Native films on Turner Classic Movies

Natives and Films on TNTThis May, the Peabody Award-winning Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will present the fifth in its ongoing RACE AND HOLLYWOOD festivals, which explore Hollywood’s portrayal of different minority groups. Each Tuesday and Thursday throughout the month, TCM will dedicate its primetime and overnight schedule to NATIVE AMERICAN IMAGES ON FILM.

Joining TCM host Robert Osborne in presenting the films will be Professor Hanay Geiogamah, director of the American Indian Studies Center at UCLA. The films and introductions will explore a different topic each night, including the evolution of Native American depictions by director John Ford (May 4), non-Indians in Indian roles (May 6), Indians as enemies (May 11), white men living among Indians (May 13), Indians as “noble savages” (May 18), Native Americans facing racism (May 20), Native American actors and filmmakers (May 25) and images from outside Hollywood (May 27).

Among the notable works featured during the NATIVE AMERICAN IMAGES ON FILM collection are Best Picture Oscar winners One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) and Dances with Wolves (1990); John Ford’s Stagecoach (1939) and The Searchers (1956); the acclaimed independent films Smoke Signals (1998), Powwow Highway (1989) and Black Robe (1991); Michael Apted’s Thunderheart (1992) and his thematically linked documentary Incident at Oglala (1992); and the groundbreaking silent documentary Nanook of the North (1922).Comment:  Wow. Three or four Native-themed movies a night for eight nights. About 30 movies total including many of the key ones in film history.

Set your VCRs and TiVos, people, and I'll do the same. This should be an excellent way to educate ourselves about Natives in Hollywood.

For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.