Navajo (1952)

Though this is too long, it’s still quite an interesting look at the clashes of culture that saw a young Navajo hunter struggling to integrate, or see the value of any integration, with the society of the white settlers. It’s come to the time in his life when he has to go to school, but he doesn’t like it much and so like the rest of us at that age, fancies he might just give it a miss. Unlike most of us, though, this youngster has some skills when it comes to survival and so sets off to explore with little thought of any consequences. It’s not long before a couple of men are sent out to track him down and bring him back safely and so with those two on his trail, we follow his escapades through an unforgiving Arizona territory that has been their homeland for generations. It’s that latter element that is illustrated by the ancient paintings on the wind-worn rocks and the burial grounds built high amongst the rocks and caves. In the end, though, can he stay one step ahead of his pursuers or, then again, can they stay the pace with this nimble and adaptable lad? It’s a simple story that makes it point early on and thereafter really only offers us a guided tour of some fairly inhospitable terrain but it does shine a light on the reconciliation of modern attitudes and ancient traditions and sounds a bit of a death knell to the old ways of doing things off the modern-day “reservation”.