"Greene Gets Hot Reception at Film Premiere"

Six Nations actor Graham Greene says things have changed for him since receiving international acclaim for his role in the movie Dances with Wolves.

He has finally bought an answering machine.

If the rumors prove correct, he may have rearrange things once more - to make room for an Oscar.

Mr. Greene, who who portrays the Sioux holy man Kicking Bird in Kevin Costner's western epic, plays down his chances of winning the Academy Award for best supporting actor.

"Rumors are like poor relatives - they hang around," said the 38-year-old Oneida man.

But if the audience at the movie's Brantford premiere Wednesday night was the judge, Mr. Greene could start making room on his mantle right now.

The applause began when Mr. Greene was given a carving by Six Nations artist Dave General, prior to the start of the showing at the Brantford Mall cinemas. It continued when his name first appeared on screen. And it ended as the curtain closed.

The premiere was a benefit for the Six Nations New Credit Christmas Basket fund and for CFNC, the 50-watt community radio station in Ohsweken.

Amos Keye, acting spokesman for the communications society which runs the station, had nothing but praise for the movie and its star.

"I think the movie is excellent. They finally treat native people as human beings with emotions and a sense of humor.

"I think, without a doubt, this is one of the proudest moments in our people's recent history."

Mr. Greene said he was "a bit nervous" when he started working on the project, in part because he was portraying a man from a different nation.

After a few weeks spent learning the Lakota language and fine-tuning the art of riding a horse bareback, he started to feel at home with the cast and his role.

"It's not someone's Hollywood concept of how native people should act, it's us.

"We put a lot of ourselves as native people into the characters," explained the former Brantford Collegiate Institute student.

Almost half of the Dances With Wolves shoot took place on a 55,000-acre ranch near Pierre. Some 3,500 buffalo exist on Roy Houck's Triple U Ranch. Greene had to learn how to ride bareback Plains Indian style.

Since the community embraced the project for its fair and genuine treatment of the heritage, support and co-operation of local Native Americans beat at the heart of the project's success. Upwards of 150 locals were used as extras.

In addition to costume authenticity, Doris Leader Charge, an instructor of Lakota at Sinte Gleska College on the Rosebud Reservation, served as dialogue coach and technical advisor. Greene and other actors were given a three-week crash course in the language.

"Lakota is a very difficult language with so many strange sounds," said Leader Charge. "We had to first translate the script the way we (Lakota) would speak it, then go back and simplify the dialogue using fewer, easier words with similar meanings."

Other native talent in the film includes Rodney Grant, who plays the bold warrior, Wind in His Hair. Folksinger and longtime activist Floyd Red Crow Westerman plays the wise and venerable tribal chief Ten Bears.

Greene's wife, Black Shawl, is played by Tantoo Cardinal, who played Molly Brant in the Glen-Warren Productions Limited film Divided Loyalties.

Though similarly named, the Lakota characters in the film are not Chief Ten Bears of the Commanches nor the great warrior Chieftain Kicking Bird of the Klowas.