Indian Giver

Episode aired Nov 29, 1987
TV-PG
47m

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

445

YOUR RATING

Bernard White in Murder, She Wrote (1984)

Crime Drama Mystery

A Native Indian lays claim to Cabot Cove, throwing the town into chaos. When a local with valuable property is found murdered, all signs point to the town's supposed new land owner.A Native Indian lays claim to Cabot Cove, throwing the town into chaos. When a local with valuable property is found murdered, all signs point to the town's supposed new land owner.A Native Indian lays claim to Cabot Cove, throwing the town into chaos. When a local with valuable property is found murdered, all signs point to the town's supposed new land owner.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

445

YOUR RATING

8User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Bernard White, who plays the Algonquin character of George Longbow, is of Sri Lankan descent.

Goofs
The Native American in this story is portrayed as an Algonquin and he appears riding into town in full plains Indian headdress. There were no Algonquin Indians in Maine; Penobscott, Passamaquoddy, Abenaki, and Maliseet, but no Algonquins. It seems like five minutes of research would have provided a more accurate portrayal.

Quotes
[first lines]
Mayor Sam Booth: Friends. Neighbors. My heart swells with pride as I stand before you on this special day to once again celebrate the long and glorious past of this great town of ours.

Soundtracks
Murder She Wrote Theme
Written by John Addison

User reviews8

Featured review

5/10

Uggh!

"Indian Giver" is an episode of "Murder, She Wrote" that you simply couldn't make today. Not only is the title 'Indian Giver' far from PC, but the guy who plays this Algonquin Indian is much closer to being an Indian from India, as the actor was actually from Sri Lanka (an Island nation off the coast of India)!

The episode begins with some sort of ceremony where the mayor of Cabot Cove is making a speech. Suddenly, a guy dressed in Plains Indian garb comes riding into town and tosses a spear at the podium! Attached is a paper saying that the land actually belongs to the Algonquins!

The next day, the 'Indian' returns...dressed in normal garb. He tells the town that he has a land grant and it gives the town and the area around it to him! But before he can possibly take possession, there's a murder...and he's accused of doing it.

This is not only a non-PC episode, but it's not a very good one in other ways. First, the land grant is from Colonial British times....and it doesn't take a lawyer to know that it would have no validity today. Second, the murder itself was very good and had a great point to make...but it got lost among all the faux Indian mumbo-jumbo.