Wild Indian tells the story of Makwa (Michael Greyeyes), a tortured young man growing up on a Native American reservation in Wisconsin. He carries with him generational trauma and a yearning to flee from all that he knows to start a new life. One day while avoiding his abusive parents, Makwa is playing in the woods with his cousin Ted-O (Chaske Spencer) when he shoots and kills another boy from his tribe. Ted-O is conscripted into Makwa’s ill-conceived murder and is manipulated into helping him cover up the crime.
Makwa learns from a young age to dissociate from his life as a means of survival, and we see his sociopathic tendencies emerge on screen. While Ted-O is visibly shaken, Makwa appears to feel no remorse after committing murder. The two men, though tied together by blood and by experience, begin to walk down wildly different paths. Makwa leaves his world and his heritage behind. He changes his name to Michael and chases the colonized American dream. He marries a white woman, has a son, and works for corporate America. He tries to assimilate and fade into the fabric of upper-middle-class American life, but no matter how far he has come he is still seen as the token diversity hire. While he has worked so hard to overcome his past and rise from the ashes of poverty and abuse, he is still plagued by trauma that consumes him no matter how many times he prays the rosary.
Ted-O chose to remain a part of his community. But unfortunately, that led him to a life of selling drugs, addiction, and incarceration. He is seen by the world as a dangerous criminal with a face tattoo and brown skin. Yet Ted-O gives and receives freely that which Makwa so desperately yearns for, love and acceptance. It is clear that Ted-O has turned his guilt inward and willingly accepts all forms of penance for the crime that he helped Makwa conceal.
This movie is tragic, and beautiful, and frustrating, and gives the world a glimpse into life as a Native American. Indigenous cultures are often erased from the modern narrative, or displayed through a one-dimensional colonial lens. Wild Indian is wonderfully complex. You will despise, fear, hurt for, question, and root for Makwa all within a span of 90 minutes. This movie doesn’t wrap up neatly with a bow and a pre-packaged message to make everything feel better. It allows you to swim in discomfort and confusion and wonder how we managed to break our world so fantastically.
This directorial debut by Mitchell Corbine Jr., who also wrote the film, should excite you for what’s to come from him and from Native storytelling at large. He managed to create a story that on the surface is simple and methodical, but when you peel back the layers you find metaphorical imagery that will leave you spinning for days. The performances by the entire cast, but especially by Michael Greyeyes and Chaske Spencer, are incredible. They managed to bring so much emotion and authenticity to the characters that never for a second felt forced. I was truly blown away by this cast. This is a special film that will haunt me for the rest of my life. Wild Indian is coming to theaters Friday, Sept. 3.
Written by Zianna Weston
