Playing Indian in The Red Road

The Red Road, a six-episode mini-series on the Sundance Channel, has received a lot of coverage in the media. I'm not sure why. Is it because Jason Momoa is a budding superstar? Because of the dark story material? Because Out of the Furnace, a movie about the same people, is mired in controversy?

A key issue here is who gets to play Indians. Momoa claims to have a little Indian blood, but his Native heritage is mostly Hawaiian. Actress Tamara Tunie also claims to have Indian blood, although DNA often disproves African Americans who say this. The same applies to Momoa's wife Lisa Bonet.

A few articles address these representational issues, which makes them more interesting than the usual plot summaries or reviews. Check them out:

‘The Red Road’s Creators on Representing Native Americans and an Environmental Mystery

By Alyssa RosenbergThe Red Road is the product of two white creators, Prisoners screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski and longtime Friday Night Lights and Parenthood executive producer Bridget Carpenter. I spoke with both of them in January about creating authentic Native American characters, breaking the mold on crime stories, and how to handle mental illness on television. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

Native Americans have almost no representation on American television at all. I think Longmire and Ken Hotate on Parks and Recreation, it’s like those are the only two other representations. And so, I was curious, you’re entering a space about people who are very underrepresented and you’re coming in with a crime story. And obviously there are a lot of huge and legitimate issues between Native communities and the police, you’re also coming in with characters of color who are criminals. I was wondering if you could just talk me through the decision to tell a crime story and some of those challenges of representing underrepresented people.

Guzikowski: I think also all of the characters in the show do good things and they do bad things. And I think when we were talking about how these characters are gonna be portrayed, I think it was the same thing, you know, there’s good people and there’s bad people and we’re not gonna say that we’re gonna have X amount of people represented this way and, you know what I mean, just try and evaluate each character individually and just go with that as our guiding principle.

Carpenter: I would say what excited me about the script when I read it and super excited me to get the job and get in and work on it is that nobody is just one thing…To me, and I know to Aaron, we hope for life, our stock and trade, is that we wanna write there dimensional people, complicated people, we are not interested in white-washing anybody. But that question is totally valid but by the same token we weren’t ever like “is he nice enough here?” you know, that just wasn’t the way… I would say that the way that I have always gone about making television, the way that we talk in the writer’s room is we talk a story and we talk about the people and then the question that I repeat ask until everybody hates me is “what would really happen?” Who is that person, what would really happen. And so race and ethnicity of course is a part of it but it doesn’t define it.

I was just curious because I think pop culture in this moment is in this very difficult spiral where you don’t want to provide a sole representation of somebody and have it be negative but you don’t want to deny people their humanity but forcing them to be saints.

Carpenter: That’s very well said! And, in fact, to then side step it by saying “I’m not gonna deal with it at all” is, to me, in and of itself, an aversive racism…And I think with the way that we’re interested in dealing is by telling a story and so we are confident enough to have the courage of our convictions and to go “here’s our story, warts and all.” And then that’s the other place where we worked in concert, we did have a Ramapough consultant whose name is Autumn Winscott who we wanted to have that conversation creatively. And she would read our scripts and bring our attention to things that seemed not to read true or to be off the mark and we would then have a creative conversation and, if we agreed, we would address them and adjust. So, in that sense, we feel we kind of worked very transparently and we feel real fundamental respect for the area and the people that inspired the seed of the story…There was a lot of material that we both also read that Aaron in fact brought to me in coverage of that area… I think Redford’s son did the documentary called “Man vs. Ford” so there was coverage on the toxic waste….So we read a lot of that. That was among many of the articles that informed the architecture of our the shaping of the world.And:I was also curious about casting the show because one of the things that’s fascinating about the Ramapough is that they are this sort of hybrid ethnicity and it was really interesting to see Tamara and Jason go talk on the panel today about how this is sort of a rare chance for them to really have a reflection of their ethnicities in a part so I thought casting that must’ve been very interesting.

Guzikowski: Well, I mean, it was charged, it was charged. And early on I think we thought it was going to be more difficult than it was to find the people with a kind of happy mixed background, I mean, how many actors are going to fit into this category but actually there were quite a lot and they were quite good, it was easy.

Carpenter: The good news is that for us art won the day, like the best people won the roles and then we went “Oh Tamara has Indian, is a Blackfoot in her background, oh my god!” it was like “and Jason has Shawnee in his background, oh my g-” you know, that kind of kept happening that it was like a great collision of the best person getting the role which is the dream thing. You don’t, you didn’t want to do tokenism. At the same time, it’s essential that we have actual Native Americans involved in as much as we can, it’s part of it. So, we looked for it and the best people won the job in every respect. That was true of our costume designer is part Native American, Kiowa [Gordon] is part Native American. Our guest stars, the guy who plays Mike, Zahn McClarnon is Native American. Gary Farmer, the magical Gary Farmer.Jason Momoa on his “Red Road” character: “He’s just a bad seed”

The actor discusses Native American representation on TV, "Game of Thrones" and playing an unlikable character

By Neil DrummingWhat appealed to you about the part of Phillip Kopus in “Red Road”?

I played a Mojave character in “Road to Paloma.” I did the language. We did all the traditional things that represent the tribe. I liked the idea that this was a contemporary piece about a Native who is not recognized by his own tribe. He was left by his mother. He was raised by a white drug lord (Tom Sizemore). He’s just a bad seed. I like that he didn’t grow up in a home. He’s a bit of a lone wolf and an outcast and his own people don’t even like him. I really liked that. Even though he steered away from his roots, he’ll eventually probably come back to it and it will find him and accept him as a part of the community. So, that was interesting to me. What was also interesting is that life sucker punches people and you kind of go down a path that isn’t necessarily right and you’re not necessarily bad. Even though you’re not sure if he’s a good guy or bad guy, there are so many gray areas to it and that appealed to me.

African-American actors are often concerned about the type of roles they choose, the type of people they portray, because representation is so rare. Since there are so few representations of Native Americans on television, is that something you had to think about?

It definitely was. Even though it’s a fictional tribe that we’re representing, [they] were inspired by the Ramapough Indians who do not have federal recognition. I think [show creator] Aaron Guzikowski was very inspired by that. And I was very concerned. I went up there to talk to some of the people and I wanted them to know they’re not going to like me. We do represent that tribe. There are people that are good. My wife plays a lawyer that’s representing the tribe. We have many beautiful, smart members, but with every race there’s something bad. I like the idea that they’re not going to like [my character], but no one fucking likes me, my mother doesn’t even like me. There’s a cop [played by Martin Henderson]. What I love is that the show makes the audience question whether or not a cop would cover up a murder to protect his family.

How do you research a fictional tribe?

I wanted to go to [where the actual Ramapough live, 25 miles outside of New York] because my character had been gone for 12 years. I wanted to find that home in my mind and have those images. When Phillip was locked up for six years, he always had this place that he could return to. There’s this peace or whatever that gives him calm. The tribe is based in the forest, and I wanted to have something to call upon. I also wanted to go and talk to some of the tribe members and say, “This is what I’m going to be doing” and let them know that my character is an evil guy. He’s not a good man, so I wanted to make that clear.Exclusive Interview with THE RED ROAD’s Tamara Tunie

The actress talks her role in the Sundance series, plus being a Broadway producer

By Abbie BernsteinAX: Kopus starts out rejecting his Native American heritage; he has a white father, played by Tom Sizemore. Is Marie supposed to be fully of the tribe, or does she have a varied ethnic background?

TUNIE: Well, the tribe itself has varied ethnic background. That is the ancestry of this particular Native American nation. They are mixed ancestry. I think because the makeup of this tribe–they are descendants of Lenape Indians, African-Americans/former African slaves and Dutch. Their names are Vanderveen and Mann. So that defines this particular Native American tribe. And they have lived in this community for over a century, so I don’t think somebody from outside could go, “Well, I have ten percent Native American blood, so I’m a Native American and part of this tribe.”And more:

Jason Momoa on 'Red Road' Character: 'You Don't Know Who He Is Yet'

Comment:  Kiowa Gordon, Gary Farmer, and Zahn McClarnon are listed 5th, 8th, and 13th among the cast members on IMDB. It's unfortunate that a series about a tribe doesn't have more American Indian actors in more prominent roles. But I give the creators credit for researching the Ramapough and using some Native actors. They're probably done more than average in creating an authentic Native series.

The results

The Red Road has received mixed reviews. I think the general impression was, "Nice try, but there's too much going on and the writing isn't good enough."

Most critics didn't assess the Native aspects. I think someone mentioned a Native character having "visions" of past events. But that could happen to anyone, so it's not particularly stereotypical.

I haven't seen The Red Road, so I can't weigh in. But Sonny Skyhawk had some choice comments about it on Facebook:This series is the furthest thing from what the title implies, to us Native people who know what it really means. It is hard to describe even in the English language, but I will try. Look up the dictionary words for CONVOLUTED, BOGUS, and MISDIRECTED, and then maybe you get the picture. This is nothing less than an ignorant writers' view of what happens when you throw the elements of drama, bogus Native culture, and BS into a blender, and select high speed, take out the blended concoction, and try to convince people to swallow it, and like it. A more ripe example of Hollywood bs, not since T & TLR, has yet to come down the proverbial pike, as they say.T & TLR = Tonto and the Lone Ranger.

I'm not sure what Skyhawk objects to. But I haven't seen anyone criticize The Red Road for portraying Indians as sinners as well as saints.

It's like I've said about the Scalped comic book, and to a lesser degree about the Blackstone TV series. No one objects if you portray a realistic range of Native characters. With most of them being positive or neutral, as in real life.

We object when a movie, TV show, or comic book is unrealistically negative. When it makes life on the rez look much more lawless, corrupt, and depraved than it really is. Because that's a modern-day version of the classic "savage Indian" stereotype. These fictional Indians may not scalp people, torture them, or burn them at the stake, but they're still doing evil things beyond the pale of decency.

Cheyenne sacred clown in Longmire

TV 'Longmire' is Gary Farmer a Cheyenne tribal 'Sacred Clown'?

By Roscoe PondThe episode “Tell It Slant” opens with Walt Longmire having a nap on his couch in his log cabin. He is dreaming of a Native American man wearing a white mask with feathers dangling from his head. Is it a dream? Or is it happening in front of Walt as he rises to walk toward his front porch. The Native male is riding a horse backwards & waves at Walt who is confused. It turns out not to be a dream after all. Does Walt predict what comes to him involving homicide? (In the mystery novels--Walt sees things no one does while investigating murder).

Longmire tells his deputies that there is a man who walks backward in the town square wearing a mask. He calls himself a Cheyenne tribal 'Sacred Clown.' He influences people to see beyond the normal & Walt believes this man told him that there has been a murder. He was right. They found a local psychic named Cassandra strangled to death in her home. She is also a Cheyenne Indian whose brother Aaron 'Two Rivers' (Gary Farmer) was the man who rode by Longmire's cabin in that mask.Comment:  From what I've read, Longmire seems to have Native plots and characters most of the time. I haven't commented on them because I haven't seen them. This episode seemed particular interesting because of the bit of Cheyenne culture. Which may or may not be authentic.

For more on Longmire, see Native Roles on Longmire and Longmire Mysteries to Become TV Series.

Below:  Gary Farmer not in Longmire.

Farmer leads Idle No More teach-in

Gary Farmer: Idle No More, 'Consumerization,' Mining Fallout and Indian Humor

By Carol BerryFilm star and activist Gary Farmer wore an impish grin from time to time as he conducted an Idle No More (Idle) teach-in, but his core message defied humor: “We’re the cutting edge of the economic downturn,” he said of Indian people.

Given that resources are limited, we don’t have enough of them to sustain us at our present rate of usage, he said. On this matter, Indian people “have been trying to talk to the larger population for some time,” Farmer said. “Now it’s extremely critical for all of us.”

Farmer, who is Cayuga from Six Nations Reserve, Ontario, was doing just that in addressing students, faculty and others at an Idle No More teach-in he conducted on March 1 at the University of Colorado at Boulder, sponsored by several campus groups. He has been a prominent ally of Idle No More, a grassroots indigenous Canadian movement that has gone worldwide in its affirmation of indigenous rights, priorities and values. The prodigious actor used that as a jumping-off point, conducting a far-ranging discussion of the current economic and environmental situation.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Idle No More Not Just for Natives and Gary Farmer on Native Media.

Gary Farmer on Native media

Gary Farmer: Empowering authentic Native media

Gary Farmer speaks out in Tucson on the fear and oppression of authentic Native voices

By Brenda NorrellNative actor and blues man Gary Farmer was welcomed to Tucson, the ancestral territory of the O'odham, by Ofelia Rivas, who sang a traditional O'odham blessing for Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers, and Pomo film director Tim Ramos.

Between the screenings of Ramos' new film California Indian and Depp and Farmer's Dead Man, Gary spoke of the lack of free press in Indian country and the potential for empowerment through media.

Gary said the United States and Native governments are failing to recognize the importance of Native Americans and their vital place in the media. He described the lack of free press within Indian communities, and the lack of access to electronic media in the US and Canada, during the Native Eyes Film Showcase at the Loft Cinema.

During questions from the audience, Gary said there is a lack of vision by Native leadership to bring about change.

"Native people don't have any access to any form of media that reflects them. I think its quite significant in terms of our own self esteem and why we have such a high rate of suicide."

Describing his life long efforts in radio and television, he said, "I find radio is the more honest form."

"Radio is a way to re-language the people," he said, adding that small radio stations provide for Native languages, and urban radio stations have a great deal of information to share, like AIDS education.

Referring to APTN, Gary said the television network has made a great deal of difference in Canada, in socializing non-Native people to Native issues and stories.

However, he said there's been very little interest in authentic Native media in the US.

"We haven't been able to spark any interest in the US."Comment:  Norrell apparently took these comments to be a criticism of the Indian Country Today magazine and online sources such as Pechanga.net (where I work) and Indianz.com. Because these sources are funded by casino-operating tribes (Indian Country Today and Indianz.com) or casino advertising (Pechanga.net), she questions their independence.

I'd say the "lack of free press within Indian communities" refers mainly to tribally owned and operated newspapers, which tend to publish only the company line. I'm not sure the same restrictions apply to Indian Country Today and Indianz.com, and they definitely don't apply to Pechanga.net.

If a business unaffiliated with a tribe owned a Native news outlet, the outlet still would be subject to censorship. Every media owner decides what it will and won't publish, based on its own or its advertisers' interests. And every media owner tends to quash criticism of itself.

In other words, a totally independent Native news source is an impossible dream. Even self-made entrepreneurs running publications or websites have their biases. A better solution is to have multiple sources of information, not to expect any particular source to be independent and cover "all" the news.

For more on Native journalism, see Indians Connect Via Social Media and Pine Ridge Gets Media Attention.

Gary Farmer in Evergreen

I watched the 2004 movie Evergreen a few months ago. It tells the story of how three generations of women--daughter, mother, and grandmother--cope with poverty in a Washington state town.

Gary Farmer is fourth-billed in the cast. He plays Jim, an Indian who befriends the women. He has several key scenes.

[* spoiler alert *]

1) The mother and daughter meet Jim in the Tulalip Casino. We eventually learn he's the head of the casino's poker operations and an occasional dealer. The women normally take the bus, but he offers them a ride home in his rez car.

Making conversation, Jim says the mother looks "Cherokee or Navajo or Gypsy." This question isn't as odd as it seems because she has high cheekbones and a slightly exotic look. It turns out the grandmother emigrated from Eastern Europe, so they're Slavic or something similar.

But why would he ask her about being Cherokee or Navajo rather than a local Washington tribe? That part doesn't make sense. It sounds like a naive screenwriter's notion of what an Indian is . Name some tribes that everyone's heard of.

Jim is robbed

2) When we see Jim next, he's cozying up to the mother in her kitchen. He's begun courting her.

The suspicious grandmother asks him if he's Mexican or Arab. This launches an argument between the three women. Ashamed of being poor, the daughter leaves, stealing the money from Jim's wallet. Jim leaves too, unwilling to be the cause of a fight.

Usually an Indian in his position would play the wise elder and peacemaker, so it's nice to see his human reaction. He can't stand conflict so he flees.

3) Jim fills his car with gas but then discovers he doesn't have any money. The attendant says he'll have to leave his car until he pays. Jim smiles and shrugs, then goes to hitchhike.

Again, it's a nice human reaction. In this situation you'd expect the Indian to be stoic or angry, but Farmer's character is too mellow for that.

"You're just an Indian"

4) Jim tells the mother that her daughter stole his money. She reacts defensively. "Who are you to accuse us?" she asks. "You're just an Indian who works at a casino."

This is a bit over the top. Consider the facts. The movie was filmed in 2002 or 2003 and presumably takes place then. By then Indian gaming had already taken off.

Evergreen shows a small casino. The Tulalip Tribes now have a mega-resort casino. I don't know when they completed it, but let's say it was after 2002-2003. Let's say they were still operating this modest casino.

Even with this small casino, the Tulalip Tribes would still be a decent employer. The film notes that the only other jobs in town are at a cosmetics factory and toilet-paper factory. The mother works at the former and it isn't glamorous.

Jim has a respectable managerial job at the casino. So why exactly is the mother scorning him? He's better off than she is.

Since she's new to town, she could be ignorant of the job situation. But it doesn't make sense for someone to be sneering at an Indian casino in the early 2000s. Gaming was booming then and the Tulalip Tribes were poised to expand. Jim was on the ground floor of what could've been a great career opportunity.

Again, you get the sense that the screenwriter doesn't quite know the reality of present-day Indians. Jim's character is good, but his status seems like it's 20 or 30 years out of date. Indians were scorned them, but not so much in recent years.

Outcome

5) Later the mother apologizes to Jim. They kiss and make up. At the end he's joined the family.

It's nice to see the Native guy "get the girl." Especially when he isn't a typical Native hunk like Adam Beach. Jim's essential kindness and goodness win over the skeptical mother.

Overall, Evergreen is too low-key and predictable to be a great movie. But it presents a solid look at a demographic--the poor--seldom seen in movies. And Farmer's role is notably non-stereotypical. Only a few off-key comments keep this role from being great.

Rob's rating of Evergreen: 7.5 of 10.

For more on Gary Farmer, see Farmer's Of Mice and Men Reviewed and Filming Winter in the Blood.

Farmer's Of Mice and Men reviewed

Of Mice & Men--Inspiring Production of a Depression-Era Tale

By John ThrelfallGranted, a track record of pairing classic shows with strong actors and an accomplished director doesn’t always pay off, but in this case it’s definitely four in a row for Richmond. Blue Bridge’s Of Mice & Men is a remarkable and beautifully wrought slice of Americana, telling a story that could easily be transposed into our current Recession-era daily life: swap farmland for street life and bunkhouse for homeless shelter and you’ve got a story for today, right down to the bedbugs and hopeless dreams of a brighter tomorrow.And:Ferry—no stranger to Blue Bridge productions (his Death of a Salesman was a critical and popular hit three years ago)—makes a welcome return here, offering us a conflicted George trapped by inevitable tragedy. He’s one of those actors who just seems to embody his character on every level, and is always compelling to watch. Less dramatically theatrical but equally engaging is Farmer’s Lennie; he fills the truly larger than life character with just the right mix of innocence and simple-mindedness. And while I’m not sure if Farmer himself is actually that big, or if Richmond just cast (and designed) small to overemphasize the actor’s size, he does both emotionally and physically fill the stage.Review: Of Mice and Men

By Adrian ChamberlainGary Farmer played the role of Lennie decades ago under the direction of Brian Richmond, who oversees this production. It’s easy to see why Richmond wanted him back. Farmer exudes a larger-than-life charisma. As Lennie, his joyful, childlike laughs—head thrown back—are irresistible even when he’s saying things that are distasteful.

Farmer’s performance on Thursday night was vaudevillian in the best sense of the word. A big man, he brings a wonderful physicality to the role, both in gesture and facial expression. There was a bit of Red Skelton (the good Red, not the hammy Red) in Farmer’s acting. It was difficult to imagine someone else playing the role—always a sign an actor is doing something right.

Rating: Four Stars (out of five)Comment:  For more on the subject, see Gary Farmer in Of Mice and Men.

Below:  Gary Farmer and David Ferry. (Tim Matheson)

Gary Farmer in Of Mice and Men

Mice role lured Farmer back on stage

Film veteran spends most of his time playing with blues band

By Adrian ChamberlainActor-musician Gary Farmer isn't singing the blues about his starring role in Of Mice and Men.

The 59-year-old is the leader of Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers, a hard-rocking blues act inspired by John Lee Hooker and Howlin' Wolf. The band--playing 100-plus gigs a year--is his main creative focus. As Farmer puts it: "I decided to retire to music."

Singing may have become his mainstay, but the Ontario-born performer--now based in Santa Fe, New Mexico--is best known as the veteran film actor who appeared in Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man in 1995 with Johnny Depp.

Farmer has acted in more than 100 movies and TV shows. Film credits include a lead in Powwow Highway (1989) and many roles with marquee Hollywood names: Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro in The Score (2001) and Lou Diamond Phillips in the Robert Redford-produced thriller The Dark Wind (1991).

When Victoria theatre director Brian Richmond offered Farmer the role of Lennie in Of Mice and Men--a stage adaptation of the classic 1937 John Steinbeck novella--he quickly agreed. It's a happy artistic reunion for the pair. Richmond previously directed Farmer, playing the same role, in Magnus Theatre's Of Mice and Men in the mid-1980s.

"I thought, 'Who could I cast in the role?' I couldn't think of anybody but Gary doing it," said Richmond, who maintains Farmer is one of the leading aboriginal actors of his generation.Comment:  Farmer may be focused on music, but he still shows up in movies and TV shows. He may not actively pursue these roles, but he still gets them.

For more on Native actors in classic plays, see Tamara Podemski in A Midsummer's Night Dream and Schellenberg's King Lear Reviewed.

Below:  "Actor Gary farmer takes a break from rehearsing at UVic's Phoenix Theatre this week. Farmer stars in Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre's production of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men." (Lyle Stafford, timescolonist.com)

Filming Winter in the Blood

Sherman Alexie, Chaske Spencer, and Gary Farmer talk about the novel and movie versions of Winter in the Blood:

On the Set:  It's taken a state to make 'Winter in the Blood'

The film has been a labor of love for Montanans from the governor on down. It was made by local-boys-made-good (the Smith brothers), funded locally and based on a novel by a local Native American author.

By Kenneth TuranThe book, which has been translated into eight languages and remains in print, was a foundation stone of the literary Native American renaissance and has inspired countless writers, from Louise Erdrich ("what astounded me was that something so familiar could be made into literature") to Sherman Alexie.

Alexie returned the favor by becoming an associate producer on "Winter in the Blood." When he spoke at a fundraiser in Missoula, remembers co-screenwriter Ken White, he said that reading the book "was the first time I read a story about myself, the first time I saw my story represented in literature. It gave me permission to speak. It's why I became a writer."And:Spencer, raised on reservations in Montana and Idaho, is pleased to be able to use his "Twilight" fame to "help projects like this get going." Though his management was not initially enthusiastic, he says, "I put my foot down, I stuck with this project, I fought tooth and nail."

"I'm not getting paid that much; the experience of doing this is the reward," Spencer adds. "There are no special effects, no big-time soundtrack, but it's so layered, there are so many rich emotions. A role like this challenges me. It's why you hustle those tables, why you bartend, why I became an actor. There's no other reason to be in the Milk River up to your chest in sludge."

For Farmer, a three-time Independent Spirit Awards nominee for roles in "Powwow Highway," "Dead Man" and "Smoke Signals," a film like this, based on a celebrated Native American novel with a cast and crew that includes representation from close to 30 tribes, "has been a long time coming."

"For years as an actor, they never let us do the writing," he says. "We had to work twice as hard to socialize the writer to Native American realities. This for me as a career actor is the culmination of that. To witness this after a 38-year career is just magic."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Welch Movie Reaches Kickstarter Goal and Chaske Spencer's Upcoming Projects.

Below:  "Actor Chaske Spencer studies his script on the set of Winter in the Blood outside of Chinook, Montana." (Patricia Williams/For The Times)

California Indian to premiere

'California Indian,' shot on local locations, to have Lake County premiere Aug. 26In “California Indian,” Nick Thomas, a Pomo Indian and a successful Los Angeles radio host, is forced back to the reservation to help his brother Chi (Gil Birmingham), and tribal leader Rich Knight (Gary Farmer) lead the Tule Lake Rancheria out of danger from a seedy casino investor (Mark Boone Jr.), ultimately claiming sovereignty of their Native American rights, according to the film's synopsis.

The California Indian Web site, www.californiaindian.com, explains, “The struggles inherent on reservations today are depicted in this day-in-the-life drama based on true characters and events. The film dispels current stereotypes and myths about modern Native American culture while showcasing the depths of the heritage that thrives today.”

The film–which also marks Ramos' directorial debut–was shot on location in Lake County, especially in and around Lakeport.

The film's Web site said Pomo tribal members, who had no prior acting experience, were cast in many of the roles in the film, which allowed for greater authenticity of the portrayal of the tribe.Comment:  IMDB says this movie was released in 2009. This may just be its local premiere.

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

Below:  "Chi (Gil Birmingham), Rich (Gary Farmer) and Nick (Timothy Ramos) at the marina, having devised a counter strategy to protect the tribe using their sovereign rights in the movie California Indian." (Courtesy photo)

Gary Farmer wins lifetime award

Gary Farmer Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at the Native American Film + Video Festival



Comment:  For more on the subject, see Gary Farmer Gives Up Acting and Gary Farmer's Musical Career.

Preview of Ink--A Tale of Captivity

Ink--A Tale of CaptivityInk--A Tale of Captivity is the Mary Rowlandson story. A new movie produced by Alice van Buren of Inkwell Santa Fe Productions. The Story: 1676 Boston--Taken by Indians, a preacher's wife becomes the first woman published in America.

Wes Studi is King Philip, the mysterious Wampanoag leader; Gary Farmer appears as the tratior Alderman.Trailer One:  The Captivity Narrative--Mary Rowlandson (Angela Janda) reading from her captivity narrative.



Trailer Two:  Captivity Scene--Mary Rowlandson (Angela Janda) with King Philip (Wes Studi) discussing the terms of her captivity.



The history in question:

Mary RowlandsonMary (White) Rowlandson (c. 1637–January 1711) was a colonial American woman who was captured by Indians during King Philip's War and endured eleven weeks of captivity before being ransomed. After her release, she wrote a book about her experience, The Sovereignty and Goodness of God: Being a Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, which is considered a seminal work in the American literary genre of captivity narratives.Comment:  The trailers show a burning house, scalps nailed to a wall, King Philip riding a horse, and what looks like the interior of a tipi. I sure hope the movie doesn't have any mistakes or stereotypes.

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

Gary Farmer gives up acting

NIGHT & DAY:  Former actor Gary Farmer turns Troublemaker thanks to the blues

By Jonathan DeVoySome may remember him standing outside his sidewalk store in the comedy “Police Academy,” others may recognize him co-starring right next to Johnny Depp in the western “Dead Man” or maybe it was his award-winning performance in “Powwow Highway.”

Nowadays, Gary Farmer can be seen jamming away on his harmonica with the Troublemakers—keeping his blues heritage alive.

You can check him out yourself as he’ll be in town Friday and Saturday for a pair of shows.

Originally from Ontario, Canada, Farmer holds a deep connection to the Niagara Falls area as well as to his Native American family. A member of the Cayuga Nation and Wolf clan of the Haudenosaunee/Iroquois Confederacy, Farmer grew up in the Niagara Falls region and recalls his father working in the chemical plants in the Falls.Some tidbits of information:Farmer knows a little bit about the arts. He started out acting in plays and then movies back in 1975 along with his cousin Graham Greene, who would later be nominated for best supporting actor for his role in “Dances with Wolves.”And:After more than 80 appearances in television shows and movies, Farmer retired from the Screen Actors Guild and began focusing on music.Comment:  I didn't know he was Graham Greene's cousin and had given up acting.

For more on the subject, see Gary Farmer on Custer Toy and Gary Farmer's Musical Career.

Below:  "Gary Farmer takes the stage with The Troublemakers during a recent show. The actor turned blues singer will be performing at Seneca Niagara Casino with his band this weekend."

Gary Farmer's musical career

Gary Farmer takes on role of blues musician

Famed Native American actor complements film success of ‘Smoke Signals, Dead Man’ with harmonicaArt takes many forms; so does the career of Gary Farmer. He began in music, took a turn to acting, publishing, production of television and radio, and recently adopted a renewed fervor for music.

A youngster in the 1960s, he idolized blues musicians such as Stevie Wonder and Native guitarist Jesse Ed Davis. He began playing the harmonica in college, but over the course of 30 years, film and stage acting competed with his music. Still he managed to weave his harmonica into his film roles in “Powwow Highway” and “Henry and Verlin.”

He now casts himself regularly as lead of Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers, a four-piece harmonica-based blues band. The Troublemakers rose out of an opportunity to play at the National Museum of the American Indian Film Festival in Santa Fe, N.M. in 2005.Comment:  For more on Farmer, see Gary Farmer in Easy Money and Gary Farmer Against Drunk Driving.