Devil's Doorway (1950)

Lance Poole: It's hard to explain how an Indian feels about the earth. It's the pumping of our blood... the love we got to have. My father said the earth is our mother. I was raised in the valley and now I'm part of it. Like the mountains and the hills, the deer, the pine trees and the wind. Deep in my heart I know I belong. If we lose it now, we might as well all be dead.

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Lance Poole: Every Shoshoni boy has to go through that. It's a test. Before a boy turns into a man, the tribe wants to know if he measures up.
Mrs. Masters: Well, what does he have to do?
Lance Poole: He's given a knife, nothing else. No food, no water. He has to go up into the mountains above the snow line... and bring back the talons of an eagle. He has three days to do it in. He has to be back on the third day before the sun goes down.
Orrie Masters: Isn't it rather cruel?
Lance Poole: It depends on your point of view. You see, Shoshoni are a small tribe. Every man counts. Suppose one day that boy had to fight for his people. Wouldn't it be a good idea if they knew they could depend upon him?

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Zeke Carmody: I was always one of them fellas that wanted to die with my boots off, in bed, with people standing around crying over me.

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