Wes Studi as "Major Ridge"
"We Shall Remain"
PBS "American Experience" Series
April 2009
webpage by Paul Ridenour
Watch the Trail Of Tears movie here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdlx2bT7c6I
Episode 1 After the Mayflower [April 13, 2009]
Episode 2 Tecumseh's Vision [April 20, 2009]
Episode 3 Trail of Tears [April 27, 2009] - featuring Major Ridge, son John Ridge,
nephew Elias Boudinot, and John Ross.
Episode 4 Geronimo [May 4, 2009]
Episode 5 Wounded Knee [May 11, 2009]
Cherokee actor Wes Studi will play the character of Major Ridge, my wife's 4th great grandfather, Wesley French as John Ridge. and Will Finley as Elias Boudinot. My wife descends from John Ridge's sister Sarah Ridge Paschal Pix.
Major Ridge will age 30 years in this film
In Ridge Notes, the newsletter of Chieftains Museum / Major Ridge Home, Winter 2009, page 2, quoted in the Chattanooga newspaper, Wes Studi says "
It’s important to me. It’s a story about our people. Most of the stories told about this time in the Cherokee nation have been slanted toward the John Ross faction. This story is told from the viewpoint of the Ridge treaty party. I think Ridge was a thoughtful, progressive individual. The trading of the lands was better than just losing lands and being cut adrift in the world without any homeland at all. Now I can see the wisdom of his thoughts. And he died for them.”Photos below sent by Julia Autry from the Vann House in Georgia
Wes Studi as "Major Ridge"
Wes Studi has been in "Geronimo," Dances With Wolves," and "The Last of the Mohicans"
Major Ridge and wife Susannah Ridge leaving the Vann House
Wes Studi as Major Ridge and Carla Rae Holland as Susannah
Ridge
Photo below sent to me by Gary Greene of the New Echota Historical Site in Georgia
"I took this photo in honor of
Cleo Deerinwater who passed away the day they
started filming at New Echota. He had filmed the week before at The Vann House.
A Red Oak tree was planted in his honor and the cast and
crew had their picture made with the tree." - Gary Greene