Indigenous people in old films and media

Indigenous People in Early Western Films Student Name Institution Professor Name Course Date Indigenous People in Early Western Films Artist’s Statement The topic of the given project is the representation of Indigenous people and their culture in old Western movies, which is a topic that has been discussed and criticized in film studies and culture for a long time. I selected this project because it is crucial to comprehend how history and media influence perceptions and cultural attitudes towards Indigenous people. The portrayal of women in the Western genre, originating in the American culture, provides a good background for analyzing these representations. My strategy included carefully analyzing the selected classic Western films and the critical articles and essays, emphasizing the motifs, symbols, and general meaning behind the representations. In this way, I would like to reveal the subtleties of how Indigenous people have been represented and perpetuated in movies and media and how these representations have influenced the perception of Indigenous people in society and the understanding of Indigenous cultures. Introduction The Western genre, with its vast expanses, lone cowboys, and stories of the Wild West, has been a part of the American film industry since its early days. These films, with their expansive landscapes and narratives of domination, have significantly impacted the construction of the American cultural mythos (Rollins, 2011). However, the glamorous picture of the Old West conceals the history of Indigenous people’s misrepresentation and stereotyping. This paper focuses on the representation of Indigenous people and their culture in old Western movies and how these representations influenced and were influenced by society’s perception of Native Americans. The effects of such representations are not limited to the movie theater alone. They have impacted public policy, social perceptions, and the experiences of Indigenous people in society (Rollins, 2011). These films have thus continued to feed society with a wrong perception of Native Americans by perpetuating stereotypical and historical misconceptions about their culture. This analysis will be limited to films produced during the early to mid-1900s, marking the establishment of many Western archetypes and cliches. The essay will examine the motifs, signs, and characters’ stereotypes and discuss how these factors influenced the formation of Indigenous people’s image in the culture. Analyzing the selected films and considering the tendencies within the genre, it will be possible to reveal how Hollywood has contributed to the construction of Native American identity and how it has reflected the attitudes towards Native Americans in society. Historical Context and Emergence of Western Films Westerns began in the early twentieth century, based on the frontier myth formed in literature and other media since the mid-nineteenth century. These films portray westward expansion as a noble process, with cowboys, settlers, and soldiers as the main characters (Bioglio & Pensa, 2018). Native people were often depicted as villains, as heathens who hindered civilization’s advancement, or as innocent victims who required the white man’s assistance (Rollins, 2011). This division continued to perpetuate colonialist ideologies and rationalized the removal and oppression of Native American people. The Western genre can be said to have originated in the late 19th century with early silent films such as Edwin Porter’s “The Great Train Robbery” (1903). With the advancement of the film industry, Westerns also gained more fans. By the 1920s and 1930s, the genre had become an important part of Hollywood production, and stars such as John Wayne and directors such as John Ford were associated with it (Bioglio & Pensa, 2018). One must remember that these films were made in a society that was steeped in racist and colonialist thinking. The idea of Manifest Destiny, which rationalized American expansion across the continent, was still very much alive in American culture (Bioglio & Pensa, 2018). This ideology was used to portray Indigenous people as the ‘savages’ who needed to be conquered or as primitive people who required the ‘civilizing’ influence of the colonizers. Furthermore, the early twentieth century witnessed the assimilationist policies towards Native American people, including the Indian Boarding School system that aimed at eradicating Indigenous people’s cultures and languages. These policies were in line with the general social paradigms that regarded Indigenous cultures as primitive and that were bound to disappear before the advances of the Western world. These attitudes were evident in Western films and were perpetuated by them. They told a story of America’s history that celebrated the frontier and frequently portrayed the killing of Indigenous people as justified or even noble (Rollins, 2011). This narrative was used to explain past oppressions and to perpetuate the subjugation of Native American people in the present day. According to Rollins (2011), it is also essential to understand that most of these films were made at a time when Indigenous people were not represented in the media and public space. Native American actors were not given significant roles; when they were, they could not decide how their people were portrayed (Rollins, 2011). However, Indigenous people were not involved in the creation of these films. Thus, the representation of Indigenous people was influenced by non-Native filmmakers, writers, and actors, which resulted in stereotypical and misconceptions depictions of Indigenous people. Stereotypical Representations Indigenous people in Western films have been depicted in the following stereotypical ways. All of these stereotypes, although they may seem paradoxical at times, work to erase the nuanced nature of Indigenous people’s lives and cultures. Some of the most prevalent stereotypes are examined in detail. The Noble Savage The most famous stereotype in Western films is the “Noble Savage.” According to Brown (2019), the stereotype depicts Indigenous people as good, wise, and close to nature, but at the same time, they are savages who cannot survive civilization. This characterization, although appearing to be positive, is highly damaging as it erases Indigenous people’s agency and complexity and portrays them as one-dimensional characters (Brown, 2019). Such representation can be seen in films like “The Last of the Mohicans” in 1920 and “Broken Arrow” in 1950 (Brown, 2019). In these films, Indigenous characters are portrayed as wise but doomed, with their cultures and lives destroyed by the advances of the white man. This trope is used to make white people feel less guilty about the way Indigenous people were treated while at the same time continuing to justify their removal (Brown, 2019). The Noble Savage stereotype also has a religious or magical aspect, whereby Indigenous characters are depicted as having a closer relationship with nature or possessing mystical powers (Brown, 2019). Although this may appear to be a compliment, it is used to continue to ‘other’ Indigenous people and position them as being outside of the modern world. The Savage Warrior The second stereotype is the “Savage Warrior” stereotype, the opposite of the Noble Savage stereotype. According to Lyubymova (2019), this trope portrays Indigenous people as being naturally savage, unkind, and brutal. Indigenous people in this category of characters are portrayed as the antagonists who are ever ready to attack white settlers and pioneers (Lyubymova, 2019). This representation is well depicted in movies like “The Searchers” (1956) and “Drums Along the Mohawk” (1939), in which the Indigenous people are portrayed as savages (Lyubymova, 2019). Such representations are typically accompanied by scenes of the white settlers’ abuse, which is intended to recall the savages that must be domesticated or exterminated. The Savage Warrior stereotype was useful in these films in the following ways. It introduced the aspect of drama and conflict, which accounted for the violence of the white characters (Lyubymova, 2019). Also, it contributed to the colonialist narrative by presenting Indigenous people’s efforts to halt the colonization as mere hostile actions rather than a rightful struggle for their land and lives. The Vanishing Indian The “Vanishing Indian” is a theme that suggests that Indigenous people are gradually disappearing and that they are inevitably going to become like the white man. A sense of loss often accompanies this narrative, and thus, Indigenous people are portrayed as if they are a part of the past rather than the present and future (Kilpatrick, 1999). Although this trope is more evident in later films such as “Dances with Wolves” (1990), it is present in early Westerns. The concept of ‘the dying race’ or ‘the vanishing race’ is also evident, which reflects and contributes to the notion that Indigenous people were pre-ordained to disappear in the face of civilization (Kilpatrick, 1999). This stereotype is especially dangerous because it disguises the process of Indigenous people’s depopulation and assimilation as a natural process that cannot be changed rather than the result of colonialist policies (Kilpatrick, 1999). It also helps to forgive the Anglo-Saxon culture for the exclusion of Indigenous people from mainstream society. The Silent In...