Winterhawk’s Land

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Winterhawk’s Land

© 2017 Michael Dante. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopying or recording, except for the inclusion in a review, without permission in writing from the publisher.

This version of the book may be slightly abridged from the print version.

Published in the USA by:

BearManor Media

PO Box 71426

Albany, Georgia 31708

www.bearmanormedia.com

ISBN 978-1-62933-153-9

Illustrations by Dave Powell

Cover Design by John Teehan.

eBook construction by Brian Pearce | Red Jacket Press.

A motion picture certain to appeal to fans of Westerns who enjoy rugged scenery and primitive frontier characters, but it should also attract anyone who loves the poetry of film.

San Francisco Chronicle News Release, November 21, 1975

The Mountain men’s relentless pursuit of Winterhawk builds to a tense, dramatic peak then culminates into a sensational, stirring ending.

American International Pictures Film Synopsis, 1975

"Above all the fine qualities the film contains, is the fact that writer/director/producer Charles B. Pierce has given the Indian some pride and dignity in his role, something few film makers before this have done. For that reason alone, Winterhawk is a most refreshing piece of entertainment well worth seeing by the whole family."

San Francisco Progress, November 27, 1975

"Starring in Winterhawk, is Michael Dante, an actor who combines handsome looks with a deep-felt sensitivity for the character he plays. Dante says, Winterhawk is a philosophical, religious man. He’s very moral, with a respect for all races."

San Francisco Chronicle, November 20, 1975

He stands for truth and honor, no other’s courage can equate. Never has a warrior lived, who has ever been as great.

Winterhawk — Original Poem by Karin Downes, 1992

Fan Western Rider writes, "Cannot wait. I am on the edge of my seat since last night when I first read your posting on Winterhawk’s Land."

Michael Dante’s Fan Group Page on Facebook, April 2016

I was so happy to hear that there will be a sequel to Winterhawk in book form! I absolutely ‘Loved’ the movie. Michael Dante truly captured my heart in his wonderful portrayal of the Indian character from the Blackfoot tribe.

Jan Pritchard, Friend/Fan

DEDICATION

Dedicated to Charles B. Pierce, who created the Winterhawk character.

To the courageous and noble Blackfoot Nation.

To my wife, Mary Jane, for her assistance with this book.

To Marshall Terrill for editing this book.

To Liz Massey for her special editing contribution.

To artist Inga Ojala for her original book cover artwork from design by Michael and Mary Jane Dante.

To artist David Powell for his original renderings of the characters in Winterhawk’s Land.

To all the fans of the original film, who have supported and acknowledged me of my portrayal in the title role, Winterhawk.

All Good Spirits

Winterhawk, title role played by Michael Dante and Red Calf, Winterhawk’s father, played by artist Ace Powell, in his only acting role. Original rendering by Ace Powell’s son, artist Dave Powell.

From Winterhawk to Winterhawk’s Land By Michael Dante

In the late 1970s, Winterhawk, a major motion picture written, produced, and directed by Charles B. Pierce, was released nationwide to critical and box-office success. It has become a classic and cult favorite of the Native American genre. The story is told by a young white girl, Clayanna, with honest characterizations, exciting story points, and cinematic beauty, filmed in the magnificent Northwest at Montana and Canadian locations.

In the film story, it is 1840 in the state of Montana. The Blackfoot Nation is nearly wiped out by smallpox, the White man’s disease. A young Blackfoot chief, Winterhawk, who lost his wife and only son to the disease, goes with the approval of his father and The People to take prize buffalo hides and furs to exchange with the White man for a cure. He has never traded with the White man and is known only as a legend because no White man has ever seen him before. They have only heard of Winterhawk in stories told around camp fires. He was betrayed by two evil White settlers that killed his braves and stole his furs.

Winterhawk narrowly escapes and returns to his encampment, organizes a party, and succeeds in kidnaping a young White woman, Clayanna, and her younger twelve-year-old brother, Cotton, to use as leverage to get medicine to cure his people of smallpox. They begin a long journey back to his tribe, and, along the way, Clayanna and Cotton begin to admire — and like — Winterhawk, even though he is very skeptical of them. Their uncle, along with a search party, follow behind as Winterhawk takes his hostages deeper into Blackfoot country into Canada. They travel through snow and bitter cold; short of food and warm clothing, as they make their way back to their encampment.

When the two forces eventually meet, a one on one challenge ensues between Winterhawk and Guthrie, the only White man Winterhawk ever knew and trusted. Winterhawk believes Guthrie has betrayed their friendship after seeing him with the other White men, presumably against him.

The search team had asked Guthrie for his help to find Clayanna and Cotton because he was the only White man who knew the Blackfoot territory. What Guthrie doesn’t know at the time is that the same men that killed Winterhawk’s braves raped and murdered his Indian wife while he was tracking Winterhawk and the others. Guthrie catches up with the murderers, kills one of them and captures the other before his final encounter with Winterhawk.

Winterhawk and Guthrie fight on horseback in the deep snow, circling each other and throwing spears. The first spear misses Winterhawk, but the second one hits Cotton in the thigh as he implores Winterhawk and Guthrie to stop the fight. He has bonded with Winterhawk and doesn’t want to see him die.

Winterhawk gently removes the spear from Cotton’s upper leg and comforts him in the cold snow, with care and concern for the boy, as Guthrie, too, comes to Cotton’s side, uniting the three of them. Guthrie delivers from a pack horse the dead body of one of the killers to Winterhawk and hands Scobie, the killer’s partner, over to Winterhawk to decide his fate. Winterhawk will not honor him with death. He leaves him without clothing, food, or water alone in the snow and cold, letting the elements take care of him.

Cotton is comfortably strapped on a travois, with their uncle and the other members of the search team as they begin their return home. Clayanna follows close behind watching Winterhawk riding uphill to a peak, to watch them go. Clayanna knows what she has to do and turns around, riding up the hill to follow Winterhawk. She can no longer hide her love for him nor Winterhawk for her. She knows she will see her brother Cotton in the future, but it will be many years before they meet again.

Twenty years later in the 1860s, Winterhawk leaves his encampment to see the railroad for the first time. It will trail through his hunting grounds where the buffalo roam, creating the genocide of his people. The railroad people plan to take ten miles of land on either side of the tracks without negotiating. They have already killed many buffalo for sport, not taking the meat for food or the hide for clothing and shelter. The railroad executive, Mr. Penrose, has successfully bribed some of the other Native American leaders, but not Winterhawk. Therein lays the conflict. If Penrose can eliminate Winterhawk, he can take the land as planned.

Winterhawk’s Land is an action-based story between the railroad company, the U.S. government, Winterhawk, and his people. We know that Winterhawk did not defeat the railroad or the government, but he detained them in battle with his leadership, courage, and nobility for some time.

This offering is the