An Archaeological Dig

Largely forgotten in the Googlecentric world is About.com. Before the development of search algorithms, the most common way to search the Internet was to go to a directory that was set up like a card catalog in a library. About.com went one better and essentially set up a directory with a reference librarian standing by at the head of each category. About guides continue to maintain the directory and serve as reliable scouts for interesting stories within their topic. In a sense the guides were among the first bloggers. Kris Hirst, the archaeology guide at About, posted an interesting and well organized story about a dig at Pine Springs Camp in Texas. The heart of the story is a photo essay that documents the use of Pine Springs by both the Apaches and the Buffalo soldiers sent to defeat them. Buffalo soldier is the name given to the African American troops that served in the west by their Native American foes. If you follow the photo essay, you'll learn how the Apache Wars were really fought. The troopers were at Pine Springs to deny the waterhole to the natives in an attempt to "pacify the hostiles." The differences in the way the two cultures camped at the site says a lot as well.

Three movies come to mind on this topic. Two are by John Ford. The first, of course, is The Searchers (19560 with John Wayne. The story of a bigoted Civil War veteran hunting the group of Apache's who stole his niece, this is western that transcends the genre and is generally recognized as one of the top 100 American films. The other John Ford film is Sergeant Rutledge starring Woody Strode. This is a western inside a court room drama as a buffalo soldier is accused of rape and murder. This one transcends genre as well, dealing with issues of class and race, and it is one of the first Hollywood films to have a strong positive black role. Sadly, because in 1960 America was still a Jim Crow country, the movie was shot on a small budget with B list actors beyond the excellent Mr. Strode. The last movie to consider here is Jimmy Stewart's Broken Arrow from 1950. This film offers a sensitive portrayal of the Apaches (unfortunately, all played by white actors) and is a dramatized version of actual events. Three films definitely worth a look.