Yes, it’s Native American Heritage Month and there are some great movies about Native Americans, with less bias, so let’s get right to it!
Amazon has the most movies about Native Americans, so let’s start there! First is On a Knife Edge, the 2017 documentary about George Dull Knife. Dull Knife is a 15 year-old Lakota and this this movie follows him about his daily life, trying to manage both the pressures of being a teen in the modern world and maintaining his heritage. It’s a stirring piece and gets an 8.6/10 on IMDb. Amazon also offers Dreamkeeper, the 2003 two-part multigenerational drama. When a grandfather needs a ride from the Pine Ridge reservation(S.D.) to the All Nations Powwow in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His grandson agrees to drive him, and his grandfather tells him stories and legends about the Lakota, on their way. It stars August Schellenberg(Free Willy), Eddie Spears,Gil Birmingham,Sheila Tousey, Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, Chaske Spencer and Gloria Eshkibok and it gets a 7.8/10 on IMDb. Another great documentary on Amazon is 7th Generation, the 2017 doc from director John L-Voth. This movie is about Oglala Lakota tribal member Jim Warne’s efforts to thrive in the modern world and still remain Indian at heart, as well. It’s a moving film that covers a lot of the issues that have faced Native Americans in this country and it gets a 9.4/10 on IMDb. Amazon has a wonderful documentary about saving the historic and complex Cherokee language in First Language, a 2014 production. It’s about the Eastern band of Cherokee people trying to retain knowledge and heritage wrapped up in their native language. It isn’t rated on IMDb, but it gets 5 stars on Amazon, from viewers. And if you want drama and mystery, Netflix has Wind River, a 2017 crime drama. It stars Ashley Olsen and Jeremy Renner, but also stars many Native Americans, including Gil Birmingham, Graham Greene, Martin Sensmeier, Apesanahkwat and Tantoo Cardinal, and somewhat realistically depicts sexual violence, and alcoholism on a reservation. And Wind River gets an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.7./10 on IMDb. Also, on Netflix, is Mohawk, a 2017 drama. This features a heroine(Yay!) Okwaho, who becomes involved in the War of 1812,in which her neutral tribe is being slaughtered. It stars Kaniehtiio Horn, Eamon Farren, Justin Rain, Ezra Buzzington and Noah Segan and gets an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. And, finally, Netflix has Hostiles, the 2017 movie. It stars Christain Bale and Wes Studi, as protagonists, one a U.S. Army cavalry officer, the other the Cheyenne Chief Yellow Hawk, who the officer must accompany back to Montana. It more honestly depicts the hatred felt by many American officers toward Native Americans and the hostility and abasement indigenous tribes had to endure. It also stars Rosamund Pike, Adam Beach, Q’orianka Kilcher and Tanaya Beatty and it gets a 71% on Rotten Tomatoes.
So, lets watch some movies that give us a more honest view of indigenous people of this country, this month and every month!
