In a world where violence has been accepted more than the act of marching for peace, you rarely see someone doing something for the good of the people out of the goodness of their hearts. Doing right by society is seen as pure naivety, as was once witnessed by the righteous movements of Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa.
In a groundbreaking act, Johnny Depp aims at buying back the ancient site the Native Americans lost back in the 1890 massacre. By buying back what was theirs to begin with, Depp hopes to makes things right for the people of the land.
While conducting an interview for The Daily Mail, Depp mentioned that he anticipates on buying back Wounded Knee Creek and dedicating it to his fellow Native Americans in honor of the massacre that occurred in 1890.
According to History, on December 29, 1890, the U.S. government annihilated 146 Sioux at Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge reservation, located in South Dakota. As Depp mentioned that he has been told he partakes Native American roots, it is safe to say that he is emotionally attached to the people of the land, their culture, as well as the site they lost.
In the interview, he states, “It’s very sacred ground and many atrocities were committed against the Sioux there,” he said. “And in the 1970s there was a stand-off between the Feds (Federal government) and the people who should own that land. This historical land is so important to the Sioux Culture and all I want to do is buy it and give it back. Why doesn’t the government do that?”
He also stated, ‘The main thing was, “Are we doing right by the Indian? Let’s not make any mistakes here. The idea was to give back to them and to make sure that we got it right,” he said in the lengthy interview.
We cannot know for sure the real reason behind Depp’s inspiration to take such action, but can only guess that his role of Tonto in The Lone Ranger surely did encourage him quite the bit.
To paint a clear picture of just how serious he was to give back to the Native American people something they lost long ago, Depp devoted a substantial amount of time and energy investigating about the numerous communities and what they thought about the whole idea.
Luckily, he did gain the authorization from many Native American groups before accepting the role Tonto in The Lone Ranger began. Apart from the fact that Native American blood runs through his veins, no matter how much, while filming the movie, he made sure that the people were represented in the right light.
As for the actual price of the site at Wounded Knee, it stands at $3.9 million, which is only a part of what was made at the box office from the move.
“I am doing my best to make that happen. It’s land they were pushed on to and then they were massacred there. It really saddens me,” he stated.
The act of purchasing the Wounded Knee land in order to show respect and honor of worship his fellow people portrays Depp’s pure dedication in correcting the wrong that occurred over a century ago. It signifies his deep and utter respect towards the Native American culture and tradition, which in turn helps raise and spread historical awareness.
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