Kevin Costner‘s new documentary series on the American West reframes a pivotal but buried chapter in United States history, focusing on Native American resistance and victory often omitted from mainstream narratives. Premiering on the History Channel in May 2025, the series opens with a stark re-examination of the Battle of the Wabash, exploring how Indigenous forces temporarily halted the westward push of a fledgling nation.
The Western genre has traditionally painted an incomplete or distorted picture of the settlement of the American West, usually privileging the perspective of white settlers while reducing Native Americans to stereotypes. For generations, films like those directed by John Ford or starring Clint Eastwood have defined the mythos of the West, offering little acknowledgment of Indigenous experiences and agency. Kevin Costner, previously regarded as a champion of both Westerns and sports dramas, has sought to challenge and update this cinematic tradition through his latest nonfiction venture.
Costner Breaks New Ground with a Documentary Format
While Kevin Costner’s long association with Western storytelling has included iconic roles and directorial efforts such as Dances With Wolves and, more recently, the hit miniseries Hatfields & McCoys, his latest collaboration with the History Channel represents a shift from scripted drama to documentary realism. As the host and narrator, Costner guides viewers through American conflicts that played out on Native land during the 18th and 19th centuries, taking care to highlight the people’s struggle and strategic brilliance that defined those moments. The first episode, titled Fallen Timbers, aired on May 26, signaling a commitment to presenting the West’s legacy through detailed, unfiltered historical research.
Standing against a vast landscape backdrop, Costner introduces the series with a statement that underscores the theme:
“Although the United States was founded in the East, the country we know today was forged in the West,”
he says, setting the tone for the exploration of overlooked Indigenous accomplishments in shaping the nation’s destiny. —Kevin Costner, Host
This direct approach quickly distinguishes The West from romanticized versions of frontier life, beginning with Costner’s own recollections of Hollywood Westerns and leading into a candid exploration of who truly shaped the continent’s history.
The Forgotten Triumph of Little Turtle and the Northwest Confederacy
The American West has often been idealized as an open frontier embodying the dreamy possibility and freedom of the so-called American Dream. However, this popular vision overlooks the uncomfortable reality that Native peoples inhabited and governed vast territories for millennia before European arrival. After the Revolutionary War, figures like George Washington watched as settlers and militias swept into Native-held lands, disregarding existing boundaries and rights. Rather than the defenders portrayed in most Westerns, Indigenous leaders like Chief Little Turtle became shrewd tacticians, mobilizing the Northwest Confederacy to protect their communities.
The inaugural episode of Kevin Costner’s The West spotlights how Chief Little Turtle orchestrated one of the most significant setbacks in early U.S. military history—the defeat of Arthur St. Clair’s army at the Battle of the Wabash. In direct opposition to the Hollywood trope of disorganized Native resistance, Little Turtle’s coalition leveraged military organization and strategic surprise to secure a considerable victory. The event, resulting in more American casualties at the hands of Native forces than any other battle, forced the young republic to put its westward ambitions on hold.
Amid ongoing violence, the Northwest Confederacy even pursued diplomatic avenues, at one time proposing a peaceful boundary along the Ohio River to separate Indigenous nations from United States settlers. This gesture, largely neglected in the conventional historical teaching, demonstrated a preference for coexistence as well as defense. Yet, these overtures were ultimately rejected or ignored as expansionism prevailed.
The episode continues with the aftermath, as President Washington charged General “Mad Anthony” Wayne to bring the frontier under control. The series tracks his slow-moving campaign through Miami territory, culminating at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. In this climactic encounter, Little Turtle’s forces, deserted by their erstwhile British allies, were compelled to retreat under relentless artillery assault, and saw their fields and resources destroyed. This marked a decisive reversal, opening a brutal new chapter of forced displacement and settlement in the West.
Challenging the Mythology of Western Expansion
By centering the narrative on Little Turtle and the perspective of the Northwest Confederacy, the documentary offers an overdue corrective to the way Western stories are usually told—including in many films Costner himself has headlined. While the defeat at Fallen Timbers led to catastrophic losses for the Indigenous coalition, the earlier victory at the Wabash remains a testament to their tactical mastery and resilience—a legacy long overshadowed by celebratory accounts of settler triumph.
Kevin Costner’s approach in The West marks an evolution in his own relationship to the genre. His earlier landmark, Dances With Wolves, was praised for its revival of public interest in Western stories but criticized in hindsight for perpetuating the “white savior” trope. His new documentary, by contrast, strives to give agency and heroism back to historical figures like Little Turtle, moving away from narratives in which Native peoples serve merely as supporting characters to white protagonists.
The tendency for mainstream Western films to mischaracterize Indigenous nations—as if they were foreign intruders on their own land—has pervaded the genre from its origins. Even in instances where Native people received a sympathetic portrayal, it often only served to highlight the valor of figures like cavalry soldiers or ranchers. Little Turtle’s victory, and the broader story of organized Native resistance, rarely appeared in such portrayals, despite their profound impact on history.
The show‘s effort to center Native perspectives does not wholly escape scrutiny, given Costner’s central position and the inescapable association with his past work. Nevertheless, by refraining from overly glorifying white settler exploits and instead granting Native leaders their rightful acknowledgment, the documentary signals a critical shift. After years of marginalization in both media and public memory, these stories are finally being told through a lens of justice and respect, offering Native Americans overdue recognition as key architects of the Old West narrative.
The Impact and Future Prospects of ‘The West’
Kevin Costner’s new documentary series on the American West stands as an ambitious attempt to expand the boundaries of popular history. By revisiting conflicts such as the Battle of the Wabash and the Battle of Fallen Timbers, and by narrating them through the voices and strategies of Indigenous leaders, the series challenges audiences to reconsider foundational myths of American identity.
With its focus on overlooked victories and tragedies, the series is poised to spark renewed debate about how history is represented in both teaching and entertainment. Costner’s willingness to examine his own relationship to the genre, along with his status as both narrator and host, may prompt other filmmakers and storytellers to reconsider whose stories are told and celebrated in culture.
As the series progresses, the hope is that The West will continue to inspire broader, more balanced conversations about the intertwined histories of settlers and Native nations—a vital step in understanding the true complexity and legacy of the American frontier.
