British Pathe

M/S of a group of boys walking along a country road with two leaders; pan right to show a sign reading 'Camp Mohawk / American Youth Camp' with a painting of a Native American Indian. M/S of two young boys sitting at a table outside; they are carving wooden figures; C/U of painted American Indian figures...

M/S of a group of boys walking along a country road with two leaders; pan right to show a sign reading 'Camp Mohawk / American Youth Camp' with a painting of a Native American Indian. M/S of two young boys sitting at a table outside; they are carving wooden figures; C/U of painted American Indian figures on the table; commentator tells us the boys are at a camp in Salisbury, Wiltshire. M/Ss of two leaders painting and carving wooden totem poles; a younger boy examines the carving.

M/Ss and C/Us of boys eating at long picnic tables outside from army style mess tins. Commentator says "these boys are all children of American servicemen in the United Kingdom". One boy spoons some red jelly into his tin.

"The emphasis is on Red Indian lore" says commentator as we see the boys sitting around a camp fire with Chief Rising Sun (in full costume), alias Bill Hargrove of the US Special Services Division who started the camp in 1956. Some of the boys roast sausages over the fire - a weenie roast! One small boy is seen eating his sausage and making a funny face.

M/S of five men dressed as American Indians outside a wigwam; one of them beats on a large drum. The boys sit and watch as a man does the Dying Eagle Dance in a costume of white feathered wings. C/U of a young man with a mohican hairpiece, face paint and decorated headband. The 'eagle' dances round the fire and eventually 'dies'; the boys look on disinterestedly; some of the others in costume start to do the Chippawah Brave War Dance; the Mohican taps his feet - he has bells on his ankles.

Great C/U of boys watching; one (who looks very American with crew-cut hair) rests his chin on his hands and looks incredibly bored with open mouth; the other is of Oriental origin.

The dancers get the boys to join in and they all dance round the camp fire whooping. C/U of a Native American Indian sign reading 'Namassakett Chapter England'. M/S from outside the camp gate of the boys dancing round - one poor little boy in red keeps falling over.

Note: There is a newspaper article about the camp, notes on the film and a nice leaflet (with an application form for anyone who's interested!) for the camp on file. Apparently, girls could stay at there at a separate time to the boys!