Meek's Cutoff 2011

A small band of settlers journeying through the Oregon High Desert in 1845 begin to doubt their guide, Stephen Meek, questioning his ability to navigate a safe path. What was meant to be a two-week trek along what would become known as the Meek Cutoff turns into a grueling five-week ordeal. With dwindling supplies of food and water, anxiety builds among the travelers as they lose their way. The women watch helplessly, stripped of their voices in the crucial discussions, while their husbands deliberate on how long they should persist in following Meek’s lead.

As tensions come to a boiling point, the balance of power shifts dramatically when the settlers capture a Cayuse man, hoping he will guide them to water. Meek insists on killing the captive, declaring that he can’t be trusted, yet the settlers’ confidence in him has waned significantly. When Meek readies his gun to shoot the man, it is Mrs. Tetherow who courageously steps in to stop him. Ultimately, the group stumbles upon a promising sign in the form of a tree, prompting Meek to align with the majority’s decision. The story climaxes with an air of uncertainty as the Cayuse man continues on his path, leaving the fate of the settlers hanging in the balance.