Wardrobe: The Great Chacoan Escape (2012)

We are making every effort to keep authenticity a priority when selecting wardrobe. Working with a small budget, we are relying on friends of the community to donate their items for the film shoot. We are very fortunate to have found Novalene Castillo-Meyers, a local seamstress who offered her skills for this project.

Photo 1: Dine loin cloth (Credit: Novalene Castillo-Meyers)

This cloth shows simple designs for the Navajo characters. The red striped cloth will be worn by the Ute warrior and more complex designs will be added. The cloths pictured are soaked in coffee to show age and we are aging them more for a harsh leathery look.

Photo 2: Navajo quiver

Pictured in photo [1] with the cloths is a modern arrow quiver. Our seamstress, Novalene made a pair of deerskin quivers using it as a model above.

Photo 3: Dine moccasin (Owner: Novalene Castillo-Meyers)

Today, many Dine families own moccasins for traditional and personal reasons. Moccasins are made using deerskin and have tough treadless soles. String or buttons tighten this footwear to be comfortably worn. Very few people know the art of designing moccasins and are purchased from retail stores.

Photo 4: Navajo short bow with arrows (Owner: Allison Tachine)

Navajo short bows were used in close quarter fighting and hunting. Sinew strings and oak rods are used The rods are approximately 4'-5' in length. Salt reeds and turkey feathers are used to make arrows.

Buckle worn by a New Mexico militia character.

Photo 5: Deerskin dress (Credit: Novalene Castillo-Meyers)

Location Scouting: The Great Chacoan Escape (2012)

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The summer has been a busy one for all creative minds involved here in Ojo Encino, New Mexico USA. The producers, Terri Winters, Robert Tsinnajinnie, Allison Tachine, and I have been prepping for upcoming film shoots. We want to keep all film scenes within the Na' Neelzhiin (Torreon, NM) area. With the help of my nephews and friends we found ideal areas for the shoot.

 Kialo Winters (L) and Calvin Walters (R) Photo credit: Chris Walters

Scene:  Messenger Runner travels over a rise and contemplates a strategy to elude pursuing rogue Navajo warriors.

Photo credit: Kialo Winters

Scene: Location set amongst these hoodoos for upcoming fight scene between a teenage Navajo girl and a Ute warrior.

Photo credit: Kialo Winters

Scene: Location for Navajo warrior to exit cave while being chased by rogue warriors.

Tracks...of Man & Animal

Often I hear the coyotes howling, yelping and barking early mornings or during odd times of the day. I see the occasional coyote track while running and wonder at their hunting strategies. Not only do they scavenge carcasses but I'm sure they put themselves into organized hunting packs. I've seen my dogs Trevor, Lady and Flo do this as I run the trails. Trevor the alpha male would be in the center while his two ladies are at either side. Trevor would flush out the cotton tail rabbits then Lady and Flo would follow chase.  While driving to work one early morning I saw three coyotes in the distance traveling in this form obviously tracking a predator. Seconds later they gave chase to a jack rabbit.

I'm an avid reader of Louis L'amour books and many military autobiographies. I find it deeply interesting to read how a tracker walks the earth and leave little signs of their passing through. The Native American culture consists of expert trackers throughout history on the north and south american continents. Currently the Shadow Wolves patrol our southern borders which consists of a dozen Native American "...law enforcement professionals who use time-honored tracking traditions". How do professional trackers move without anyone knowing they traveled through the area? As a tracker what signs do you look for when tracking? 'Time-honored' is correctly stated when a student learns from the master.

My novel consists of three teenage girls trekking approximately 200 miles along a ridge of the Chaco plateau. The time is around 1860 when the U.S. military initiates their quest to 'control' the Navajo people from unlawful raiding, stealing, intimidating and murdering peaceful families in the southwest region. The girls escape the initial capture on their homestead and head north. They travel along a ridge of the Chaco plateau and are tracked by a veteran tracker of the Ute nation contracted my the military. How does one travel as a group and beat an expert tracker?