Homeland (2000) User Reviews

A thinking piece that all Americans should be required to watch

[rkurtz57 · 8/10 · 3 December 2006]

Despite the obvious anti-Capitalist attitude of the filmmakers, Homeland is a documentary that shows enormous insight into the treatment of Native Americans on their own reservations. Anecdotally, most Americans still believe that reservations are places where Indians are either allowed to live their ancestral life freely, or where they sell cigarettes without taxes and gamble in casinos. Neither of these scenarios represents the true picture, however.

People living on Indian reservations are among the poorest in the United States, and despite laws of Tribal Sovereignty, they have very little control over their "ancestral lands," especially when they must come up against large corporations who veiw the Natives as easily exploitable people sitting upon huge reserves of energy.

This is a documentary about four different Native American tribes and the hardships they must face as they try to protect their land, culture and people. It is an emotional tale that really puts perspective on the Native American experience, from a historical and modern point of view. I believe it is important for every American to understand the people who lived on this land first, and what the presence of the United States has ultimately made of an entire race of people.

Great doc on the plight of the American Indian.

[j3llz6x · 9/10 · 1 July 2011]

I saw this video documentary only once on PBS, but I recall it as being a very effective 58 minute video on the plight of the American Indian. As you watch it, you feel empathy for the individuals who attempt to raise themselves up out of the despair and satisfaction for the few who actually achieve this. The most interesting part is when one Indian, who has cleaned up his life, watches as the house of his brother is busted by the cops for having an out of control alcohol party. The conclusion of the documentary almost seems to be that leaving the "rez" (reservation) is only solution to leaving the problems behind.

I wish it was available to see and I wish the filmmakers or someone would upload it to you tube so that it was available to watch. Though it is several years old by now, I'm sure it is still sadly relevant.