I'm writing this review mainly to highlight the excellent acting job by Sidney Poitier and Regina Taylor. Their story line was the most refined, and they are a joy to watch. The other elements had some weakness, but overall I enjoyed this miniseries (which I hear is better than its movie counterpart "A Good Day to Die", where the many scene-cuts take their toll on the story). I appreciate another reviewer who indicated the historical inaccuracies; I always like to know if what I'm watching is real or fabricated, so thanks for that. As far as the ending...(SPOILER ALERT)...I would have written a different one that included a surprise escape, but that's just me. I can see why the writers when for high-drama; every actor needs a good rebellious-death-scene-with-screaming female now and then.

i LOVED THIS MOVIEE well i loved the romance part with COlby and the girl...Rachel (?) 4got her name....i honestly was only interested in those too. i loved them in the movie i want to see more movies like that. but please no more sad endings where they cant be 2gether! =( it made me cry! but the romance between them. the plot the trauma everything was great. =) i just was more into Colby and Rachel. ha ha =) everything about this movie was thrilling the kind to keep you glued to your seat. because i sure was. Honestly my only personal want would be more focused between the couple (Colby and Rachel) and at least a decent ending. I hated the ending, a better one could have been more thought out, not the fact of forcing COlby to his death and Rachel having a son. The ending would have killed the movie.

I'll admit to only wanting to see this film because of Billy Wirth, which for me was well worth the eleven dollars I spent on the DVD, but for fans of more violent westerns, this isn't the film for you. It was was good movie but I was expecting more action. The dialogue at times was kind of crappy as well as the acting, mainly from Joanna Going but the story was good. Billy Wirth most certainly looked the part of a Native American and did a pretty good job playing one, too. I'm not sure which storyline I liked better, Sidney Poitier's romance, Billy Wirth and Joanna Going's romance, or the ounce of action involved in the movie but it worked. Overall, this was a good movie that's worth the watch.

I am a big fan of this film and found the TV mini series "Children of The Dust", the version fans should look for. At least 20 minutes or more are cut on the DVD version of this film.I would also suggest viewers who enjoyed this film to check out the book there is a more rounded storyline with Corby/Whitewolf and Rachel, more on Black History and Buffalo Solders. There were two many storylines for the series or this film.Sidney Poitier only shows he gets better with age, the talent just keeps growing the chemistry between his character of Gypsy Smith and Regina Taylor were wonderful viewing. I also enjoyed the Billy Wirth/Joanna Going storyline, they seems to play off each other well.Billy Wirth is of course the "Model of Indian Vision". The look, the attitude, the dream of every woman who was wanted to be carried off in one of those romance novels by a native hero. Worked for me also.Much more could have been done with this storyline but it did give the viewer a brief glimpse of racial problems back in the 1880's, white take over of native schooling, lack of Black pioneers to setup towns in the west. Michael Moriarty (Maxwell) as always a great actor comes across as a very caring and confused teacher, not sure if the "whites" should be interfering with native culture.For anyone who enjoys characters and watching them change this film is for you. I thought the chemistry between Poitier's character and that of the orphan Whitewolf very moving and thought Wirth and Poitier worked very well together. Billy Wirth did some of his best scenes when working with Poitier.Going got on my nerves sometimes when you want to just stop and shake her or give her a " wake-up and grown-up" call. But on the whole it was a great evening of entertainment.Look for the two tape version of this mini series if you are a fan you will really see the difference.