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Long Lance

1986 55 min
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Was he a black man, a white man, or an Indigenous leader? This documentary looks at legendary and fascinating impostor Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance. In the early 1900s, he garnered international acclaim as a soldier, journalist, writer, photographer, bon vivant and movie star. But despite his very public life, his origins remain a mystery. Based on a book by Donald Smith, this film outlines Long Lance's almost unbelievable life story.

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Long Lance

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Was he a black man, a white man, or an Indigenous leader? This documentary looks at legendary and fascinating impostor Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance. In the early 1900s, he garnered international acclaim as a soldier, journalist, writer, photographer, bon vivant and movie star. But despite his very public life, his origins remain a mystery. Based on a book by Donald Smith, this film outlines Long Lance's almost unbelievable life story.

Cultural Diversity and Multiculturalism Indigenous Peoples in Canada (First Nations and Métis) All subjects
  • director
    Bernie Dichek
  • producer
    Jerry Krepakevich
  • executive producer
    Tom Radford
  • script
    Donald Brittain
    Bernie Dichek
  • photography
    James Jeffrey
  • sound
    Jerry Krepakevich
    Don Paches
    George Tarrant
  • editing
    Peter Svab
  • sound editing
    Gerald K. Wilson
  • narrator
    Donald Brittain
  • music
    Roger Deegan
  • cast
    Clarence Comrie
    Daryl Duke
    Eric E. Martin
    Albert Kerovack
    Orest Kinasewich
    Edmund Many Bears
    Raymond Many Bears
    Samuel Mottrich
    Marlane O'Brien
    Wendell Smith
    Dan Weasel Moccasin

Education

Ages 12 to 17
School subjects
Diversity - Identity Indigenous Studies - History/Politics Indigenous Studies - Identity/Society Social Studies - Social History
Compare and contrast the lives of Long Lance and Grey Owl (see the films Beaver People and Grey Owl, 1999, a major motion picture). Discuss whether Long Lance was justified in concealing the truth about his origins. Were there instances when he should have been more forthcoming about his past?
Long Lance
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Home licence (worldwide); Classroom licence (Canada only)

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The institutional price includes the rights to screen this film in institutional settings and in free public screenings.

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