It's interesting to read the comments about the show for me, since I was in charge of props for it. I disagree with the Native storyteller I'm afraid. Lately (within the last few years) some Native people and apologists claim that scalping was introduced by the whites. True, bounties were paid for scalps during the French & Indian War, and to a smaller extent, during the Revolution, but I'm afraid that scalping was already well known among Native peoples well before the whites were here. It was proof of a warrior's bravery, he gained some of the power of his enemy and the act was looked on with reverence. I don't see why this is looked on as such a horrifying thing anyway. Of course, by our standards, it's barbaric, but it wasn't so to many cultures in their own times. The Celts even collected enemy heads, for much the same motivation as our Native people took scalps. Frontiersmen also took Indian scalps for exactly the same reason. Any cursory glance at any book on Native Americans will show you decorated and honored scalps. Please be aware that the series contains 2 scalp dances, and one dance with some of the hands of Custer's men. This was taken from several pictographs and descriptions by participants. These things would not have been put in without extensive research.
Review of Into the West
