Educational Media Reviews Online

Produced and directed by Amy Tall Chief, this documentary chronicles the long and distinguished life of the first President of the Osage National Council, George Eves Tall Chief.

Family man, politician, athletic coach, and education advocate for native peoples, Chief George Tall Chief secured a multi-million dollar grant to build schools on the Assiniboine Indian Reservation in Montana. Through great work and perseverance, Tall Chief was also able to establish the Tall Grass Prairie Reserve, saving thousands of acres in Oklahoma from development.

Tall Chief’s story is told lovingly by his granddaughter through family photographs and interviews, and we hear from the 92 year-old Tall Chief himself. Those unfamiliar with some of the tactics used to wrest land from Native Americans may be shocked to learn that Tall Chief’s father, Eves, was poisoned before he could testify at a trial in Oklahoma City during the “Reign of Terror,” the name given to a large scale murder plot to steal land rights. Despite early hardships and his separation from his mother as a child, the focus remains on Tall Chief’s academic, professional, and leadership successes. His story is ultimately inspirational and uplifting.

Though the camera work is far from expert and the pacing is occasionally slow, the audio quality is good. Scenes featuring traditional Osage dress, music, and dance are of particular interest. Life of Chief George Tall Chief would be effective in college settings, especially for those instructors seeking an example of a modern Native American voice paired with a brief historical overview of a tribe. Recommended.