Sitting Bull, a four-part docuseries about the legendary Lakota chief, is headed to The History Channel. The series has begun production with Appian Way Productions, Stephen David Entertainment, and IllumiNative serving as the main production companies.
Hunkpapa Lakota leader, Sitting Bull, led the Lakota tribe in the resistance fight against years of United States government policies forced upon his people. In December 1890, at the age of 59, he was murdered during an attempted arrest by the Indian agency police on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. The police force attempted the arrest out of growing fears that he would join the oppositional Ghost Dance movement.
Those in charge of the production are ensuring that the series will have Lakota community insight and involvement, as Larry Pourier, an Oglala Lakota consultant with two decades of experience advising Native American media, is announced as a guide for the project. Also, a Native woman-led non-profit organization dedicated to Native American representation in media will also provide consultants and advisors that plan to collaborate with Pourier to provide accurate content in all aspects of the docuseries’ production.
Sitting Bull will involve expert interviews, premium reenactments, and valuable archival material to provide a detailed look into important moments and figures in Native American history. Some content the series will cover includes Battle of Little Big Horn, Washita Massacre, Crazy Horse, Battle of Cedar Creek, and the Wounded Knee Massacre.
Major leaders of Sitting Bull’s production include Stephen David as executive producer for Stephen David Entertainment; Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson, and Phillip Watson as executive producers for Appian Way Productions; Crystal Echo Hawk as executive producer for IllumiNative; and Pourier also serving as executive producer. History Channel’s executive producers will be Mary E. Donahue and Zachary Behr.
Executive Vice President and Head of Programming for The History Channel, Eli Lehrer, issued a statement in a press release regarding Sitting Bull’s production, stating the following:
We are privileged to partner again with Leo and Stephen and collaborate with Larry and IllumiNative to bring to life a crucial chapter of American history through new voices and perspectives both in front of and behind the camera.
The docuseries promises to provide a new perspective on the legendary historical figure beyond the United States legend taught in grade school history books. The creators of the series claim that this docuseries will portray Sitting Bull as more than just a fierce warrior by exploring the other sides to the leader, including as both a loving father and a holy man of his people. The behind-the-scenes involvement of modern-day Oglala Lakota members gives more hope for the delivery of this promise in the final result.
via Collider