Full Synopsis

Joel and the Mayor of a new lumber town, Antlers Oklahoma,

barely survive the explosion of an ammunition barn, caused by

white children who found matches. Most of the townsfolk suspect

the Indians, and the Mayor scapegoats them for the accident.

The Oklahoman Gazette writes an expose on the savagery and

danger of the Indians.

Joel builds a hospital for the Indians, hoping to reconcile the

white men’s error. The Mayor tries to run the hospital. Joel

thinks he’s overly physical in his handling of the Indians.

The Mayor understands, and promises an eventual “bureaucratic

outcome.” Joel agrees with him that the Indians must be

controlled with laws.

When the Indian women are found to have created a friendship

circle, they convince Joel to take them to New York by bus.

Joel is impressed by the social structure of the Indians, even

in Antlers’ hospital, and tells the Mayor the Indians aren’t

savages.

The Mayor, who's already overtasked, gives the order to send

the twelve women with Joel to New York as “artifacts of

an ancient culture”. The corporation that founded Antlers

(Weyerhauser) could profit if the Indians make an impression,

not to mention the bonds the lumber town would be awarded. . .

Finally away from Antlers, Joel's honor conflicts him in New

York. He thinks of trying to find a permanent home for the

women in New York, where they can fight for their land and be

free from the errors of the lumber town. His only other option

is to return to Antlers. The women visit the skyscraper offices

of Weyerhauser, and stop hating the corporation. After all, the

vacation was wonderful, and New York.

Back in Antlers, an Indian woman escapes from the Mayor's

hospital.

The Mayor follows her to the Indian reservation and falls

in love. He admits he’s been lying to the Indians about the

accident.

He comes back to Antlers with a conviction to build houses for

Indians.

Sarah, meanwhile, rescued three children (one white, two

Indian) from alcohol and tobacco (Slow Meta children -auth).

The Indians’ mothers, still in New York, write a postcard to

the reservation. The mothers will return to Antlers, despite

the previous treatment of the Indians as savages.

Joel returns from New York with the Indian women holding three

train tickets to California given to him from Weyerhauser.

The Mayor allows the women’s children (who Sarah says they

show great potential) to fly to California with their tickets.

Before they say goodbye, their fathers and mothers are forced

to live in the hospital (forced labor camps -auth). Weyerhauser

didn’t approve of the new Indian homes, despite the visit from

Indians.

In the resolution, Broken Bow is founded by the Mayor and

his new Indian wife. The returning children bring news of

television producers who want to tell the story of Antlers and

Broken Bow.

The Mayor manufactures plastic army men, with Indians, to

market to the tourists. Sarah thinks this move takes advantage

of the Indian culture for commercial gain. The Mayor says, “But

what would we do with all the bonds money? Pay the Indians for

Antlers?”

His wife rolls her eyes. “We can make our own money the

American way.” She is referring to Hollywood. She’s written a

movie called, “Broken Bows in Antlers,” and it’s being produced

by one of the white men from California.