Incident at Oglala

   Incident at Oglala is a documentary recounting a shootout on a Lakota Indian reservation between FBI agents and Native American residents. The film begins by establishing that on June 26, 1975, two FBI agents were following suspects in connection with the stealing of a pair of cowboy boots. They perused the suspects onto a property were a shootout erupted, leaving the two agents dead. The film then leaves the specifics of the story and goes on to establish the aura of the situation and the tension that existed not only between whites and Indians, but between Indians and other Indians. It recounts recent violent conflicts between the government and Indians at Wounded Knee, and between differing ideologies concerning modernism and tradition that were tearing apart the Indian community.

By revealing the different individuals motivations and a history surrounding the event the film reveals to us that the case is not cut and dried as it may have seen at first and simulates the exhaustive process of investigation and questioning that is required to gain an understanding of both the event and the situation as a whole. The film relies on interviews from people representing both sides of the issue as well as reenactments that change depending on who is recounting the story, and that never get too specific. While it can be difficult reenacting a disputed event without being biased, the film does a good job of presenting both the interviews and reenactments in a way that allows the viewer to come to their own conclusion(or lack of conclusion) of the story, instead of being force feed a point of view.

The filmmaker is faced with a lot of challenges in making this film, not the least being the unfortunate history of conflict between the US government and the Native American population. Another challenge is that they are telling an unresolved story concerning a volatile situation and individuals who still wielded power at the time the film was made. This required a lot of examination and judgment in picking and choosing what to include in the film. It is also a challenge to create a sense of balance, as it is not a one-sided issue.

While they never come to a specific conclusion, the filmmakers present evidence of corruptions in our judicial and law enforcement systems, as well as biases that exist in our societal structure. It also points out that there was a violent and fearful situation on the reservation, and brings attention to the idea that any resident being followed by a mysterious car on the reservation might have reason to fear for their life and act in self defense. But the film was not made to convince its audience of a specific conclusion, but merely presents the situation and allows the viewer to thinks for themselves, which has probably increased the impact that the film will and has had.
   Joe Steigerwald