Reel Indians

Question 6

Calling Hollywood’s representation of Native Americans an ongoing form of colonialism and oppression is in my belief a fairly reasonable statement. The massive conglomeration of Native American cultures into one singular and fixed stereotype removes from every Native American his or her own sense of history and traditions. I think that Native Americans are one of the few groups who are truly viewed and defined solely upon a stereotypes provided and perpetuated by Hollywood. Any other Race or groups of people are without doubt going to have certain stereotypes associated with them but not to the same extent. The entire way Native Americans are viewed in America is within the context of these stereotypes that hold no cultural or regional basis. When I realized that everything I thought I knew about Indians was in fact just one massive stereotype I began to agree with the statement that this was a new form of oppression. Not through a physical sense, but in the sense that the Native American has been regulated into a simple character not a human being. Hollywood portrays Native as “pop up targets” for white cowboys in the movies, and frankly that’s still how they are viewed today. I mean when someone says picture an Indian no one envisions a modern day Native American living amongst us but instantly thinks of the stereotype Indian warrior in the wild west because that’s all we’ve ever been shown. Hollywood in my opinion has locked the Native American in the past, someone that doesn’t need to be thought about anymore in modern society.