Montana, with references to the Muscleshell and Judith Rivers, but if you read any accounts of settlers crossing the mountains, there is talk of deserts in Northwest Utah.

[–] blight45 17 years ago

We need to keep in mind that these tribes were nomadic and often wandered far outside the ranges assigned to then by 'white' anthropologists. The western slopes of the rockies quickly give way to arid regions, some with 'desert' like qualities.
Cinema Flaw or not, this is one great movie and I've lost count of the number of times I've enjoyed it.

[–] GettnMovieBuff 17 years ago

Blight45,

I thought about that and I agree that they would be nomadic, however, for both tribes to be living so closely together now and be so coincidentally close back then (120 years ago) three states south seems a little impossible. Let us also remember that way back then, nomadic probably meant +/- 50 to 100 square miles, since we didn't have cars, or anything else, that seems like an incredibly far place for a large group to wander with only horses. Anyway, not saying I'm right, just that I had given that some thought.

[–] jrogersdal 16 years ago

The Cheyenne had horses, yet they roamed from an area stretching from Canada to Oklahoma, and from Nebraska to the Rockies. The Sioux at one point stretched from Wyoming/Montana as far east to Minnesota (until they were pushed out of there by the whites). The Commanches were all over Texas. The Apache from west Texas across New Mexico to Arizone and down into Mexico.

[–] arl3876 17 years ago

Redford refers to the Musselshell at some point concerning a bird overhead. In any case the Bitterroot Salish band of Flatheads hunted around the Yellowstone area. It was not uncommon for them to travel as far as Fort Hall in present day southern Idaho back in the day for trading purposes. The technical advisor Johnny Arlee was from the Bitteroot Salish band of Indians. He is the one who taught the Salish dialogue for the movie to the actors. He also has a speaking part, the Flathead who asks Del Gue and Jeremiah in the salish language (the dialect spoken on the Flathead Indian reservation in montana) whether he was the one who avenged the Crazy woman by killing the Blackfeet Indians. Where Jereamiah asks Del Gue "Why is he yellin?,