PROUD WARRIOR'S BATTLE STRIKES PERSONAL CHORD : ACTOR GREYEYES EXPLORES HIS OWN HERITAGE VIA ROLE IN TNT MOVIE AS LEGENDARY CHIEF.

Byline: Doug Nye Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

The most famous battle involving Sioux warrior Crazy Horse was at the Little Big Horn.

But that skirmish, which resulted in the massacre of Custer and the 7th Cavalry, was far from being Crazy Horse's biggest battle.

That came with his own people.

``Crazy Horse did not accept the fact that the old way of life was ending,'' said Michael Greyeyes, who plays the chief in ``Crazy Horse,'' TNT's latest American Indian series entry, debuting at 5 p.m. Sunday (repeating at 7 and 9 p.m.).

Crazy Horse became one of the Sioux's most respected leaders. But as the number of white settlers and soldiers rapidly increased, he found himself at odds with many of his own people. They had decided it was time to give in to the white man's ways. Crazy Horse did not.

Opposing Crazy Horse was another highly regarded Sioux leader, Red Cloud (played by Wes Studi).

``I have been to visit the great white father,'' Red Cloud tells Crazy Horse. ``I have seen their cities and their weapons. They can destroy us.''

Still, Crazy Horse refused to negotiate for peace with the whites. His decision led to more pain and suffering for his people.

``Wes and I talked about both characters, and we decided that both were patriots for their people,'' Greyeyes said during a recent telephone conversation. ``But they chose different paths to help their people. Crazy Horse just didn't believe what Red Cloud was saying.''

The time devoted to the conflict between Crazy Horse and Red Cloud is one of the many reasons Greyeyes is so fond of Turner's American Indian series.

``They do so much about their personal lives, much of it not widely known. They humanize the characters. And I think they show us that history was much more complex. In movies like this, it's hard to find a bad guy.

``There were people on both sides whose personalities and ideas clashed. There are a lot of gray areas in history.''

While the Little Big Horn became a vivid piece of American history, at the time, the confrontation was no bigger than any other for Crazy Horse.

``It was simply one part of the landscape of Crazy Horse's life,'' Greyeyes said. ``His village had been attacked and he responded. He did not know that it was a historic moment.''

Greyeyes, the son of Cree parents, learned a lot about American Indian history during his childhood. But he discovered new facts after being handed the script for ``Crazy Horse.''

``There were so many things about his life and his personality I did not know,'' Greyeyes said. ``That's another reason I think this TNT series is so important.

``It tells a part of history that previously was omitted, and the films can serve as teaching tool. The history is rich and the stories are compelling.''

Another positive spinoff of the Turner series is that many American Indians are learning the business of acting and motion-picture making.

``It has been incredible training,'' Greyeyes said. ``So many of the actors, writers and technicians working on this series are Native Americans. I would like to think that we will use this experience and move on to to become filmmakers of our own.''

Greyeyes, who made his acting debut in TNT's ``Geronimo,'' is heading in that direction. A graduate of the National Ballet School of Canada, he has given up his dance career (``I still do native dances'') to pursue acting.

He and his wife plan to move to Los Angeles where he can be near the industry. That attitude already has paid off.

``I just finished a movie for CBS that will air this fall. It's called `Stolen Woman,' and Janine Turner of `Northern Exposure' is in it. She plays a woman in the 1860s who is kidnapped by a Lakota and falls in love with him.

``It's based on a true story. And it's something of a departure for me.''

There is another aspect of this moviemaking business that Greyeyes likes: It can be fun. There was, for instance, a brief moment during the filming of ``Crazy Horse'' when Greyeyes was hurtled back through time.

At least it felt that way.

``It was a most profound moment for me,'' Greyeyes said.

``There was a sequence with running buffalo, and I was to ride along with them and draw a bead on the lead buffalo. Riding a horse flat out is incredible. The horse becomes an extension of you.

``I let go of the reins while riding at top speed, and the horse knew what to do. During that minute, for me, I was in the 19th century. I said to myself, `No wonder we hunted.' It was exhilarating.''

THE FACTS The show: ``Crazy Horse.''

The stars: Michael Greyeyes, Irene Bedard and Wes Studi.

When: 5, 7 and 9 p.m. Sunday. Also playing July 10, 13, 14, 19, 20. Check listings.

Channel: TNT.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1) ``It tells a part of history that previouslywas omitted, and the films can serve as teaching tool. The history is rich and the stories are compelling,'' says actor Michael Greyeyes, the son of Cree parents, who plays the lead in TNT's ``Crazy Horse.''

(2) Crazy Horse was victorious in what became known as Custer's last stand. ``His village had been attacked and he responded. He did not know that it was a historic moment,'' Greyeyes says of the chief.