Reel Injun

    Reel Injun gives the viewer an in depth and real look at the birth of the Hollywood Injun, the noble Injun, the savage Injun, the Cowboy, etc. One of the most important sections of the film is the savage Injun and the portrayal Hollywood gave of Native Americans in a very negative way. Adam Beach said " We'll never be able to change the fantasy of who and what Indians are. That fantasy will always be there. We'll be... we'll always be on convers of novels saying " Cheyenne Warrior"". Hollywood made the Native into a fierce less Warrior with crazy clothes and war painted bodies but this savage idea of the Native wasn't correct. The idea of the savage Injun was born with John Ford and Westerns. The Cowboy or the hero was always fighting against the ruthless and savage Indians which led the viewer to want to vote and root for the Cowboy hero. John Ford's movies are still to this day some of the most popular films to ever be released and that idea of the savage Injun is constantly being spread. Things began to change though and something really interesting in the film was the words of Clint Eastwood. Clint Eastwood said " I remember once we were on the set, the director said 'I want a real native, upfront. I want to see the real thing.' We couldn't find one." The people who were playing the savage roles of the Indians weren't even Indians. It got to a point in film where the idea of the native and culture didn't even matter anymore they just needed men to play the ruthless warriors or the enemy in these films. Westerns and film in general also colonialized native culture. Robbed natives of there individual tribes and cultures and just associated them as one group of people. Each tribe is special and has there own individual ways and ceremonies. Film and the costumes just assumed every native was a Plains native with the fancy headdress. Jesse Wente said " When you're kids and trying to play Cowboys and Indians, and if you're an Indian kid - well doesn't that mean you're going to lose all the time?". Hollywood and film made this possible because in the movies the Indians always ended up getting slaughtered at the end of these films. This spread into the youth too which wasn't helping the Indians.

Picture from a John Ford western called The Searchers 

Picture of Geronimo which shows the savage portrayal of Indians in Hollywood

         Another main focus in the film Reel Injun is the importance of Wounded Knee and the affect it had on both the Indians and in film. Jim Jarmusch said " That is a genocide that occurred and the (American) culture wanted to perpetuate the idea that (the natives) these people are now mythologic, you know, they dont even really exist, they're like dinosaurs.". This isn't just referring to Wounded Knee but the natives in general. There are becoming exist and most people are perfectly fine with watching and letting that happen. Wounded Knee gets tied in with film when Marlon Brando was given an Oscar for his role in the Godfather and had Sacheen Littlefeather accept the award for him In all traditional native clothing on National television. After the acceptance of the award and the stand Marlon Brando made people began to pay attention to issues like Wounded Knee and what the Indians were going through. John Trudell said " We're not Indians and we're not Native Americans. We're older than both concepts. We're the people, we're the human beings.". People need to realize that Indians are human just like them and that were all equal. No more idea of the savage Indian or the enemy but as human beings. Wounded Knee was going in the wrong direction for the Indians and they knew that. Russel Means said " We don't believe we're going to get out of (Wounded Knee) alive and the moral is down low and Marlon Brando and Sacheen Littlefeather totally uplifted our lives.". The speech and the stand at the Oscars gave the people at Wounded Knee hope and that's what they needed at this time. These strong stands for equality for Indians is what is needed and more and more people are beginning to see the horrors Indians went through and are still going through.

Sacheen Littlefeather accepting the award for Marlon Brando at the Oscars

Indians held up at Wounded Knee

Ceremony Part Three

        This section of the book starts out with a more in depth look at Auntie and her relationship with Tayo. She claims she is a Christian woman but she uses Tayo as a way to show the people that she is sill responsible and can raise a child but doesn't care much for Tayo at all. Auntie claiming she is a Christian woman is a massive contradiction and Tayo begins to realize that. Later on in the reading though you get a sign of oppression with Auntie. " It will start all over again. All that gossip about Josiah and about Little Sister. Girls around here have babies by white men all the time now, and nobody says anything." Auntie is feeling a transfer of oppression here and it's also very racist on both sides because it's claiming all the girls just get with white men and it's also saying the white men are only looking for women to use. Constantly learning and hearing about more of the struggles in Tayo's life he also occasionally remembers some of the good times he used to have with Rocky when they were younger. " The rattlesnakes liked to lay there in the early spring, when the days were still cool and the sun warmed the black lava rock first; the snakes went there to restore life themselves. The old man gestured to the northeast, and Tayo turned his head that way and remembered the wide round hole, so deep that even lying on his belly beside Rocky, he had never been able to see the bottom." These flashbacks Tayo gets of the good times is what keeps him going at times and allows him to get away from all the darkness thats filled his head. This quote from the book also gives a sense of storytelling and a glimpse of how important storytelling is for Tayo and the Laguna Pueblo people in general. Ku'oosh is an important man in this section of the book because he's constantly being referenced. Ku'oosh acknowledges Tayo's absent white father and the white peoples war. This was is not a Laguna Pueblo war and Ku'oosh emphasizes that with Tayo saying this war was the white mans war. With Ku'oosh Tayo does a lot of blaming himself and we see that Tayo is struggling greatly with his past and we see the PTS at times. Tayo blames himself for the wrong doings at war and in order for the world to heal the world has to heal.

What a potential Laguna Pueblo medicine man could look like(Ku'oosh).

Ku'oosh explaining that this was a white mans war not a Laguna Pueblo war.

         Later on in the reading theres some racism but against white people. Just like the white people are always treating the Native Americans as less in the book Ku'oosh returns the favor. " There are some things we can't cure like we used to, not since the white people came." The blame for everything that has happened goes both ways. The Native Americans blame the white people and the white people blame the Native americans. Later in the reading there is more struggle for Tayo with PTS and alcohol. " Liquor was medicine for the anger that made them hurt, for the pain of the loss, medicine for tight bellies and choked-up throats. He was beginning to feel a comfortable place inside himself, close to his own beating heart, near his own warm belly; he crawled inside and watched the storm swirling on the outside and he was safe there; the winds of rage could not reach him."Most of the time when Tayo is drunk he begins telling stories and the other men enjoy listening to his stories but the stories and the combination of alcohol are only hurting Tayo. Tayo uses alcohol to get his mind away from the past and this was common for most Native americans returning from war. Another important part of this reading is the affect the Army uniform had on Tayo. " The first day in Oakland he and Rocky walked down the street together and a big Chrysler stopped in the street and an old white woman rolled down the window and said, "God bless you, God bless you," but it was the uniform, not them, she blessed." The uniform brought Tayo respect from the white people but it was the uniform not Tayo. As soon as that uniform was off the white people labeled Tayo as Indian and savage all over again. The Uniform even brought Tayo success with white woman but that went away too when the Uniform was gone. Tayo struggles to fit in and refers to himself as "half-breed". Him being from a white father didn't help in the Laguna Pueblo nation and him being Laguna Pueblo didn't help in white america's idea of society. This struggle to fit in really haunts Tayo. 

U.S Army WWII uniform.

Most soldiers struggled with alcohol and drug abuse when they returned home.

Ceremony The Beginning

        The beginning of Ceremony is so inviting and so intriguing you want to continue reading right from the start. The book starts out with a poem that is filled with deeper meanings that will carry on into the rest of the book. The poem also introduces the reader the idea of Thought-Woman and earth and the four worlds below. Right from the start you get a taste of the Laguna Pueblo culture and belief with Thought Woman who is said to have created the universe. The poem ends with the final word sunrise which hints new beginnings and rebirth which you can tell will be really important in this book. The constant struggle of Tayo's past and the need for a new beginning, a new sunrise. Within the first couple pages you learn where the book is and has taken place, from WWII to the reservation and to the bar. Another really important thing from the beginning of the book is learning of Rocky's death who is Tayo's cousin and best friend. Rocky's death has a huge toll on Tayo and it's obvious it will be a struggle in the future for Tayo. " He could hear Rocky's words, and he could follow the logic of what Rocky said, but he could not feel anything except a swelling in his belly, a great swollen grief that was pushing into his throat." This quote from Tayo reveals that he's always in pain because of Rocky's death as well as Josiah's who was Tayo's uncle. Gives the reader there first glimpse of PTS too and Tayo's constant struggle with the disease. 

From the beginning of the book you can tell that Tayo struggles with his past as well as the future with everything that has happened in his life and PTS is a real struggle for him. 


        One of the most important parts of the first section of the book is when Tayo is describing the war and when Rocky was injured. " Jungle rain had no beginning or end; it grew like foilage from the sky, branching and arching to the earth, sometimes in solid thickets entangling the islands and, other times, in tendrils of blue mist curling out of the coastal clouds." The weather was really beginning to affect Tayo, he prayed for the rain to stop because it was too much but usually back home in the Laguna Pueblo tribe he prayed for more rain. The Rain and damp weather was gradually picking away at Tayo. 

Soldiers from WWII sitting in the pouring rain

     

       Tayo describes the weather being so bad at one point that he believed it was the weather that was killing Rocky during the road to the prison camp instead of the grenade that Rocky was hit by or the deadly walk to the prison camps. During this time Tayo explains how storytelling was able to keep him and the other men going during these horrible times. Reminiscing on good times and stories of friends and family was able to get there minds off of what was going on to something more positive and that was crucial for Tayo. Later on in this section you see that Tayo isn't ready to be back in the normal world and struggles greatly with more PTS. " The new doctor asked him if he had ever been visible, and Tayo spoke to him softly and said that he was very sorry but nobody was allowed to speak to an invisible one". Tayo feels guilty and responsible for all the wrong he did during the war and that's the biggest struggle with PTS. He feels invisible now and will never be looked at or be able to look at people the same. In the first section of the book you get a good introduction to Tayo and all the struggles his life has become from his past.

Just an idea of everything that comes with PTS

Sign of the Laguna Pueblo Tribe

Dances With Wolves Part Two

       The change from Lieutenant Dunbar to Dances With Wolves is something very special and something to draw your attention and make you feel for Dances With Wolves. The movie starts out with the scene of Lieutenant Dunbar and the Chris pose which means to be sacrificed or make a sacrifice. Right off the bat you can tell Lieutenant Dunbar is unhappy and needing a change. This change ended up become a member of the Sioux nation. Along the journey and the transformation Dunbar realizes and learns how beautiful the Sioux and there culture was. The U.S Army was always painting an image in Dunbar's head that all Indians were enemies and worthless in a sense. Once Dunbar got out on the plains and the deserted base he was able to form a relationship with the Sioux. This relationship grew each and every day through trade and simple acts of kindness which drew the Sioux Nation's attention. They realized that Dunbar was no ordinary soldier. This led to a strong relationship where Dunbar gained the Sioux's trust and vice versa. One really important scene is when Dunbar dances around the fire as if the Sioux Nation would during a ceremony. What once used to seem savage and bizarre to Dunbar was now natural and part of him. This is when he really fulfilled his transformation. The Sioux became a part of Dunbar and when the U.S came to abandoned base Dunbar chose the Sioux over the Army because he saw and realized what the Army was doing was wrong and wanted to live out the Sioux lifestyle. The end of the movie is really important to because the scene with Wind In His Hair telling Dances With Wolves he will always be his brother shows the bond and affect Dunbar had on the Sioux Nation. He was now a Sioux with a Sioux wife and no longer a U.S soldier.

Dances With Wolves and his wife Stands With A Fist. Dances With Wolves dressing as a Sioux

Iconic picture of Dances With Wolves and Two Socks 

      

       Another really important part of the film is the deeper meanings intertwined with it and the outcomes it brought as well. Some tribes were upset with this film specifically the Pawnee who were portrayed as the bad guys for Hollywood's needs. One of the biggest parts of the movie is the use of pathos. A major important scene is when Two Socks is shot by the U.S Soldiers for no reason at all. It shows the disregard for life and the useless and senseless pain and killing due to a lack of awareness and ignorance. The U.S Soldiers were brutal at times especially with the Indians and thats something that will haunt our nation Military for ever. As stated earlier another example of pathos is when Dunbar dances around the fire as if a Sioux tribe would which shows he's changed comlpetely. No longer sees the Sioux ways as savage but beautiful. All together though the film was able to show a glimpse of the beauty of Indian culture and allowed people to see that the Indians were only violent in order to protect there land or there tribe. The communication block made the connection between the indians and the U.S Army impossible in a sense and that led to increased fighting. The film brought back Indian culture and gave them some credit in history and doesn't allow ignorant people to bash Indian lifestyles anymore. 

Pathos was a big part of this film

The growing relationship between Dunbar and Two Socks

Dances With Wolves Week One

     Dances With Wolves the movie does a really good job of giving people an idea of native life but anybody who knows the ways of Native American life has some problems with the film. One thing the film does well is showing the relationship between the Sioux and The U.S Army as well as the Pawnee. The only issue is that the film portrays the Pawnee as horrible savage people which isn't true but it was necessary in order for the film to have a "bad guy". Something really interesting and probably one of the biggest parts of the movie as well as during this time was the communication block between the Indians and the "white people". With no communication nothing could be worked out or settled. Also made trade difficult and without knowing what each side is saying it often led to a stronger misunderstanding and fear for the other side which led to more bloodshed. The movie shows this fear and misunderstanding when Dunbar first encounters the Sioux Indians and vice versa. The relationship was built through signs of gratitude and the willingness on both sides to learn more about each other. Lieutenant Dunbar the Sioux sugar and coffe beans which might not seem like much but the Sioux had never been exposed to these things and they enjoyed them. Something to think about though is that at this time that sugar Dunbar gave to the Sioux came from black slave labor which doesn't seem right at all. Communication is so key and when you cant communicate which others let alone your enemy your bound for hard times. You can also tell how frustrated the Sioux were as well as Dunbar with continually trying to say or explain something but it going no where. Not only in the movie but during this time period the communication block was the biggest issue for Indians and the White people.

Scene from the movie showing the communication block. Using hand signals for communication

      One reason most of people familiar with Native American lifestyle have issues with this movie is because there is a ton of stereotypes. The people who have the biggest issue with this movie and rightfully so is the Pawnee. The Pawnee are represented as savage murders who are really only out for blood and not only White blood but Sioux blood. The Pawnee were known for being one of the more brutal tribes but the way they were portrayed in Dances With Wolfes was inaccurate and stereotypical but the film makers needed a bad guy. Another stereotype in the film was with the ceremony cenes and the Sioux tribe. The ceremonies are portrayed as savage but really there a really important part of Native life and is there way of celebrating and coming together. Not only in Dances With Wolfes but most ceremonies involving Indians are extremely stereotypical. Another stereotype in the film was the use of weapons by the Sioux and Pawnee. During this time the Indians has traded with the Spanish and had become efficient with guns and rifles. In the film the Sioux and Pawnee only use bow and arrow which was still used at this time but thats not all they had. People always associate Indians with bow and arrows and that only but they had guns too. Even though the film was accurate at times it was also very stereotypical which is why some people have problems with the film.

Picture from the film showing a Sioux Indian surprised by the pistol which he wouldn't have been during this time.

Picture from the film showing the Pawnee as savage and looking for blood.

Picture of Sioux Indian with a rifle which wasn't in the movie

Native Tribes Summary

Sioux Tribe:

    There are seven genera tribes that belong to the Sioux tribe: Mdewakanton, Sisseton, Teton, Wahpekute, Wahpeton, Yankton, Yanktonai. The Sioux people prided themselves on farming, hunting, and gathering. Things began to change for the greater in the 16^th century when they got access to horses and there diet became mainly buffalo because they were finally able to follow buffalo migration patterns. The Sioux tradition and culture maintains extremely consistent and rich. The Sioux and known for there distinguished looks; there hair is worn very long and most always black. The Sioux people are one of the most well known because of there history and past great leaders like Sioux chief Sitting Bull who was a holy man and one of the greatest Native Nations leaders there has ever been. Most well known for his leadership in the victory at Little Big Horn in 1876. The Sioux culture is filled with years of traditions. Powwows are extremely important to the people and they are held at the same time of each year and consist of dancing, singing, and tons of food and lots of eating, it’s a giant celebration. The Sioux also have tons of spiritual ceremonies like the keeping of the soul, sun dance, and the throwing of the ball. Wounded knee was another huge event that the Sioux were involved in. Wounded knee got major attention nationwide to the little town in South Dakota, which has one of largest Sioux populations. Something I learned that was really cool was the popularity of lacrosse in the Sioux community and the deep culture it contains. I play lacrosse and I’ve played against some kids that were from native tribes and knowing the importance of the game in the culture is really interesting. 

Location of the Sioux Tribes

Sitting Bull the most influential Sioux Leader the nation has ever had. 

The Battle of Wounded Knee where over 150 Sioux Indians were killed including women and children.

Sioux tribes hunting buffalo which became their main food source and the tribe was constantly on the move in order to follow the buffaloes migration patterns. 

Navajo Tribe:

   The Navajo Tribe extends into the states of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, covering over 27,000 square miles of unparalleled beauty. Dine Bikeyah or otherwise known as Navajoland which is the main area of land the Navajo own is larger than 10 of the 50 United States. The Navajo people learned weaving, how to make clothing, and art. By the 1600's the Navajo people had been able to start raising there own food, and making there own blankets, clothes etc. The Navajo lived in homes called hogans, which were made from wooden poles, tree bark, and mud. The hogans were always made to face east for the sunlight, they had both summer and winter hogans. A really important part of Navajo history was "The Long Walk" where Navajo Indians were being held as American prisoners. There were forced to walk 300 miles to Fort Sumner in eastern New Mexico. Later the famous treaty of 1868 was signed giving them there own territory and freedom. The Navajo were mainly hunters and gatherers until they met the spanish and learned techniques on how to grow corn, beans, and squash. They eventually got into trade, trading blankets they made from wool, clothing, and cattle. The men were leaders, hunters, and the warriors and the women were the farmers; they tended the livestock, did most of the cooking, and took care of the children. That's how it is in almost every Native Indian tribe. The Navajo base there way life of the belief that the physical and spiritual world blend together. Almost everything on earth is alive and relative and that's why there land is so important to them. Within the Navajo lifestyle there are two main ceremonies; one is the blessing way, which keeps them on the path of happiness and wisdom. The second major ceremony is the enemy way, the enemy way is to discourage evil spirits. In modern time and today the Navajo reservation is the largest reservation in the United States, with over 200,000 people throughout 27,000 acres. The Navajo is closely related to the Apache tribe and most Navajo tribes are still living in their traditional territory today.

Location of the Navajo Tribe in the territory they possess. 

Famous Navajo chief Manuelito who was extremely influential of the advancement of the 

Navajo tribe and signed the Treaty of 1868 which allowed the Navajo to return to their ancestral homelands.

Peterson Zah, became Navajo Nation's first President in 1990

Seal of the Navajo Nation Government Tribe

This picture shows the Navajo culture and way alive is still very much alive.

Cherokee Tribe:

          The Cherokee Nation is one of the top five largest tribes to settle in the southeast portion of this country. Around the 1800's the Cherokee began to adopt the culture the white man brought to them. They began to dress more European, and even adopted some of there farming and building methods. In 1828, gold was discovered on Cherokee land which led to major problems for the Cherokee people. The Cherokee were forced out of there homes and there land. They were settled in Georgia for many years but were now forced to find a new place to settle. This incredibly long and dangerous journey is known as the Trail of Tears. Men, women, and children were forced to travel a span of a thousand miles and when the journey concluded about 4,000 cherokee lost their lives. Today the largest population of Cherokee live in the state of Oklahoma, where there are federal recognized Cherokee communities. After being forced to leave because of the gold the Cherokee began rebuilding. Building schools, communities, churches, newspapers, and businesses. Business began to thrive in the new Cherokee capital of Tahlequah. In 1839 and 1844 the Cherokee advocate, printed in both Cherokee and English, became the first newspaper in Indian territory and the first ever published in a Native American language. The was a huge step in the right direction for not just the Cherokee nation but all Native Americans. The Cherokee nation today is an active leader in education, housing, vocational training, business and economic development. Dont consider there land a reservation but rather a federally recognized, truly sovereign nation covering most of northeast Oklahoma.

Map showing the location of Cherokee territory. Past Territory in Georgia and current territory in Oklahoma.

Chief Bowl who in February1836, negotiated a treaty with Sam Houston in which the newly formed Republic Of Texas guaranteed the Cherokee possession of their land in east Texas. 

Bill John Baker the current Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation

The seal of the Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee alphabet which was extremely influential

Apache Tribe:



        The Apache Indians came from the Alaskan region, Canada, and portions of the American Southwest. Eventually the tribe migrated further south into the U.S, and divided itself into two basic regions, with the Rio Grande river serving as the dividing line. The Apache mainly stayed nomadic meaning they were always traveling around and never settled in one specific place. The Apache used the buffalo for almost everything, food, clothing, and the buffalo is a huge part of there spiritual culture. Probably one of the most important things in Apache history the discovery and ability to learn how to ride horses. Migration and hunting was taken to a whole new level with the new ability to ride horses. Could travel vast distances in shorter amounts of time. The Apache did have weaknesses though and the Comanche tribe defeated the Apache and took there land causing the Apache to move from Kansas to New Mexico and Arizona. The Apache tribe was really focused on family and the importance of family. All Families lived in family units and remained extremely close. They lived in three types of houses, teepee's for those who lived in the plains, wickiup 8-foot frame of wood held together with yucca fibers, and Hogans which were common in almost all Indian tribes. Since the Apache were always on the move the men became proficient hunters. Before European influence the main weapon used by the hunters was a bow and arrow. There are still Apache tribes today, approximately 5,000 Apache Indians today. Apache tribes include the plains Apache (Oklahoma), the Lipan Apache (Texas), Western Apache (Arizona), Chiricahua Apache (Arizona/New Mexico), Jicarilla apache (New Mexico), and the Mescalero Apache(New Mexico). Still thriving and continuing there rich culture today.

Present Apache Location

        Chief Cochise famous Apache chief noted for courage, integrity, and military skill

One of the most recent historic Apache leaders recognized for excellent religious and military leadership

Typical Apache house which proves the Apache do not stay in one place for very long

Apache fiddle which was a big part part of there lifestyle and culture

Blackfoot Tribe:

       The Blackfoot Indians were originally nomadic American Indians that migrated from the Great Lakes regions to the Northwestern United States. After migrating to the U.S they lived in the Northern Great Plains, specifically in Montana and Idaho. There are four Blackfoot tribes, Blackfoot Siksika, Blood Kainai, Pikuni Peigan, and North Peigan Pikuni. Like most successful Indian tribes the Black foot were skilled hunters. After the White men started hunting buffalo in the 1800s almost 600 Blackfoot Indians starved to death because of the shortage of food. This shows the importance and reliance of the buffalo for the Blackfoot tribes. Each of the four tribes remain independent but all speak the same language called Algonquian. The Blackfoot Indians are very spiritual and believe strongly of supernatural powers. They believe that everything has a spirit, whether alive or inanimate and can be good or evil. This is why the culture, religion, and land is so important to most Indian tribes specifically the Blackfoot Indians. Something interesting about the Blackfoot tribe is that they are famous for confrontation. They were known for being hard to get along with and fought with neighboring tribes like the Kutenai and Sioux. The Blackfoot indians are still around today with the Blackfoot Siksika tribe being the main focus. 

Map of the Location of the four Blackfoot tribes

 Mountain Chief Ninastoko of the Blackfoot tribe

Chief Crowfoot the most influential Blackfoot Chief

Blackfoot warrior

Blackfoot tribe nation flag