GrimTangent

I'm working on a seminar for a class that deals with stereotypical representations of Native Americans or First Nations (as we call them in Canada) in mass media.

In doing my research, I'm looking for help in finding some feature films that:
a) present natives in a racist/stereotypical way that corresponds to historical conceptions of natives (both "savage" and "noble" varieties)
b) present natives in a racist/stereotypical way that corresponds to contemporary conceptions of natives.
c) present natives more accurately and nuanced in either a historical or contemporary setting.

Also, any instances of "Indian English" in movies (e.g. not using pronouns or definite/indefinite articles) would be appreciated.

I realize that "a)" is most common, so while I welcome all responses, I'm especially interested in any movies that fit under "b)" and "c)".

GoldenJCJ

Flags of Our Fathers and Dances with Wolves could fit under c).

Actually Flags could fit under b) as well.

FinkPish

Part of Maverick has a humorous take on the racist/stereotypical side, especially talking with Indian English.

UAIOE

I suppose "Shanghai Noon" would fit under C.

E. Honda

Not from a movie, but from the Underdog TV show:



The Go-Go Gophers featured a pair of buck-toothed gophers, Ruffled Feathers, who spoke in unintelligible phrases, and his interpreter Running Board.

They were the native inhabitants of Gopher Gulch, which was also home to a U.S. Cavalry Fort. The Fort was headed by Colonel Kit Coyote, a blustery Teddy Roosevelt-type. He was aided by Sergeant Okey Homa, a southerner who resembled John Wayne. The military-minded Colonel spent his time planning new ways to drive the gopher-Indians from their lands. The native gophers devised ingenious and successful ways to protect their territorial rights. Sandy Becker provided the voices of Ruffled Feather and Sergeant Okey Homa. George S. Irving was the voice of Running Board and Kenny Delmar spoke for Colonel Kit Coyote.

http://www.toontracker.com/totaltv/underdog.htm

Groucho

Disagree that Dances with Wolves falls under c. In that film, all the Sioux are noble and good. All the Pawnee are eeeeeeeevil. The film is a joke.

Giles

as being a Native American (half Mexican):

Disney's Peter Pan: A
Disney's Pocahontas: I think I'd give it a C
The New World: C
Last of the Mohicans (Michael Mann): C

devilshalo

Well, shorts that probably appeared before features:

Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt
Injun Trouble

GrimTangent

Thanks for all the suggestions so far, everybody. This is a big help for sure.

GrimTangent

I'm not sure what you're referring to.
For clarification, for b) I'm looking for films that portray Natives as lazy, alcoholic, opportunistic, despondent, etc. This is a common conception of First Nations among people where I live. I'm really not aware of any films that portray this, other than what's been suggested.

FinkPish

I disagree with this. We only meet one tribe of Sioux and one raiding party of Pawnee. The movie doesn't make any broader statements about the entire culture of each group based only on these two groups. And it's not a lie that these tribes fought each other throughout their respective histories.

Mondo Kane

C:
Smoke Signals
Dance Me Outside
Pow-Wow Highway

Bobby Shalom

B)Fargo

C) Billy Jack

MoviePage

MartinBlank

Windtalkers

rw2516

For category c check out "Last Of The Dogmen". It's about a tribe living undiscovered, unchanged today as they have for hundreds of years.

Sorta a category b movie, "War Party". Made for the teen market. Every year on the anniversary this town re-enacts a battle between native americans and calvary that took place where the town now stands. The town has a mixed race population and you can tell there are racial tensions. Every year the whites dress as cavalry and the native americans in traditional war garb and they stage a re-enactment. A 4th of July type thing. This one idiot white guy, who's been drinking, puts real bullets in his gun and accidently shoots one of the NAs for real. The modern NAs fight back for real and then have to go on the run(on horseback) from modern cops.

jointsky

Actually, I watched Billy Jack when it first appeared (about 1969 or 1970) and while the film deserves credit for ridiculing many stereotypes it also perpetuated some other stereotypes. I think it was a good example of a, b, and c.

Runaway

c) Seminola
The casting of Anthony Quinn could be viewed as racist, but the movie itself depicts the Seminoles in a positive way.

JeffTheAlpaca

Holt McCallany in Creepshow 2 (1987)

Maybe the performance was not racist but a Irish guy playing a Native American?

He kind of looks like Peter Steele from Type O' Negative

TomOpus

OP never reported how the seminar went and stopped posting in 2009.

Count Dooku

Did jointsky revive this thread because they came to the forum as a new member searching for mentions of Billy Jack?

Nick Danger

It's still a good bump.

Avatar is a solid "A". Those savages are oh so noble.

Count Dooku

Just curious about how someone comes across an old thread with a very specific topic like this. And curious now why you think the Na'vi, who are not native to Earth, are Native Americans. I'm like Einstein or a monkey when it comes to curiosity.

Runaway

Avatar is Pocahontas in space, so the stretch isn't that far.

feenst

First Nations or first peoples may refer to indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area.