University of Memphis sophomore and China native Ian Coombe sat quietly in his oak canoe.
He carefully took aim at the six Spanish Conquistadors trying to cross the Tennessee River.
He had to kill the group before they returned to their ship and informed Hernando De Soto of the location of his family's tribe.
Before Coombe could get the shot off from his feather-laced long bow, a speedboat passed by and ended the dramatic stand off.
"That's the second time today," Coombe said. "I just want to shoot them and get it over with."
Although Coombe grew up in Hebi City, China and studies international relations at The U of M, he was designated leader of the Sauk war party, or at least for the weekend.
When the History Channel's "Digging for the Truth" documentary series showed up in Forrest City, Ark. last July looking for Indians, they had to get creative, said Tammy Freleigh, Ian's guardian and professor of theater arts at East Arkansas Community College.
"Someone from the History Channel called me and asked me if I could help with makeup and if I knew any actors that could play a role as a Native American," Freleigh said. "I told them I knew someone who was Asian, and the next thing I knew they had him in a loincloth."
The History Channel documentary featured the trials of a Sauk Indian tribe during the invasion of the Spanish Conquistadors in the 1600s with the help of 39 Arkansans.
Freleigh's background in theater helped her change her son, along with several other extras from various nationalities, into believable Sauk Indians.
"He looked so cute in the face paint," she said. "It would have helped if he wouldn't have buzzed his hair off last month, but I thought the wig worked well."
The only previous exposure to Native American culture Coombe had was by watching American movies, he said.
"My only knowledge of Indians I got from the movie 'Dances with Wolves'," he said. "I'm more Asian than Jackie Chan and fried rice."
How the 5"3' Coombe was cast as a Sauk brave is beyond his best friend, junior business major Josh Markus.
"I actually have more Native American blood in me than Ian and I'm Jewish," Markus said. "But even though I am jealous of Ian getting on TV, seeing him in a loincloth was more than worth it in laughs."
The opening scene of the documentary features a shot of Coombe running down an embankment in order to escape the Spanish horde.
He was able to escape, though his loincloth fell behind.
"What you don't see on TV is my loincloth falling off halfway down the hill," he said. "I didn't realize it till the scene was over and everyone was laughing."
Despite his embarrassment, $200 in cash and the 15 minutes of fame Coombe received when the program aired Jan. 28 was well worth a few battles with Conquistadors, he said.
"My grandmother called me and said she saw me on TV seven different times," he said. "There is nothing like making grandma proud."
Coombe said he plans on making his grandmother proud again when he trades in his loincloth for a tuxedo early this May.
"The History Channel guys liked me I guess, and they sent me an invitation to their award ceremony in Los Angeles," he said. "I'm not getting an award, but I still get to walk down that red carpet."
