by: Darlene Kawennano Johnson

Photos By: Darlene Kawennano Johnson

Palm Springs, Ca- The Southern California highway winds up a steep, almost vertical hill, the sun is high, my truck turns north then west off onto a half asphalt, half gravel, road beginning yet another series of twists and turns. Suddenly, the asphalt ends and only dry mixed with a little gravel becomes the path. At the end of this arid dusty trail my truck makes one more quick turn down to my brother and friend's driveway and stops. As I reach around gathering my belongings and interviewing equipment, I reflect back to the first time I met Steve, many, many summers ago, doing an interview for Indian Country Today. I smile to myself, as I recall how much fun we had during that interview and how such good friends we have become since.

Away from the hussle and bussel and bright lights of Hollywood, I get out of my truck and head for the front door. Steve opens the door with a smile and walks towards me. We greet each other half-way with a traditional "hey sister!'" " Hey brother!" and a warm hug. Three rambunctious kids greet me with the same energy of love and greetings as their father renders. Kiyio, 9, Pickuni, 6 and their younger sister as, "Auntie" are ever so delightful to see.

We all embrace. It is a good warm feeling! It always feels like family, something Steve is dedicating most of his time and energy to these days. Like typical Indians we head straight for the kitchen table. The area we most feel at ease in, a place where we can talk and share freely, not to mention eat! We have been trying for months to meet for this interview and here we are finally. We begin the interview.

Q: What or what were your film career inspirations?

Steve (S): The only ones I really admired were Will Sampson and Chief Dan George, not just because they were actors, but that they were true Indian guys. You know, more like life inspirations, not so much film inspirations. They were real, like they did what they said they were going to do. No pretentiousness about them. Always trying hard for their people. By the time I got into it [acting] they had already gone on. So, I guess if there's any inspiration it would have been those two. I wish I could have met those guys.

Q: When did your acting career begin?

S: Well, it started in the summer of 1987, with the movie War Party. I was working as a mechanic in Lawrence, Kansas. My brother contacted me and said he was going down to Browning [Montana] for an audition. He asked me to go along with him. So, I took a week off my from job and went to the casting call. We get there and the first guy says there are no lines for us to read but we continue on anyway. The next person is a woman and says the director would like for us to tell a story. So we did. After all that, they tell us there were no more parts for us. But...they learn we can ride horses very good. So, we were hired as stunt riders and doubles for $600.00 per week. And on the Rez, that is pigging out! Anyhow, that's how I got my start.

Q: So what happened next?

S: Well, after that shoot, I moved down to Los Angeles, that was in the spring of 1988.

Q: How did you survive?

S: I struggled, doing anything I could. I once delivered scripts for a messenger service to different studios. I also worked in a warehouse that had a lot of airplane parts, endless boxes and rows of airplane parts. I worked jobs like that. I guess you could call it temporary job services. It was a struggle then, I was living in my car at the time too.

Q: Tell us the survival story of you and Jules Dejelarus.

S: (laughs) O.K. In 1990, I was coming back from Browning, Montana to LA when I received a message to call René Haynes. She was casting a movie called Miracle in the Wilderness, and wanted me for this role, the set was in Las Vegas, New Mexico. And it was there I met Jules. He was traveling with another friend at the time, but by the end of filming, he really didn't have a place to stay. I think he was going to pack it up and head back to Canada. I told him that I was headed back to LA and he was welcome to come along and that all I had was the van as home. So we headed back to LA. He had the middle of the floor and I took the back of the van and that was our home. From there we did the auditions. Fortunately, I had a membership at the Holiday Health Spa for about 19-20 bucks a month. It was pretty reasonable to shower, clean up  and go about our day. Then somewhere along the way, we picked up Josh Drum. He really didn't have a home base either. So we took him in too. He spun the chairs around and placed a box underneath and that's where he stayed. Anyhow, that's how me, Jules and josh got to know each other. And we lived in my van the next 2 or 3 months like that.
 
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