Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Hidalgo (film)" in English language version.
Vine Deloria of the University of Colorado, is furious at the uncritical repetition of Hopkins' claims about his role in Sioux history. He wrote: "Hopkins' claims are so outrageously false that one wonders why Disney were attracted to this material at all, except of course the constant propensity to make money under any conditions available."
Hopkins claims are so outrageously false that one wonders why the Disney people were attracted to this material at all. ... Try this on for size – Hopkins claimed to be the grandson of Geronimo who, he confided, was really a Sioux and not an Apache at all. Hopkins, according to himself and wife, was very popular with the Indians because he was half Sioux himself, his mother being a lady called Nah-Kwa – her more formal name was Valley Naw-Kwa or "Valley of Silence" – hardly fitting for a woman who had such illustrious relatives. Hopkins spoke "the Indian language" so he was a natural interpreter for the Army – although his name does not appear on any treaty documents where the interpreters are listed or in any correspondence in government files wherein interpreters were needed.
