Hollywood's Indian: Portrayal of Native Americans in Film - Softcover

All too often Hollywood portrays Native Americans either as bloodthirsty savages, ever ready to scalp the innocent and pure, or as noble shamans, calmly sharing their accumulated wisdom with the white man. Rarely has the Indian's own view of himself or his culture been represented in films or other visual media.This collection of essays offers both in-depth analyses of specific films and overviews of Hollywood's depiction of Native Americans from the days of silent films to Disney's Pocahontas. Together, the writers explore the many ways in which the differing portrayals -- negative, sympathetic, or realistic -- have reflected larger changes in American society and their impact on our collective cultural life.