The Stereotyping of North American Indians in Motion Pictures

Abstract

The portrayal of Indians in motion pictures has been roughly twenty-two years in the formation of negative stereotypes in the days of silent films (1908-1929), eighteen years of the use of extremely negative stereotypes, especially in serials (1930-1947), and then over twenty-five years of breaking down the stereotypes (after 1948). The popular image projected was that of a horse-riding tribal warrior of the Plains and Southwest in the late 1800's harassing the white settlers. There has been a turn toward a more sympathetic understanding of Indians, a greater use of Indian actors, and an increase in the production of documentary movies.