More stereotypes in Pathfinder

Killsback:  On the 'Path' of sour Indian films

The character types:Ghost ... defeats his own Viking people, thus postponing the colonization of Native America for another 500 years, with the aid of the Indian princess, a mentally retarded tribal member and the Pathfinder, a cliched mystic played by Russell Means.The environment:We know the Vikings landed on northern shores, but we can never gain a true sense of where this legend takes place. In "Pathfinder," the pre-contact environment is the harshest of any on the planet. The sun never rose. In one scene, our hero treks through caves filled with human skulls as if he were in a Conan comic book. Obviously there was ice and snow, but there are scenes that show both frozen and tropical environments. During the whole movie we are told that it is springtime, yet there are scenes that would have us thinking otherwise. Nevertheless, it does not make sense to show a young Indian girl gathering berries in a woodland area, and later show our hero sliding down a giant snow-packed mountain. The question still remains: Where exactly is this harsh environment and what is wrong with the weather?

Are we to believe that our ancient environment was at its most harsh in the absence of Europeans? Are we to believe that pre-contact North America was so untamed that even the seasons were inconsistent, and that today's global-warming weather is "normal?" Of course not, but "Pathfinder" may convince some that Native America was ruled by nature, and in need of a good European environmental makeover.The helpless Natives:"Pathfinder" also depicts the Native people as helpless and defenseless--their pathetic warriors could not kill a single Viking--and that their lack of military tactics and common sense led their best fighters to commit suicide in a weak display of unorganized warfare. The white hero fights, defends and inevitably proves himself superior to the same savage people who denied him as a worthy warrior.

Is this common ancestor the sole reason why the French, Spanish, English and, later, the Americans were met with such violent resistance from Native warriors? Are we to believe that our ancestors could not produce the warriors and warrior societies that protected our people against the gun-wielding brutes of Europe without the teachings of a Viking? Of course not, but "Pathfinder" may convince some, and vindicate others, that the strongest and bravest warriors came from Europe and that somehow our ancestors were bred into knowing their warrior ways.Conclusion:Like most mainstream movies before, "Pathfinder" had given Indian actors the opportunity to be on the big screen at the cost of their own exploitation. The movie falls miserably close to the path of sour Indian films which have the habit of depicting a wild pre-contact Native America filled with dirty savages wandering aimlessly, without much purpose but to await a brutal death from a much mightier European people. Should we distrust all Hollywood filmmakers when they call for Indian actors? No, but we should at least be aware of how they want to depict American Indians to the rest of the world.Comment:  I find Killsback's point about the environment especially telling. The monochromatic, fogbound landscape makes Native America look like a grim, harsh place. Even without depicting the Indians as savages, the movie depicts the land as savage. The implication is that this is no place for a civilization--that civilization isn't possible here.

Contrast this with the depiction of Native America in Disney's Pocahontas. There the land is the opposite: a colorful, magical place of talking trees and lovable animals. This also sends a stereotypical message: that Indians were happy-go-lucky nature lovers compared to the cruel, exploitative Europeans.