Verified Document

Native Americans In Film Prompt 1: The Essay

Native Americans in Film Prompt #1:

The difference between Smoke Signals and Dances with Wolves is striking. The former is more about what life is like for people who are of Native American descent. They are not different from the white population except for their traditions and heritage. As people, they are not at all different. Dances with Wolves on the other hand portrays Native Americans as a group of people completely different from the white population. Besides having a different language, they have altogether different customs and an essentially different way of life. It is as if the first film is intent on showing the similarities between Native Americans and Caucasians and that the second movie is about how different they are and how hard it is for the two societies to intermingle....

The media as a whole plays on the preconceived notions of people and does little to challenge stereotypes. I would like to learn the truth of the social structures of Native American life and how it differs from what is accepted as fact.
Prompt #2:

There are definite stereotypes about Native Americans that many people believe to be fact. The assumption is that Native Americans speak halting English and go about with little clothing, bedecked in feathers and beads. They are usually violent and aggressive. Of course, none of these is true for all Native American tribes. Some wear more clothing than others. Some wear very…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited:

Dances with Wolves. Dir. Kevin Costner. Prod. Kevin Costner. By Michael Blake. Perf. Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, and Graham Greene. Orion Pictures, 1990. DVD.

Smoke Signals. By Sherman Alexie, Brian Capener, Brian Berdan, BC Smith, Ron Otis, Ray

Brown, Tim Simonec, and Patrick O'Sullivan. Prod. Sherman Alexie, Chris Eyre, Scott Rosenfelt, Larry Estes, David Skinner, Carl Bressler, Roger Baerwolf, Randy Suhr, Brent Morris, Charles Armstrong, Ron Leamon, and Cynthia Bornia. Dir. Chris Eyre. Perf. Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer, Tantoo Cardinal, Cody Lightning, John Michelle. St., Robert Miano, Molly Cheek, Simon Baker, Monique Mojica, Elaine Miles, Michael Greyeyes, Leonard George, John Trudell, Darwin Haine, Tom Skerritt, Cynthia Geary, and Perrey Reeves. Miramax Films, 1998. DVD.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Native American Culture
Words: 625 Length: 2 Document Type: Research Paper

Education of Little Tree Age and Tradition in the Education of Little Tree Tradition is an essential element in any coming of age story, and the 1997 film The Education of Little Tree (adapted from a novel o the same title) is certainly no exception. In this film, an eight-year-old orphaned boy of Cherokee heritage named Little Tree is sent first to live with his grandparents who instruct him in Cherokee traditional

Vedantam, 2006 , Americans Are More Socially Isolated
Words: 8966 Length: 36 Document Type: Research Proposal

Vedantam, 2006), Americans are more socially isolated than they were in 1985, with the number of people with whom they can confide dropping by one third, from three close confidents to two. American is viewed as a fragmented society with splinters of people growing ever more distant with regard to intimate social ties. Despite the benefits of close social connections, people report being alone, feeling alone, and suffering alone

Silent Film Nanook of the North by Robert Flaherty
Words: 2202 Length: 6 Document Type: Research Paper

Silent Film: Robert Flaherty and Nanook of the North Robert Flaherty is one of the most renowned filmmakers of all time. He was born in 1883 and died in 1951, so that his life and work encompassed what is frequently referred to as the Golden Age of cinema. Although Flaherty was an American, he lived near the U.S./Canadian border, and went to Toronto for his schooling. His early work experience was

John Grierson the Documentary Film
Words: 22277 Length: 75 Document Type: Term Paper

From this came our insistence on the drama of the doorstep" (cited by Hardy 14-15). Grierson also notes that the early documentary filmmakers were concerned about the way the world was going and wanted to use all the tools at hand to push the public towards greater civic participation. With the success of Drifters, Grierson was able to further his ideas, but rather than directing other films, he devoted his time

White Europeans and Indians in America
Words: 1362 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Paper

White European Authors Depicted Native Americans in Fiction The objective of this study is to examine how white European authors have depicted Native American in Fiction. Examined to inform this study are two specific works in writing and specifically those entitled: "The Last of the Mohicans" and "The Searchers" written by James Fenimore Cooper and John Ford, respectively. There can be no doubt that the native American Indians are misrepresented in

Art in Non-Western Society the
Words: 1354 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Turtle shell rattles have been used for countless centuries. Such rattles have been recovered from ancient sites in the southwest and in the Mississippian civilizations. The turtle rattle was also a musical instrument in ceremonial use. One of its most important functions was its significance in the False Face ceremonies. One of the most distinguishing features of the Iroquois belief system is the reliance on the mask for religious and

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now