Steamy Streaming: Natives
Movies Applauded By Native Americans
At Thanksgiving, most people think of Plymouth Rock and eating turkey. What we may forget is the invasion Native Americans faced and circumstances that killed their people. While we enjoy celebrating this holiday with loved ones, it’s important to acknowledge the other side of the story. PROVOKR has curated a list of films approved by and featuring Native Americans to watch this Thanksgiving:
DANCES WITH WOLVES
Kevin Costner stars as a Civil War lieutenant who befriends the Sioux Nation and wolves. His friendship with Kicking Bird (Graham Greene) makes him an invaluable asset to the military. The Sioux Nation usually doesn’t care for its portrayal in films, but liked this one so much, it made Kevin Costner an honorary member.
LAST OF THE MOHICANS
Daniel Day-Lewis stars in this narrative set during the French Indian War. Day-Lewis’ character is half white and lives among the indigenous people. When the daughters of British colonists are kidnapped, the Mohicans try to rescue them in the midst of war and chaos.
WINDTALKERS
Windtalkers caught flack for not putting Navajos in lead roles, instead focusing on white protagonists. But, the film is good and tells a true story of how the Navajo used a complicated, unbreakable code to save lives during World War II. It stars Nicolas Cage, Mark Ruffalo and Christian Slater, among others.
BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE
Rarely do we acknowledge the displacement and death of Native Americans as settlers traveled west. The HBO film, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, documents just that. The movie is based on a book of the same name by Dee Brown. It focuses on different perspectives of the time period and is both captivating and educational.
THE WEST
Respected documentarian Ken Burns takes an educational approach to the westward expansion. In nine episodes, Ken Burns and his team chronicle what happened during that time period. Watch this series to learn more about the history of America during its early days.
WE SHALL REMAIN
In five parts, documentary filmmaker Ric Burns covers the history of Native Americans from the 17th to the 20th centuries. It’s an achievement not many could accomplish, but he explains it so clearly. In fact, it will have you reaching for more material about Native American history.
HOSTILES
The NCAI applauded Hostiles director Scott Cooper for doing his research and offering viewers an accurate portrayal of Native Americans. The film uses a rare Northern Cheyenne dialect, which garners praise by the organization. The film’s lead, Christian Bale, plays an Army Captain.
