Running Deer premieres at Ak-Chin

Roll out the red carpet: ‘Running Deer’ to have US premiere at Ak-Chin Indian Community’s UltraStar

Actors, director, producer to attend

By Larry LockhartA young newcomer on the cusp of stardom and a veteran character actor from the Tucson area are two of the three key players in the short film “Running Deer,” which is set for its national premiere at 5 p.m. Saturday at UltraStar Multi-tainment Center near Maricopa.

It’s only fitting that the Native American-themed film debuts at a Native-owned theater complex. The theaters are adjacent to Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort on the Ak-Chin Indian Community just south of Maricopa.

Booboo Stewart plays the lead role of Tyler, a high school cross country star growing up in a Native American community facing a barrage of personal struggles the day before the most important race of his life. Jon Proudstar plays his father and Q’orianka Kilcher has the other featured role.

Stewart’s father, veteran Hollywood stuntman Nils Stewart, is of Native American, Russian and Scottish descent. His mother, who gave him the nickname Boo Boo, is of Chinese, Japanese and Korean descent. The 19-year-old found the spotlight when he won the coveted role of Seth Clearwater in the movie “Twilight Saga Eclipse,” then followed up in both “Breaking Dawn” 1 and 2. He’s currently filming “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” the seventh installment in that franchise.Comment:  Only problem is that Stewart wasn't part Native until he got the Twilight role, and no one I know considers him Native.

It's kind of funny that his Wikipedia entry now says:He has Japanese, Chinese, and Korean ancestry from his mother’s side and Native American, Russian and Scottish descent from his father's side.Last time I checked, Native American was dead last among his list of ethnicities. Now his father is more Native than anything else? I'd like to see the genealogy on that.

What tribe or tribes is this "Native American descent" from? Has Booboo or his father done a single thing to embrace their "Native heritage" other than take acting jobs from real Natives? I'm guessing not.

For more on Booboo Stewart, see Warpath in New X-Men Movie and Actors Turn Out for Breaking Dawn.

Below:  Jon Proudstar and Booboo Stewart.