The movie takes place in the United States of America during its Civil War and begins when Lieutenant John Dunbar, played by Kevin Costnar, of the Union Army, runs away from a field hospital after his foot is about to be amputated because of a bullet wound. Rather than going through the pain of having his foot removed and having to live with only one foot for the rest of his life if he survives the operation, Dunbar decides to kill himself. He gets on his horse and makes a suicidal charge toward the Confederate lines. He rides right in front of the Confederate firing lines and miraculously survives. He is congratulated and decorated by the Union army. They give him the choice of any posting as a reward. Dunbar chooses the Frontier, and when another soldier of the Union army asks him why, he says," I want to see it before its gone."

In an isolated and remote part of Dakota, Dunbar sets up his outpost. He is the only white man around for miles. To keep himself

occupied, he keeps a journal and writes his daily routine. After his first encounter with the Indians, he documents the way they slowly get to know each other. Dunbar builds up his courage and tries to communicate with the Native Americans. He tries to convey buffalo by saying it in English. At first, some of the Indian warriors look at him like he's crazy, but Kicking Bird, who is the holy man of the tribe, understand what Dunbar is trying to say. After numerous tries, the finally say the word for buffalo in each others languages. As the movie progresses, Dunbar and the Indians get to know each other better. The Native Americans give Dunbar the name Dances With Wolves.

For the accompanying book with Dances With Wolves, I chose Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee: An Indian History Of The American West, by Dee Brown. The book did not say anything about Brown or his history. However; Dee Brown is the author of more than twenty-five books on American history.

In comparing the book and the movie, I found many things familiar.

In my opinion, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee is an excellent book. I think by writing this book, Dee Brown has changed many perceptions about Native Americans. The book doesn't make the Indians look like a ruthless bunch of savages. Instead, it shows how they really were.

Most history books on Native Americans are written from the Americans point of view and most of the time they made the Indians look like

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 977
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)