I rented "End of the Spear" on DVD this weekend. I had been intending to watch it since I heard about it. It is a very well done retelling of a story I had heard in brief over many years in evangelical churches. It is well acted and thought provoking. Go here for a review: http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a0002501.cfm.
The title says it well. The Waodoni lived by suspicion, retaliation and in a religous system that required them to kill their enemies in order to get into heaven. (Sounds like certain sects of Islam and Jihad). They didn't know anything else. Since it is told from their point of view, it is a little hard to get into their heads. Apparently they were suprised that the missionaries didn't try to protect themselves with the guns they had. Missionary pilot Nate Saint told his son that they wouldn't hurt the Waodani because "they're not ready for heaven yet." The movie tells us that the Waodani saw Nate translated to Heaven right before he died, like Stephen when he was martyred. It takes a while for the Waodoni to come around, but by the witness of the missionary wives and Dayumi, the sister of the tribal leader Mincayani (who speared Saint), the tribe begins to come around, even helping their arch enemies the Aenomai through a polio outbreak. The weaknesses are that we don't get to see how Dayumi comes to be a Christian, nor do we really understand Mincayani's conversion other than it coming from a confluence of incidents. I expect that the documentary of the movie and story "Through Gates of Splendor" will take us the rest of the way. The movie is weak in story development, sort of abridged, and leaves you wanting more details. The acting by the Panamanians selected to play the Waodani was excellent. As was the acting by the actor who played Nate and Steve as an adult. Portrayal of the other missionaries was somewhat shallow, kind of like they were college frat boys on day at the beach. An added bonus on the DVD is Steve Saint discussing Mincayani coming to the USA and the "culture shock".
The movie reminded me of when I was in Rep of Panama, taking an anthropology class and I got to go to the village of Anthony Zarco; picure in "native garb" at: http://www.escapeartist.com/efam/76/Zarco_Panama.html. Anthony, of the Choco Indians of the Darien Jungle of Panama, had been an instructor at the Jungle Survival School in Panama and one of his famous students was John Glenn. Anthony told about John Glenn giving him a rifle (which the Panamanian authorities took from him). We were invited up a hill into Anthony's home, which was a thatched roof hut on stilts set about 7 feet off the jungle floor. We got to the settlement via dugout canoe paddled by Anthony up the Chagres River (which is the water source that operates the Panama Canal). We climbed a ladder up into the hut while our teacher interviewed Anthony in Spanish. Anthony showed us around his settlement. I was mildly amused to see a small electrical generator with a small TV attached to it. Anthony showed us mock ups of healing sticks that had been used to suck evil spirits out of sick Chocos. Anthony no longer practiced this tribal witchcraft. Anthony was a Christian and rowed and walked his family to the Panama Canal Community church at Gamboa every Sunday for services. Anthony took us on a tour of the jungle around his settlement. He was probably under five foot and moved swiftly and erect through the jungle underbrush, while all of us taller folks were ducking branches and looking like the awkward people we were in this environment. Anthony would show us a plant and tell us that this was good for wrapping and cooking fish, and showing us another almost identical plant that he told us was deadly poisonous. He showed us his sugar cane press deep in the jungle. Anthony showed us his blow dart gun which was very long and the darts (curare dipped) which were used to bring monkeys down from the very high tree tops (Howlers which stayed mostly in the very high branches and Spider Monkeys who were in the lower banches). It was a lifetime memorable experience. Glad to share it here.
