Im jamie colby, and today im just outside great falls, montana, known for its wide prairies and stunning waterfalls, but its also steeped in native american history. And thats the connection between montana and its native American Culture thats brought me here to learn about a strange inheritance and its unusual odyssey from right here to hollywood and back again. My name is sandi solomon, and, in 2006, my dear friend passed away and left me the entire estate. And the inheritance is an obligation. Sandis talking about a huge collection of paintings, drawings, photographs, and historic artifacts that she inherited from the estate of hollywood Technical Advisor and artist David Humphreys miller. All of these are my people, my relatives, my dearest friends. Millers people and the subject of his artwork are the survivors of the most famous indian battle of all time the battle of little bighorn in june 1876. [ gunshots ] where colonel George Armstrong custer and all his men were slaughtered. Ive come to montana, the state where the battle took place, to learn more about miller and the strange inheritance he left behind. Brad hamlett is a gallery owner and fifthgeneration montanan, who, as youll see, stumbled into his own stake in this strange inheritance. The life work of David Humphreys miller was to find and paint the survivors of the battle of the little bighorn. David miller is born in 1918 and raised in van wert, ohio. His parents are both artists, and they teach him to paint, too. At 16, david becomes obsessed with history in particular, the battle of little bighorn. He goes to his parents with an unusual request allow him to travel alone to the Western Plains and search out the native american survivors of the battle. David really went on a very unique journey, didnt he . Why do you think he did it . He just believed that some of these people were still alive and that maybe he could talk to them. His parents trusted him, and david had to promise that, when it was time to come home and go to school, he would. In 1935, with his parents plymouth coupe and 100, david heads to south dakota, home to the sioux and blackfoot indians, such as those seen in this rare film footage from the era. This is the first photo. You can see how young he was. But he has his sketch pad and his pencils, and hes drawing away. Why do you think they trusted him . He was a very loving individual, and i think he just slipped right into their lifestyle. Miller came at the right time, and he was young. They knew he wasnt working for the government. And because of that, he earned their trust. And once they trusted him, they would share things with him. This is white cow bull. Hes a very famous indian, and they were friends. One day, while sketching joseph white cow bull, the elderly indian warrior starts talking about the famous battle fought six decades before and recounts seeing the man the indians called longhair. He describes him as wearing a white buckskin jacket, the one that custer famously wore, and leading the charge. Then white bull begins to tell david his secret that his shot may have changed the battle. The officer in buckskins fell into the little bighorn, and they retrieved him and then turned around and went up the hill, and that seemed to change the whole tide of the battle from an attack to a retreat. Did this young artist solve a 60yearold mystery who killed custer . From 1936 to 1941, david travels back and forth between south dakota and ohio. He learns 13 tribal languages and is adopted by a sioux warrior. He draws dozens of sketches and paints Oil Portraits of indians from numerous tribes. Many of these indians confirm white bulls story. You have to understand this is the indian side of the story, what they said happened that day. And i think you better Pay Attention to it because they were there. For the young david miller, his journey of discovery is a rite of passage, what the indians might call a vision quest. It certainly set him on a unique career path. After serving in world war ii, david heads to hollywood. Studios are churning out westerns like theres no tomorrow. David establishes himself as a leading consultant to directors looking to cast native americans in their films. David works on dozens of westerns, including tomahawk, how the west was won, and cheyenne autumn. He also works on the tv series daniel boone. An entertainment reporter named jan boheme writes a profile on david. They fall in love and marry. She gets him to write a book drawing on his experience. Custers fall tells the indian side of the story. In the 1970s, david and jan move to rancho santa fe, north of san diego. Thats where they meet sandi solomon and become good friends. Tell me what it was like to walk into their home with all of davids work everywhere. Ive seen people walk in the front door and tears start down their eyes. People just were absolutely captured by that wall. The wall features 72 of davids many paintings and drawings of indian warriors from the battle of little bighorn. In 1990, david is diagnosed with lung cancer and dies two years later. His ashes are scattered on mount coolidge, in the black hills of south dakota, where he first met the indian warriors. Sandi helps her friend jan sort through his estate a mindboggling collection of paintings, sketches, photos, and also centuryold drums, headdresses, and other artifacts. In 2003, jan, who has no children of her own, tells sandi that, when the time comes, she wants to leave the entire estate to her. But the bequest came with one condition, sandi says she must protect davids legacy. There was no one else to do it, and i felt that there was a mission, you know, there was an obligation. Three years later, that time comes, and sandi is in for a big surprise. I wasnt allowed in. By then, jan was gone. Thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. Which of these western films grossed highest at the box office . Is it the 2010 remake true grit, the 1990 movie dances with wolves, or the 2011 animated feature rango . The answer in a moment. I am the twisting thundercloud. I am royalty of racing, i am alfa romeo. And you know what they isay about curiosity. Itll ruin your house. So get allstate and be better protected from mayhem, like meow. But you dont feel good. With polycythemia vera, pv, symptoms can change so slowly over time you might not notice. But new or changing symptoms can mean your pv is changing. Lets change the way we see pv. You track and discuss blood counts with your doctor. But its just as vital to discuss changing symptoms as well. Take notice and take action. Discuss counts and symptoms with your doctor. Visit takeactionpv. Com im part of a community of problem solvers. We make ideas grow. From an everyday solution. To one that can take on a bigger challenge. We are solving problems that improve lives. To one that can take on a bigger challenge. Doctor bob, what should i take for back pain . Before you take anything, i recommend applying topical relievers first. Salonpas lidocaine patch blocks pain receptors for effective, nonaddictive relief. Salonpas lidocaine. Patch, rollon or cream. Hisamitsu. So, which of these western films grossed highest at the box office . Its b, the 1990 film dances with wolves, starring kevin costner, which grossed 424 million worldwide. This is. There was no one else to do it, and i felt that there was an obligation. In 2003, sandi solomon is promised a strange inheritance, including dozens of portraits of the survivors of the battle of little bighorn. Theyre the work of David Humphreys miller, whose ailing widow, jan miller, is sandis best friend. Three years pass. In january 2006, sandi gets a troubling call from jans caregiver. She had died in her sleep the night before. I was told that the sheriff had been there and that theyd locked the doors. The county of san diego says jan died without a valid will. It takes a year, but a Court Finally rules that sandi is jans legal heir. She spends months sorting through davids artwork, photographs, and artifacts and clearing it all out of the house, which she sells for 1. 9 million in what turns out to be the nick of time. Firefighters have been working furiously to knock this. Soon after the sale, a wildfire sweeps through the area and burns the house to the ground. If she hadnt moved quickly, the entire collection couldve been lost to the flames. These were in an album that david had in his desk that he looked at all the time, and nobody really knew that that album was there. And. How did you know . Jan had shown it to me. How much did you think your inheritance was worth . I absolutely had no idea because things hadnt been valued, and, of course, the artifacts cant be sold. They have to be donated because they have eagle feathers on them, even though theyre over a hundred years old. You cant sell anything with an eagle feather. But sandi believes millers art has significant worth, and shes flabbergasted when a Probate Court appraiser says otherwise. So, what did they come back and tell you . They told me that it was worth 20,000 the entire collection. On what basis . They didnt believe there was any value to the artwork. They were more interested in silver and pots and pans. No value to the artwork . Sandi makes it her quest to prove the appraisal is wrong. And i kept saying to everyone, but you have to see this. You have to see this. In 2007, shes put in touch with a montana rancher, state senator, and gallery owne brad hamlett. How did you find out about this collection . Well, i got a call from a friend, and he mentioned David Humphreys miller. Yeah, i remember that name because i had actually read that book, and i thought it did a lot to resolve what really happened at the battle of little bighorn. And i was even more intrigued when i found out that there was all these sketches and painting that hed done from life of these indians. He caught their soul. He caught a moment in time that nobody else was bothering to do, and thats one of the reasons its valuable. Brad and sandi start working with a new appraiser, Barbara Stone, a former Museum Curator who started her own artconsulting firm in denver. She declares the miller collection is worth a heck of a lot more than 20,000. And your value would be . 3,500,000. That and the story of one little girl trying to get our attention in that rare film footage next on strange inheritance. Heres another quiz question for you. Which movie star never acted in a hollywood western cary grant, sharon stone, or Frank Sinatra . The answer in a moment. Look. Only one things more exciting than getting a lexus. Ahhhh giving one. The lexus december to rembember sales event lease the 2020 nx 300 for 329 a month for 27 months. Experience amazing at your lexus dealer. Liberty mutual customizes your car insurance, for 329 a month for 27 months. Hmm. Exactly. So you only pay for what you need. Nice. But, uh. Whats up with your. Partner . Not again. Limu thats your reflection. Only pay for what you need. Liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty when you look at the world, what do you see . Where others see chaos, we see patterns. Connections. Relationships. When you use location technology, you can see where things happen, before they happen. With esri location technology, you can see what others cant. So, which of these stars never acted in a hollywood western . The answer is a, cary grant. What makes one artists work worth millions and anothers next to nothing . That question hangs over this strange inheritance, which includes portraits of indians from the battle of little bighorn, sketched and painted by David Humphreys miller. When a California Court values his entire collection at only 20,000, heir sandi solomon launches a quest to prove them wrong. Along the way, montana gallery owner brad hamlett takes up her cause. Hey. How are you, brad . Welcome to wrangler gallery. Brad has framed the entire collection and put it on display in his gallery. So, youve made your own investment not just your time, but also in the frames. How much was that . Cost is roughly about 50,000, but i felt we had to do it to show the value of it. Youre now financially invested in it, as well as emotionally. Therell never be another collection like this come on the market thats photographs, artwork, artifacts, research notes. For the descendants of those who survived the battle of little bighorn, the collection provides a direct link to their past. Heres a fleeting shot of a little girl prancing around in the background of this footage of the indians shot in the late 1920s. Hi, gertie. Hello. And here is that little girl now. Thank you for coming by. I wanted to show you something. 90yearold gertie heavy runner of the blackfoot nation. As she walks through the exhibit, she recognizes the elders from her own childhood. This man here i want to talk you about juniper. Juniper old person. Juniper old person, he was very prominent man on our reservation where i grew up. He was an indian judge. And he took care of all the children, and anytime nobody didnt keep the curfew, you had to go see judge old person. Uhoh. So, he was very strict. Without david, we wouldnt have the native american side of this story. Should that come into play in appraising sandi solomons strange inheritance . Yes, says art appraiser Barbara Stone. Was he an artist or just someone who documented a side of history . Hes an artist, absolutely. When you can produce Something Like this with your hands, thats an artist. So, whos interested in a collection like this . This should go to a university, a museum that can share it with the american public. Why . Because of the historic background. Because he has captured the essence of the individual. Which sounds descriptively like theyre very nice pictures of people who were interesting, but how do you go about your appraisal . Well, when you look at a painting, youre going to look at uniqueness. This is one of a kind. Its not a reproduction. Okay, well, i do see its signed with the year 1939. Right. This must be the name of the subject, possibly his signature . It is, which is rare. As someone who studies and evaluates and appraises native american art, were you very excited about this collection . Yes, i was excited. But when you start doing the appraisal, you must be objective. It doesnt matter if i love this piece. How much is it worth . Keep in mind, the court appraiser in california dismissed millers art as nearly worthless when it valued the total collection at 20,000. And your value would be . 3,500,000. But once someone hears that there was another appraisal for less, theyll question which one is right. They might. What you have to have, though, is not just a straight appraiser. You have to have somebody who knows the material. And thats one of my fields native american. 3. 5 million would suggest each painting might be worth tens of thousands of dollars. If thats true, its great news for sandi solomon. Which one do you think is correct 20,000 or 3. 5 million or something in the middle, sandi . I think its priceless. So, you know, give me an offer. [ laughs ] but will she get one . Thats next on strange inheritance. 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Its one less thing for us to worry about. Comcast business securityedge automatically protects all the devices on your network. Call 18005016000 today. Thouwhich is Breast Cancer metastthat has spreadcer, to other parts of the body, are living in the moment and taking ibrance. Ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor is for postmenopausal women or for men with hr her2 metastatic Breast Cancer, as the first hormonal based therapy. Ibrance plus letrozole significantly delayed disease progression versus letrozole, and shrank tumors in over half of patients. Patients taking ibrance can develop low white blood cell counts which may cause serious infections that can lead to death. Ibrance may cause severe inflammation of the lungs that can lead to death. Tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including trouble breathing, shortness of breath, cough, or chest pain. Before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. Common side effects include low red blood cell and low platelet counts, infections, tiredness, nausea, sore mouth, abnormalities in liver blood tests, diarrhea, hair thinning or loss, vomiting, rash, and loss of appetite. Be in your moment. Ask your doctor about ibrance. Now back to strange inheritance. Talk about millions of miles apart. In 2006, a Probate Court appraiser deems these indian portraits by David Humphreys miller, teenage artist turned hollywood consultant, worth just a few thousand dollars. In 2007, a second appraiser with an expertise in western art pegs the value of this strange inheritance at 3. 5 million. And seven years later, even though there have been no takers, Barbara Stone stands by her estimate. So, whos right . Why hasnt the collection sold . Number one, the desire that it all stays together, and that puts limits on it. Shes giving up getting some money for it by selling it off piecemeal. Was that a good decision . Well, yes, because she was very good friends with the millers, and she is simply acting for them. They wouldve wanted it all to go one place. Montana gallery owner brad hamlett does try to market the collection to museums and universities to no avail. Museums have no money. We need to find an individual that will purchase the collection, and then they can gift it, and there it will be for everybody to look at in the future. You think that the beneficiary of this collection will get their price . I think they will. They have to hold fast. And maybe for a while longer. So be it, says sandi solomon, who insists the real bottom line of her strange inheritance has less to do with money than an obligation to honor David Humphreys millers legacy. Thats the promise she says she made to his widow, her benefactor jan miller, and its a promise she vows to fulfill. What do you think shes saying to you . Shes telling me just to keep going, keep on keeping on. There are many questions about the battle of little bighorn that may never be answered. Even the slightest details were hotly debated from the start. Let me give you an example david millers native american sources. They all agreed the battle started at noon, with the sun directly overhead, but official military accounts said it started around 3 00 p. M. Thats a threehour discrepancy. Miller did some research, and he figured out the problem back in 1876 was there still no uniform time zones across the u. S. Cities and states. They all had different time standards. So even though the 7th cavalry was 1,500 miles west of chicago, it was fighting the battle of little bighorn on chicago time. One detail that is agreed on is that the battle was quick and it was bloody, taking such little time that one native american witness said, it lasted only as long as it takes a hungry man to eat a meal. Im jamie colby for strange inheritance. Thanks for joining us. And remember you cant take it with you. Do you have a strange inheritance story youd like to share with us . Wed love to hear it. Send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. At the edge of death valley. Its weird and unusual and unique. A man puts a dusty weigh station on the map. But the town and his legacy fall on hard times. I was hearing from the residents that it was an eyesore. Has he left his family a money pit. We want you to keep this in the family at all costs. Or a monument . Sometimes in life, we dont appreciate things until theyre gone. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] [ horn honks ] im jamie colby, and toda
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