Synopsis

In the spring of 1805, Tenskwatawa, a Shawnee – portrayed by Billy Merasty of the Cree First Nation – entered a trance so profound that those present feared he had passed from this world. Upon awakening, the young prophet declared he had encountered the Master of Life. He addressed the assembled crowd, lamenting the plight of his people, arguing that their adoption of white customs and abandonment of traditional spiritual practices had brought them to a perilous state.