Standing alone

Pete Standing Alone is a Blood Indian of Alberta, Canada, who grew up more at home in the white man's world than his own. Low's documentary, spanning 25 years, meshes footage from his earlier film, Circle of the Sun, a portrait of Standing Alone as a young man, with a contemporary follow-up. In the earlier profile, Pete, an erstwhile rodeo rider and oil rig roughneck, returns home to attend his tribe's gathering at the Sun Dance camp. For him, it is a bittersweet occasion. The elders meet in the central tipi to perform sacred rituals and tell stories while younger members of the tribe, virtual outsiders to their culture, wait for the public ceremonies to begin at the periphery of the circle. Today, Pete Standing Alone, now a middle-aged man, is actively engaged in preserving the traditional ways of the tribe and inculcating a sense of pride in his children. Under the guidance of an older mentor, Pete prepares for a sign transfer which will permit him to use his grandfather's elk symbol on his tipi. As a member of the tribal council, Standing Alone pursues employment opportunities for his people, monitors resource development, and asserts land claims. In leisure time, he enjoys watching his beloved stallions frolic on the plains.