Eric Schweig
Encyclopedia
Eric Schweig is a First Nations
actor best known for his role as Chingachgook
's son Uncas
in The Last of the Mohicans
(1992).
, from Inuvialuit lineage on his mother's side and Chippewa/Dene
with German descent on his father's side, the oldest of seven children, who were all adopted out as part of an assimilation programme. Schweig's biological mother died of alcoholism in 1989. He never met her. “She didn’t drink a drop of alcohol until we were taken away,” says Schweig. “We were part of the whole assimilation program—forcibly taken away. But they told us that we weren’t.” Schweig was adopted at the age of six months by an English speaking German-French family. He spent his childhood
in Inuvik until he was six, when his family moved to Bermuda
. They later moved back to Canada, to Combermere, Ontario
where he spent the majority of his childhood. Schweig's adoptive parents were severely abusive. In 1999, at the Vancouver Inner City Foster Care Conference, Eric Schweig indeed delivered a heartfelt testimony about his painful experience of adoption and abuse: "For years my adoptive parents beat me bloody on a regular basis. I've been trapped in rooms naked and beaten with belt buckles, hockey sticks, extension cords, and once with a horsewhip. I eventually grew tired of living in a prison without walls and ran away when I was 16. What transpired between then and now has been a roller coaster of alcohol, drugs, violence, failed relationships, despair and confusion. Who am I? Where do I come from? Where is my family? Where do I belong? When life's mystery has been shattered by strangers watching over you, a lot of these questions are lost."
Eric ran away to Toronto
, Ontario
, where he supported himself by framing houses. In 1985, he was part of the cast of The Cradle Will Fall, an experimental adaptation of Frank Wedekind's
Spring Awakening produced by Theatre of Change at the Actor's Lab; this was his first experience as an actor. In 1987, at twenty years old, he was approached by a producer who suggested he audition for a role in the movie called The Shaman's Source (1990). With little formal education or experience he won the role. The film launched his career in the film industry
.
in the epic motion picture The Last of the Mohicans
(1992) and Pike Dexter in the movie Big Eden
(2000), for which he won the Grand Jury Prize at the Outfest
film festival. In 1992, he was cast as Black Thunder in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
mini-series By Way of the Stars with Gordon Tootoosis as The Cree Chief and Tantoo Cardinal
as Francoise. It was shot in Uxbridge, Ontario. He starred in Disney
's The Scarlet Letter and Tom and Huck
with Amy Wright
in 1995.
Among his period film credits since The Last of the Mohicans, Eric became the famous Mohawk
leader Joseph Brandt/Thayendanegea for TNT's telefilm The Broken Chain (1993), playing for the first time the main character in a movie (Schweig met Wes Studi
again for this motion picture). It was shot entirely in Virginia
.
More recently, Eric Schweig has played the lead role in films addressing more contemporary issues facing aboriginal and Native American
people: Skins
(2002), Cowboys and Indians: The J.J. Harper Story (2003) and One Dead Indian (2006).
, etc.). Under the coaching of artist Vern Etzerza, he studied traditional Pacific Coast carving before directing his talent specifically towards traditional Inuit Spirit Masks, in collaboration with master carver Art Thompson.
His collection of masks are not only successful attempts to reconnect with his heritage and with Inuit art
, but his carvings are also necessary labours of psychological resilience
facing a traumatized childhood. As a disastrous consequence of this uprooting and abuse, Schweig struggled for many years against alcohol abuse
and drug abuse
. He has stated that Skins (2002) was the first movie in which he was entirely sober.
His fame as an actor gives him the opportunity to share his life's experience in numerous speeches he presented in Canada and the United States of America. He was able to make a large audience aware of aboriginal issues, especially the care of First Nations children.
Schweig currently resides in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
. He works as a full time Resource Assistant for Youth, providing assistance to inner-city youth .
Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film for Big Eden
Eric was also honoured on June 9, 2008, with an Honorary Doctorate of Education from Nipissing University, one of Canada's most highly regarded faculties of education.
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
actor best known for his role as Chingachgook
Chingachgook
Chingachgook was a fictional character in four of James Fenimore Cooper's five Leatherstocking Tales, a lone Mohican chief and companion of the series' hero Natty Bumppo. Chingachgook married Wah-ta-Wah who bore him a son Uncas, but she died young. Uncas, at his birth "last of the Mohicans" grew...
's son Uncas
Uncas
Uncas was a sachem of the Mohegan who through his alliance with the English colonists in New England against other Indian tribes made the Mohegan the leading regional Indian tribe in lower Connecticut.-Early life and family:...
in The Last of the Mohicans
The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)
The Last of the Mohicans is a 1992 historical epic film set in 1757 during the French and Indian War and produced by Morgan Creek Pictures. It was directed by Michael Mann and based on James Fenimore Cooper's novel of the same name, although it owes more to George B. Seitz's 1936 film adaptation...
(1992).
Early life
Eric Schweig was born in Inuvik, Northwest TerritoriesNorthwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, from Inuvialuit lineage on his mother's side and Chippewa/Dene
Dene
The Dene are an aboriginal group of First Nations who live in the northern boreal and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dené speak Northern Athabaskan languages. Dene is the common Athabaskan word for "people" . The term "Dene" has two usages...
with German descent on his father's side, the oldest of seven children, who were all adopted out as part of an assimilation programme. Schweig's biological mother died of alcoholism in 1989. He never met her. “She didn’t drink a drop of alcohol until we were taken away,” says Schweig. “We were part of the whole assimilation program—forcibly taken away. But they told us that we weren’t.” Schweig was adopted at the age of six months by an English speaking German-French family. He spent his childhood
Childhood
Childhood is the age span ranging from birth to adolescence. In developmental psychology, childhood is divided up into the developmental stages of toddlerhood , early childhood , middle childhood , and adolescence .- Age ranges of childhood :The term childhood is non-specific and can imply a...
in Inuvik until he was six, when his family moved to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. They later moved back to Canada, to Combermere, Ontario
Combermere, Ontario
Combermere is a village located along the Madawaska River in south-eastern Ontario, Canada. It is part of Township of Madawaska Valley.Combermere is best known as home to Madonna House, but the community hosts a farmer's market and also provides access to numerous lakes and rivers for cottagers and...
where he spent the majority of his childhood. Schweig's adoptive parents were severely abusive. In 1999, at the Vancouver Inner City Foster Care Conference, Eric Schweig indeed delivered a heartfelt testimony about his painful experience of adoption and abuse: "For years my adoptive parents beat me bloody on a regular basis. I've been trapped in rooms naked and beaten with belt buckles, hockey sticks, extension cords, and once with a horsewhip. I eventually grew tired of living in a prison without walls and ran away when I was 16. What transpired between then and now has been a roller coaster of alcohol, drugs, violence, failed relationships, despair and confusion. Who am I? Where do I come from? Where is my family? Where do I belong? When life's mystery has been shattered by strangers watching over you, a lot of these questions are lost."
Eric ran away to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, where he supported himself by framing houses. In 1985, he was part of the cast of The Cradle Will Fall, an experimental adaptation of Frank Wedekind's
Frank Wedekind
Benjamin Franklin Wedekind , usually known as Frank Wedekind, was a German playwright...
Spring Awakening produced by Theatre of Change at the Actor's Lab; this was his first experience as an actor. In 1987, at twenty years old, he was approached by a producer who suggested he audition for a role in the movie called The Shaman's Source (1990). With little formal education or experience he won the role. The film launched his career in the film industry
Film industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
.
Career
Schweig's numerous screen credits (over thirty) include his portrayal of UncasUncas
Uncas was a sachem of the Mohegan who through his alliance with the English colonists in New England against other Indian tribes made the Mohegan the leading regional Indian tribe in lower Connecticut.-Early life and family:...
in the epic motion picture The Last of the Mohicans
The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)
The Last of the Mohicans is a 1992 historical epic film set in 1757 during the French and Indian War and produced by Morgan Creek Pictures. It was directed by Michael Mann and based on James Fenimore Cooper's novel of the same name, although it owes more to George B. Seitz's 1936 film adaptation...
(1992) and Pike Dexter in the movie Big Eden
Big Eden
Big Eden is a gay-themed romantic drama film written and directed by Thomas Bezucha. It won awards from several gay and lesbian film festivals, and was nominated for best limited release film at the GLAAD Media Awards in 2002.-Plot:...
(2000), for which he won the Grand Jury Prize at the Outfest
Outfest
Outfest is an LGBT-oriented film showcase and festival in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1982 as the "Gay and Lesbian Media Festival and Conference", the name was changed to Outfest in 1994.-Programs:...
film festival. In 1992, he was cast as Black Thunder in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
mini-series By Way of the Stars with Gordon Tootoosis as The Cree Chief and Tantoo Cardinal
Tantoo Cardinal
Rose Marie "Tantoo" Cardinal, CM is a Canadian film and television actress.-Career:Cardinal was born in Anzac, Fort McMurray, Alberta. Her mother, Julia Cardinal, was a Métis of Cree descent...
as Francoise. It was shot in Uxbridge, Ontario. He starred in Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
's The Scarlet Letter and Tom and Huck
Tom and Huck
Tom and Huck is a 1995 Disney film starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Brad Renfro, Joey Stinson, and Rachael Leigh Cook; it is based on Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In the film, mischievous young Tom Sawyer witnesses a murder by the vicious Native American known as "Injun Joe"...
with Amy Wright
Amy Wright
Amy Wright is an American actress. She has appeared in such films as The Deer Hunter, Breaking Away, The Amityville Horror, Heartland, Wise Blood, Stardust Memories, The Accidental Tourist, Hard Promises, Crossing Delancey and Miss Firecracker.Wright is married to actor Rip Torn and the couple...
in 1995.
Among his period film credits since The Last of the Mohicans, Eric became the famous Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
leader Joseph Brandt/Thayendanegea for TNT's telefilm The Broken Chain (1993), playing for the first time the main character in a movie (Schweig met Wes Studi
Wes Studi
Wesley "Wes" Studi is a Cherokee actor, who has earned notability for his portrayal of Native Americans in film. He has appeared in well-received Academy Award-winning films, such as Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves, Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans, the award-winning Geronimo: An...
again for this motion picture). It was shot entirely in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
More recently, Eric Schweig has played the lead role in films addressing more contemporary issues facing aboriginal and Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
people: Skins
Skins (film)
Skins is a 2002 feature film by Chris Eyre and based upon the novel of the same name by Adrian C. Louis. The film is set on the fictional Beaver Creek Indian Reservation in South Dakota near the Nebraska border, a place very much like the actual Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, the setting in the...
(2002), Cowboys and Indians: The J.J. Harper Story (2003) and One Dead Indian (2006).
Personal life
During the 90s, Schweig began an artistic quest to regain his aboriginal roots. Since his childhood, like many Inuit, Eric has carved small objects in wood or stone (figures, kayakKayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
, etc.). Under the coaching of artist Vern Etzerza, he studied traditional Pacific Coast carving before directing his talent specifically towards traditional Inuit Spirit Masks, in collaboration with master carver Art Thompson.
His collection of masks are not only successful attempts to reconnect with his heritage and with Inuit art
Inuit art
Inuit art refers to artwork produced by Inuit people, that is, the people of the Arctic previously known as Eskimos, a term that is now often considered offensive outside Alaska...
, but his carvings are also necessary labours of psychological resilience
Psychological resilience
Resilience in psychology refers to the idea of an individual's tendency to cope with stress and adversity. This coping may result in the individual “bouncing back” to a previous state of normal functioning, or using the experience of exposure to adversity to produce a “steeling effect” and function...
facing a traumatized childhood. As a disastrous consequence of this uprooting and abuse, Schweig struggled for many years against alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the recurring use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse eventually progresses to alcoholism, a condition in which an individual becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages in order to avoid...
and drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
. He has stated that Skins (2002) was the first movie in which he was entirely sober.
His fame as an actor gives him the opportunity to share his life's experience in numerous speeches he presented in Canada and the United States of America. He was able to make a large audience aware of aboriginal issues, especially the care of First Nations children.
Schweig currently resides in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. He works as a full time Resource Assistant for Youth, providing assistance to inner-city youth .
Filmography
----| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Shaman's Source | Robert Crow | |
| 1992 | By Way of the Stars (TV mini-series) | Black Thunder | |
| The Last of the Mohicans The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film) The Last of the Mohicans is a 1992 historical epic film set in 1757 during the French and Indian War and produced by Morgan Creek Pictures. It was directed by Michael Mann and based on James Fenimore Cooper's novel of the same name, although it owes more to George B. Seitz's 1936 film adaptation... |
Uncas Uncas Uncas was a sachem of the Mohegan who through his alliance with the English colonists in New England against other Indian tribes made the Mohegan the leading regional Indian tribe in lower Connecticut.-Early life and family:... |
||
| 1993 | For Love and Glory (TV) | Moses Moon | |
| The Broken Chain (TV) | Joseph Brandt / Thayendanegea | ||
| 1994 | Squanto: A Warrior's Tale Squanto: A Warrior's Tale Squanto: A Warrior's Tale is a 1994 theatrical live action Disney adventure film. It was written by Darlene Craviato. Xavier Koller and Christopher Stoia were the directors. It is very loosely based on the actual historical Native American figure Squanto, and his life prior to and including the... |
Epenow Epenow Epenow was a Nauset from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts who became an early symbol of resistance to English explorers and slavers in the early 17th century.- Capture :... |
|
| Pontiac Moon Pontiac Moon Pontiac Moon is a 1994 adventure film directed by Peter Medak, and produced by Robert Schaffel and Youssef Vahabzadeh.The film stars Ted Danson as Washington Bellamy, a "pigheaded" science teacher in a small California town, and Mary Steenburgen as his wife Katherine. Danson was also one of 3... |
Ernest Ironplume | ||
| 1995 | 500 Nations 500 Nations 500 Nations is an eight part documentary on the Native Americans of North and Central America. It documents from pre-Columbian to the end of the 19th century. Much of the information comes from text, eyewitnesses, pictorials, and computer graphics.... (TV) |
(voice) | |
| Follow the River (TV) | Wildcat | ||
| The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter (1995 film) The Scarlet Letter is a 1995 American film adaptation of the Nathaniel Hawthorne novel of the same name. It was directed by Roland Joffé and stars Demi Moore, Gary Oldman, and Robert Duvall. This version was "freely adapted" from Hawthorne and deviated from the original story. Universally panned by... |
Metacomet Metacomet Metacomet , also known as King Philip or Metacom, or occasionally Pometacom, was a war chief or sachem of the Wampanoag Indians and their leader in King Philip's War, a widespread Native American uprising against English colonists in New England.-Biography:Metacomet was the second son of Massasoit... |
||
| Tom and Huck Tom and Huck Tom and Huck is a 1995 Disney film starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Brad Renfro, Joey Stinson, and Rachael Leigh Cook; it is based on Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In the film, mischievous young Tom Sawyer witnesses a murder by the vicious Native American known as "Injun Joe"... |
Injun Joe | ||
| 1996 | Red River (TV) | Napoléon | |
| Dead Man's Walk Dead Man's Walk Dead Man's Walk is a 1995 novel by Larry McMurtry. It is the third book published in the Lonesome Dove series, but the first installment in terms of chronology. McMurtry wrote a fourth segment to the Lonesome Dove chronicle, Comanche Moon, which describes the events of the central characters' lives... (TV) |
Buffalo Hump Buffalo hump Buffalo Hump was a Native American War Chief of the Penateka band of the Comanche Indians... |
||
| 2000 | Big Eden Big Eden Big Eden is a gay-themed romantic drama film written and directed by Thomas Bezucha. It won awards from several gay and lesbian film festivals, and was nominated for best limited release film at the GLAAD Media Awards in 2002.-Plot:... |
Pike Dexter | |
| 2002 | Skins Skins (film) Skins is a 2002 feature film by Chris Eyre and based upon the novel of the same name by Adrian C. Louis. The film is set on the fictional Beaver Creek Indian Reservation in South Dakota near the Nebraska border, a place very much like the actual Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, the setting in the... |
Rudy Yellow Lodge | |
| 2003 | Mr. Barrington | Samuel | |
| Cowboys and Indians: The John Joseph Harper John Joseph Harper John Joseph "J.J." Harper was a Canadian aboriginal leader from Wasagamack, Manitoba, who was shot and killed by Winnipeg police constable Constable Robert Cross on March 9, 1988. That event, along with the murder of Helen Betty Osborne, sparked the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry.During the an... Story (TV) |
Harry Wood | ||
| The Missing The Missing The Missing is a 2003 Western thriller film directed by Ron Howard, based on Thomas Eidson's 1996 novel The Last Ride.This Western thriller set in 1885 New Mexico Territory is notable for the authentic use of the Apache language by various actors, some of whom spent long hours studying it... |
Pesh-Chidin a.k.a. El Brujo | ||
| 2005 | Into the West Into the West (TV miniseries) Into the West is a 2005 miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks, with six two-hour episodes . The series was first broadcast in the U.S. on Turner Network Television on six Fridays starting on June 10, 2005... |
Sitting Bull Sitting Bull Sitting Bull Sitting Bull Sitting Bull (Lakota: Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake (in Standard Lakota Orthography), also nicknamed Slon-he or "Slow"; (c. 1831 – December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux holy man who led his people as a tribal chief during years of resistance to United States government policies... |
|
| It Waits It Waits It Waits is a 2006 direct-to-DVD horror film directed by Steven R. Monroe. This motion picture was shot in British Columbia, Canada.-Plot:... |
Joseph Riverwind | ||
| Shania: A Life in Eight Albums Shania: A Life in Eight Albums Shania: A Life in Eight Albums is a Canadian television movie, which aired on CBC Television on 8pm on November 7, 2005. It is a biopic of Canadian country star Shania Twain, that was originally scheduled to air in October, but was delayed by the CBC labour dispute... (TV) |
Jerry Twain | ||
| 2006 | One Dead Indian One Dead Indian One Dead Indian: The Premier, the Police, and the Ipperwash Crisis is a book by Canadian investigative journalist Peter Edwards about the 1995 Ipperwash Crisis and the shooting death of aboriginal land claims protester Dudley George by the Ontario Provincial Police on September 7, 1995... (TV) |
Sam George | |
| Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis Oka Crisis The Oka Crisis was a land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec, Canada which began on July 11, 1990 and lasted until September 26, 1990. At least one person died as a result... (TV) |
Terry Doxtator | ||
| Not Like Everyone Else Not Like Everyone Else Not Like Everyone Else is a 2006 TV movie that aired on Lifetime Television and starred Alia Shawkat, Illeana Douglas & Eric Schweig. It is based on a true story of events that happened to Brandi Blackbear in 1999-2000.-Plot:... |
Tim Blackbear | ||
| Mr. Soul Mr. Soul "Mr. Soul" is a song written by Canadian rock musician Neil Young, and first recorded by folk rock band Buffalo Springfield and released on their second album, Buffalo Springfield Again... |
Steve Lonethunder | ||
| 2007 | Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (film) Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a 2007 television film adapted from the book of the same name by Dee Brown. The film was written by Daniel Giat, directed by Yves Simoneau and produced by HBO Films. The book on which the movie is based is a history of Native Americans in the American West in the... |
Gall | |
| 2009 | Cashing In (TV series) | Mathew Tommy | |
| Blackstone Blackstone (TV series) Blackstone is a Canadian television series, which airs on APTN and Showcase. Written, created, directed and produced by Canadian producer Ron E. Scott, the series began filming its eight episodes, plus a pilot, in 2010 in and around Edmonton, Alberta.... |
Chief Andy | ||
| Kissed by Lightning | Solomon "Bug" King | ||
| 2010 | A Flesh Offering | Mishomis | |
| Casino Jack | Chief Poncho | ||
Awards
2000 : Grand Jury Award L.A. OutfestOutstanding Actor in a Feature Film for Big Eden
Eric was also honoured on June 9, 2008, with an Honorary Doctorate of Education from Nipissing University, one of Canada's most highly regarded faculties of education.