Francis Kee Teller is Son of the Hunter, a young Navajo boy learning lessons of life and his tribe’s past from Grey Singer.
Grey Singer, a former medicine man, isn’t really his grandfather, but he plays that role.
He’s also serving as head of a family that includes Son of the Hunter’s mother and two younger sisters.
Son of the Hunter’s father is far away, working on the railroad; he’s also fallen in love with a half-breed woman and won’t be returning.
Trouble starts for the already poor family when Son of the HUnter hears an owl hoot three times in the daylight.
Grey Singer says that’s a sign that the family needs and move and find new pasture for its herd of sheep.
He guides them on a long journey, falls ill and dies.
And when Son of the Hunter rides to town to find someone to help bury his grandfather, he’s scooped up and thrown into a school that teaches Navajo to be good little white children.
From that moment on, Son of the Hunter begins plotting his escape.
Francis Kee Teller as Son of the Hunter, forever wary of the white man’s intentions in Navajo (1952)
Hall Bartlett as the Indian school counselor and Billy Draper at the Ute guide in Navajo (1952)
Review:
A story told and narrated by a young Navajo boy who fears white men and has never met one when the film begins.
He’s only heard stories of the way whites captured his people to put them on a reservation, then hunted down those to hid in the caves of Great Rock Canyon.
And of the school where Navajo boys have their hair cut, are forced to take white names and learn the white man’s language.
Though he has hate for whites in his heart, Grey Singer tells him to avoid dark thoughts because they lead to dark places and to instead focus on all the light and beauty around him in the world.
But with one family tragedy following another, there’s little reason for Son of the Hunter to follow that advice.
John Mitchell as Grey Singer, Son of the Hunter’s adopted grandfather in Navajo (1952)
Mrs. Kee Teller as Good Weaver, Son of the Hunter’s mother in Navajo (1952)
Directed by:
Norman Foster
Cast:
Francis Kee Teller … Son of the Hunter
John Mitchell .. Grey Singer
Mrs. Kee Teller … Good Weaver
Billy Draper … Billy, Ute guide
Hall Bartlett .. Indian school counselor
Virgil Miller … Trader
Cosy McSparron … Trading post owner
Sammy Ogg … Narrator
Runtime: 70 min.
Memorable lines:
The film is narrated in English, with very little actual dialogue.
Francis Kee Teller as Son of the Hunter, holding his family’s horse during a visit to the trading post in Navajo (1952)
Francis Kee Teller as Son of the Hunter, listening to one of his grandfather’s stories in Navajo (1952)
){kind=link}