American Indians Movies

This web site is attempting to list, review and create some discussion about the best movies ever made about American Indians in the pre-assimilation era. The movies listed here focuses on Native Americans living in their traditional ways. I consider this era to be up to around the time of Wounded Knee in 1890.
     In considering which movies to include I have considered how big a role Indians had in the movie's plot, how well the movie showed the Native Americans lifestyle, how the Indians were portrayed and how good the movie was. The biggest factor for me was how good the movie was.
     Some of the movies, such as in Ulzana's Raid, will have portrayals that some may consider to be negative. Others, like Dances with Wolves, will have a view that some may consider too idealistic. Hopefully, all the movies included in this list will have some redeeming values.
     History is written by the winners but that doesn't mean that we have to go along with the traditional Hollywood view of Native Americans. There have been some strong portrayals of Indians in the movies. I think a case can be made for several movie representations of Native Americans, who can be viewed as patriots, fighting against an alien invading force. Magua in Last of the Mohicans (1992), Scar in The Searchers, Captain Jack in Drum Beat, Ulzana, Massai and Geronimo are just a few portrayals that can be considered positive when examined from a Native point of view.
     I realize that the term "best" is very subjective when it comes to discussing movies. What one person considers the best movie ever made, someone else may consider one of the worst. Some people consider The Searchers to have one of the most negative portrayals ever of Native Americans, while others consider it to be one of the most positive. Movies about Native Americans reflect the changing attitudes of American society towards Native American history and of the American treatment of them. Was Magua a hero or was he a villain? It really all just depends on your point of view.

university of southern mississippi st louis university university of louisiana at lafayette lock haven university university of findlay university of nevada reno where is auburn university jackson state university football university of phoenix ecampus dillard university thomas edison state university new mexico state university hamline university elmhurst university hospital of the university of pennsylvania university of utah hospital st leo university jordan 9 university blue washington state's university saint joseph's university rockhurst university otterbein university university of pennsylvania hospital heidelberg university gardner webb university millikin university western oregon university university of glasgow indiana university basketball trinity washington university northern kentucky university southern utah university university of arizona global campus pittsburg state university university of illinois chicago bni university tusculum university florida memorial university where is yale university muskingum university medical university of south carolina california baptist university north greenville university east tennessee state university prairie view a&m university madison university university of evansville university of texas at dallas west liberty university emporia state university wayland baptist university university of new orleans university at albany seton hill university western university of health sciences national louis university university bookstore duke university face masks minot state university university of miami health system vanderbilt university medical center loma linda university medical center brenau university university near me southeastern oklahoma state university durham university wilberforce university gwynedd mercy university faulkner university northwood university husson university georgian court university university college london where is vanderbilt university ohio university football liberty university login caldwell university saint francis university university of southern maine augustana university university high school queen's university rivier university