If only I were an Indian...

Summary: "If only I were an Indian" follows three Native Americans (Cree and Ojibwa) from Manitoba, Canada as they travel to the former Czechoslovakia to meet several hundred Czechs and Slovaks who have set up a remarkable "Indian" community. Wearing Indian dress and living in teepees, they have adopted, to an amazing degree, the traditional cultures of nineteenth century North American Native Indians. Everything from play and recreation to religion and philosophy, from food preparation to child rearing is based on historic Indian models. Inspired by the writings of the turn of the century Canadian naturalist, Ernest Thompson Seton, and his contemporary, the German novelist Karl May, these Czechs and Slovaks see Native American cultures as an alternative to what they consider to be the spiritual bankruptcy of modern day European civilization. Astonishing, humourous, angry, and poignant by turns, this beautiful film is a remarkable journey across continents, history, and cultures.