Michael Fields

Graphic Enterprises - Home of the Pioneer Times - A Web Site for Living History


	Re-Enactor of the Month


	by Jim Cummings


	We are preserving living history today so that the past will not be forgotten. Jim Cummings


	To See Past Re-Enactor of the Month

Re-Enactor of the Month ^{©

March 2005}

^{Michael Fields}

By Jim Cummings

One of the greatest advantages about this work is that I get to meet and interview great people, from all walks of life, who love history, and want to share the mysteries of history through re-enacting.

The reason I use the term ‘mysteries of history’ is that historians and scholars with their books aplenty can not go into great detail. Unless they specialize in a certain subject area their works are always subject to cost and space issues.

Now comes the re-enactor who has the best of both worlds. He can pick his own persona, time period and just how deep he wishes to go into the character they portray.


		This brings us to the Re-Enactor of the Month for March and Michael Fields is just such a re-enactor. Michael portrays a Shawnee Indian and he does a great job at his portrayal. Sometimes around him I have trouble distinguishing him from a real Native American Woodland Indian. Michael portrays a Woodland Indian in the mid to late 18^th century. His dress, mannerisms and look are right on

	When he steps into a re-enactment battle, he means business. He truly becomes and 18^th century warrior. With safety always on his mind he even says sometimes he has to remind himself – this is theater and things could go wrong.

He puts a lot of time in studying history and the life and customs of the people he portrays. Most of all Michael Fields is a team player. He is always willing to lend a hand and help people to better understand the Eastern Woodland Indian. And best of all he has a great time doing it.

His fellow native re-enactors and those that portray settlers give him the respect he deserves. Like all of the past Re-enactors of the Month (Week) there is something that sets them apart. With Michael one of his greatest attributes is that he likes to work the crowd at an event.

Whether it be man, woman or child that stops to ask a question they all get the same courteous attention from this man. He always takes time to have his photo taken with them and is glad to do so. After a re-enactment when spectators can come out on to the field you will always find Michael Fields among the top favorites and one of he last to leave the field.

I have seen the same thing on School Days. Of course Indians are always a favorite with children and Michael will be out there talking to the kids long after many of the others have gone back to their camps. In addition to the re-enactments that many do, he can always be counted on to visit the schools or do other public events where re-enactors are needed to talk to the public. Although basically a shy person he has a story to tell and his shyness disappears as he warms to his favorite subject.

Michael has been re-enacting for about six years. He spent the first year doing the rendezvous thing. And although that was fun and suited his needs as far as camping and the outdoors after he saw his first re-enactment at Blue Lick‘s and then at Painted Stone (in Shelby County, Kentucky) he decided quickly that he belonged in re-enacting. In Michael’s words his first re-action was “I want to play like that. But in reality,” he continued, “ it is so much more.”

Questions and Answers with Michael Fields

JC: Do you think the Indians were provoked into some of the acts of violence accredited to them?

FIELDS: Absolutely. Yes it was a clash of cultures. We will never truly know all of the real truths. But if you look at this countries policy of “Manifest Destiny” it is pretty frightening to think what we believed. The natives had no concept of ownership. There ideas were completely different.

It is not a popular thing to say but we are facing the same thing today. We cannot understand the mind set of the Muslim world just as they can’t understand us. Our values and principles are completely different. And yet we are at war with these people. Both of us trying to impress our way of thinking on the other.

I try to tell people at re-enactments that the Indians were not “savages.” The whites came into their homeland and were taking it from them. I like to pose this question to them. If American shores were attacked today and someone was at your back door threatening your family, everything you had worked for, your very way of life – can you really say what you would do. Would you run away? Can you be sure you wouldn’t fight back? How violent would you become under theses circumstances?

The early Americans really would not have stopped at anything and the Indians did whatever necessary to try and stop them. The Indians always say they never broke a treaty. And it is true. It was always the white man that broke treaties. They gave away land and then when they discovered gold or other resources they simply took the land back.

JC: Give me your take on the way the Indians are treated today.

FIELDS: It was unheard of moving all of the tribes out of their homelands was beyond belief. The vast numbers that died on the way while our government did nothing. The mindset then was that the natives were nothing. They were not even considered human beings. We live in a prejudiced society – there will always be prejudices. But not even to consider these people as human beings is unthinkable. How could we be so inhumane – so ruthless.

Hopefully things are slowly changing for them. A new sense of sovereignty and pride along with some economic changes is helping I think their rights to have casinos and other gaming on their own land is giving them back some control of their lives. For it is making them economically stronger and therefore giving them more control. But there is a lot to be done. If you looked at pictures of some of the reservations they are little more than third world countries. It will never be enough.

I think the Cherokee situation was the worse. They were a highly civilized tribe. The Cherokee said OK you want us to dress properly - we will. You want us to live in a cabin – we will. You want us to adopt your religion – we will. You want us to have a written alphabet – we will. And what did they get in return. The Tail of Tears.

JC: What can the government do to help the Indians?

FIELDS: What can be done about 500 years of government sponsored genocide, sanctioned spreading of disease, forced removals, broken promises and systematic destruction of culture through war, reservation living and special schools designed to eliminate that culture?

This is a hard question, part of me would like to “give it back” but that would be like creating the state of Israel, making even more of a problem trying to correct another. I agree with what you said Jim about, the government not wanting to dig too deep into a can of worms.




		At Blue Licks in 2004




	Fields several years ago before he had honed his look to its present high level.


	Sadly it is up to natives to help themselves, by any means, to maintain whatever is left of their culture, beliefs and autonomy. Great strides were made back in the late 60’s and 70’s, when social upheaval as whole came into play, many things are happening currently but it is lost in the chaos of living in the 21st century. Somehow the government seems to muscle in even now.




	Janeice and Michael Fields at Big Bone Lick in 2004

JC: Tell us a bit about your 21^st century life.

FIELDS: I’m a Mac operator in pre press for a screen printer. My wife Janeice works in advertising and we have a six year old son – Noah.

JC: What would you like to see changed about re-enacting.

Fields: Actually we always do battles. We do a fairly good portrayal in battle. We have recently been doing some events were we do some other things like hold a council or take prisoners, or trade for goods. I like this. It helps to portray more than the warrior side only of the Natives. I would like to see some events were Natives are portrayed in their own environment. They were hunters and fathers. They raised crops to feed their families and they had a real community life and a very strong family ethic. I always try to stress at a re-enactment that the paint you see was not an every day thing. Indians painted for battle or for ceremony. Often too, you will see re-enactors with silver trade pieces on. Although silver was very much a part of Indian life it would not have been worn in battle. And too, there are accounts of captives that did not want to return to white society. The Indian was one with nature and the land. Once some people experienced that life they did not want to go back. That is a very telling thing.

We also discussed the safety aspect. Although it is fun - it can be dangerous too. We are handling black powder and sharp tools. Everyone must be on their guard. I ran out from a rather large tree one time and a guy was preparing to fire. I know he didn’t see me. But a few seconds different in timing and I would have been hurting. I am not afraid to tell someone that they are out of line when it comes to safety. No matter how much fun we are having you must remember to be careful.

JC: If you could step back in time - any time period – where would you choose.

FIELDS: I actually love ancient cultures. History by far was my favorite subject in school. I have always been captivated by ancient cultures, whether they are the Incas, Mayans, the Scythians of the Russian Steppes, Romans, or the Vikings. Any of those would be fine. But as an 18^th century re-enactor I would like – just a glimpse of what this country was like then. As re-enactors we try to “get away.” But there is always, even in the woods a farmhouse still in view. A jet overhead. Car noises… whatever. But to view this country as it was then, thick, thick forests. What is the saying about a squirrel could go from the east coast to the Mississippi with out ever leaving the canopy of trees. The vastness of it – the unspoiled landscape, the size of the cane and the trees. I think that would be the ultimate.




*If you have someone you would like to see as “Re-enactor of The Month”* *drop me a line at*

	jim.cummings@graphicenterprises.net

		To see past Re-Enactors of The Month - click here.