In those days looking at stories of the real times, and real people, those who were lost in the new world and took to crime were dead beats no one close, just other criminals, those who led people thousands of miles were generally people who knew the life, the danger and how to use weapons, that were, at the time, so inaccurate, that probably all the bulldust gunfights you see on TV shows were exactly that, rubbish, things were not about speed it was about calm aiming if you were lucky. and lots of killing was done from 2 or 3 feet away, or in the back.The Elsa love story of devastation in one episode to falling in love with the Indian two episodes later? And then turning Indian spiritual. The absurdity of the love making scene in the middle of a killer Tornado was probably the worst of that stretch of episodes.
Some of the shootouts also featured the same actors who played Storm Troopers. Close range but miss, but our heroes close range and dead eye.
But yeh, overall it was great viewing but I don’t think it was start to finish first class storytelling
As for the English speaking Indians I would say that after 200 or so years of European and mainly English being the first language for a time, of mixing and moving and dealing, that many Indians could speak English, you'll note in that show that the Indian women did not speak the English at all or well.
I thought the authenticity was pretty damned good, the young girl dying for about three or so episodes, was heart wrenching and very very well acted , in fact reading the stories about the actors, the young woman actress is having her birthday today 21st Nov!
She was excellent and I kept hoping they wouldn't kill her off.
But that is what happened in those times.