Student's movie idea comes to big screen
By loan Herman
CM the Emerald
Brenda Mann sat conspicuously in the
front row of the movie theater, watching
the credits role by on the screen.
Actors, director, producer, writers, stage
hands. All their names appeared. But not
the one she was looking for.
Finally, at the very end, when all the
credits had been given and the movie
theater emptied, she saw what she'd been
only half expecting.
"Special thanks to the Billy Mills Indian
Youth Program
“It was so exciting," Mann says of the
special credit. "I went blind when I saw
that."
Considering Mann's involvement in the
recently released film "Running Brave," her
excitement is not surprising. The University
junior was one of 18 members of the pro
gram who conceived the idea of making a
film that told the story of Bill Mills, a Sioux
Indian and winner of the 10,000 meter race
in the 1964 Olympics. Mills is the only
American ever to have won an Olympic
gold medal at that distance.
The film, now playing at the Valley River
Center, stars Robby Benson in the title role.
"It was wonderful the first time we saw it.
Then we thought 'Let's watch it again,' and
we did.” Mann says she enjoyed the movie
so much, "It seemed like it was only 15
minutes long.”
Mann and 17 other members of the pro
gram acted as advisers to producer Ira
Englander in helping get the movie off the
ground. She and her friends came up with
the film's catchy title, which plays off Mills'
Indian heritage and his struggle against pre
judice in a strange culture.
The group also offered suggestions about
how the film should be cast and viewed
some actors' auditions.
The film follows Mills' rise from an im
poverished South Dakota reservation to
become the undisputed star of the 1964
Tokyo Olympics. His winning time was
28:24:04.
As a member of the Tringet tribe in
Southeastern Alaska, Mann says she can
identify specifically with Mills because of
her Indian heritage. But the film, Mann
says, is not just about Mills, Indians or run
ners. It is about human struggle and
triumph.
"It's not only for Indians but for anyone
who's had to struggle against a dominant
pressure in society,” she says.
Ironically, being an American native in a
country of immigrants, the struggle for ac
ceptance and respect is an "enduring"
lifelong struggle, Mann says.
"It's not uncommon to grow up hearing
slanderous things (against Indians)," she
says. "It's a paradox. If you're not suc
cessful, then they get mad at you. But they
don't like you being up, being successful,
either."
Mann has become fairly close friends
with Mills through their involvement in the
program that is named after him. The pro
gram tries to be an inspirational organiza
tion to Indian youths around the United
States, and Mills is a perfect role model,
says Mann, who has been involved with the
group since its beginnings in 1980.
At annual Indian youth conferences. Mills
will be there, telling long yarns to the kids.
"He's a great storyteller and he's inspira
tional. He makes a special effort to pull
each child aside and say 'You can be strong.
You can win.' I remember him always em
phasizing patience and understanding."
His motivation for winning a gold medal,
Mann says, "wasn't just a personal 'I want
to run in the Olympics' kind of thing.
"His driving force was that he wanted to
bring recognition to his people. Anger was
his impetus to take his Indian tradition as
far as he could. It was so difficult where he
was living (at Kansas University) to work
with prejudice, ignorance and bigoted
Brenda Mann
attitudes."
Mann hopes to attend a private law
school once she graduates from the Univer
sity, and ultimately defend Indians and
other minorities against a criminal justice
system that commonly — and prejudicially
— hands unjust sentences to them because
of their race, she says.
Mann knows it won't be easy to achieve
her goals. Striving for them will be an en
during challenge and struggle, she says. But
like Mills, she is determined to meet the
challenge with patience and
understanding.
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