Introduction:

Throughout film history, Native Americans have struggled to gain creative control of their images and stories. From the beginning, Hollywood has perpetuated stereotypes and misconceptions regarding Native Americans. The Native always stands in stark contrast to the white character. They always have a sort of inherent flaw that holds them back. The "Anglo" culture in film is dominant. Native American culture and traditions is constantly portrayed as backwards or savage. The Hollywood "studio system", which began in the 1920's and ended in the 1960's,  cemented any Native stereotypes in American culture. For the sake of efficiency, studios used standardized images of Native Americans in all of their films. More often then not, the Native roles were played by white actors. The typical Native male was an imposing figure with red skin and dark eyes. He usually wore a buckskin loin cloth with beads draped over his arms and chest. He was a savage character who used guerrilla tactics to surprise and kill frontier whites. The typical Native female was soft spoken and usually attracted the eye of the white protagonist. Both were in tune with nature and offered to teach the white characters about the land if they were willing to learn. The intelligence of the Natives were racist as well. Keeping in line with the "Noble Savage" theme, the Natives were considered intelligent when it came to war tactics or herbal healing. The Natives were never able to comprehend the modern ways of the white man.

These stereotypes continued throughout the studio system era until the early 1990's when more sympathetic western films began to be produced. However, the years leading up to the sympathetic westerns showed some progress in changing Native stereotypes. My focus is on three films in three different cinematic eras. The first film, The Searchers, is a typical western film depicting Natives in a stereotypical negative light. The second film, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, offers a small critique of past Native stereotypes and is an example of changing attitudes towards Native Americans in film. The third and final film, Smoke Signals, is the most famous Native directed and produced film. It represents the final stage in the development of the Native image in film. Natives deserve the opportunity to create their own images and tell their own stories and Smoke Signals is the beginning of this new stage.