“Historian Hails Kevin Costner’s 1990 Oscar-Winning Western Epic as Exceptionally Crafted”?

An Old West historian rates Kevin Costner’s film Dances with Wolves. Directed and starring Costner, the 1990 Western film tells the story of Lieutenant Dunbar, a Civil War soldier assigned to a remote Sioux outpost, where he immerses himself in Sioux culture and practices. Dances with Wolves won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, among other accolades.

Over 30 years after its release, historian Michael Grauer evaluates the film’s historical accuracy in a recent interview. Grauer scrutinized two notable scenes: the iconic buffalo hunt and a scene where Dunbar is offered a piece of liver to eat. While he had a “minor quibble” about the ease with which characters kill bison with less advanced tools, he found the weapons used to be mostly realistic. Grauer also explained that offering liver was likely a gesture of “gratitude.” Here’s Grauer’s detailed analysis:

“Lakotas are depicted with reasonable accuracy. In terms of using what we call the shortbow while riding horseback to hunt bison—who were the primary food and tool source—the film’s portrayal is somewhat simplified. A single shot would not have been enough to kill a bison, and with a Henry rifle like the one Kevin Costner’s character uses, multiple shots would have been necessary, especially while on horseback. Buffalo hunts were typically extended affairs, as the animals could run for miles. For cinematic purposes, time and space were condensed.

Regarding the offering of liver, it’s a way of consuming part of the animal’s spirit, which is a form of gratitude in Native lifeways. Offering it to the white soldier, Dunbar, symbolizes an attempt to integrate him into their culture. The film’s attention to detail in depicting the Lakota people and, more broadly, Native cultures is commendable. I’d rate it an 8. While the portrayal of instant kills may be a minor issue, the buffalo chase remains one of the most effectively handled scenes I’ve seen on screen.”