Stereotypes of Native Americans in Film

Introduction Native Americans are the people who lived in the supercontinent of America before the Europeans went to settle there. They are the indigenous people of the continent of America. Some people also call them the American Indians. These people did not welcome the Europeans movement to their continent.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Stereotypes of Native Americans in Film specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Like any other society in the pre-colonial times, the Native Americans faced the Europeans with hostility in their attempt to prevent the whites from settling in their native land.  Their actions and nature made the Europeans develop a negative attitude towards them since they did not give them a chance to control the society. This became the platform for moviemakers in the film industry not only during those times, but also in the present time. It created the atmosphere of stereotypes in film s especially those from the West.  According to Lippmann, stereotypes are standardized mental pictures that members of a group hold in common and present a simplified opinion, prejudiced attitude and judgements that are not critical (24). Native Americans were simple people who based their culture more on mystery than science. North America had approximately six hundred different indigenous American societies speaking two hundred different languages. The whites treated all these societies as one entity in stereotyping the Native Americans (Barnett 72). The film industry has played an important role in bringing out the perceptions of the Europeans towards the Native Americans. According to Battaille and Silet, Native Americans have appeared in movies/films since the beginning of the industry in 1894 (14). It is important to note that the stereotypes held towards the Native Americans are negative and damaging and this underscores racism and segregation that this minor group has expe rienced throughout the history. Stereotyping of the Native Americans was not only by films, but also by other forms of art. The western community also used fiction and literature. However, films/movies earned masses of audience due to its ability to show moving images. The images in the films helped the audience to get a more precise image of the stereotypes than the other forms of art. However, the stereotypes of the Native Americans in films have exhibited a gradual change over the centuries. Films and perpetuation of Native Americans stereotypes There are several reasons why the media, films, stereotyped the Native Americans. The Western Community wanted to confirm their superiority. They viewed the Native Americans as people who had juvenile and unsophisticated minds (Tuska 18). They wanted the American Indians to embrace their civilized way of living-their social values, worldview, social structure as well as their beliefs.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the Native Americans had their own ways of living and did not find it necessary to adapt the ‘civilized’ ways of the Europeans. Stereotyping of the Native Americans was a type of entertainment. It is because the films have the ability to give an audio-visual presentation of events as well as people’s views.   Films and television presentations reach masses of audience. By presenting the stereotypical images of the American Indians in an entertaining manner, the Europeans were certain that the images would create the intended picture to the audiences’ minds. The impact of such films remained strong in most Americans’ minds to the extent of stigmatizing the indigenous Americans. The other major reason for stereotyping the Native Americans is that it was an approach for the white society to justify their stealing of land from the indigenous Americans. They a lso used stereotyping as a means of perpetuating the myths on how the western society built America. The Western Community used film images to present the Native Americans as savage, drunken, lazy, and heathen as well as people with who lacked family relationships. They portrayed the Native American man as an individual who was very primitive just like an animal (Delloria 3). An example of such a film is the â€Å"Wild West†. It depicts the Native Americans as haters who lack the least sense of morality. In this film, whenever a Native American character appears, he is involved in evil activities such as raping young girls or women, robbing and even killing people maliciously. Most of these films focused on the negative attributes of the Native Americans and the good traits of the western society. For instance, in the film ‘Wild West’, the western cowboys act as the good people who make relentless efforts to rescue the victims of the Native Americans’ acts . From the beginning of the Film industry to the end of the Second World War, all the scenes in films revolved around the negative perceptions that the Europeans had on the Native Americans. In some productions, the Europeans expressed their hatred of the Native Americans. This was evident on the movie, ‘The Searchers’ which centres on a young girl who was taken after the murder of her parents. During the search, one of the western men found one of the natives dead and shot him on both eyes. The shooting of the dead man is an expression of the western’s society hatred on the Native Americans.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Stereotypes of Native Americans in Film specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Other films that perpetuated Native American stereotypes are ‘Duel in Diablo’, ‘Redman and the Child’, ‘Ramona’ and ‘The Battle of Elderberny Gulc h’. In all these films, the directors/producers did not use Native Americans as characters. The stars of horror movies such as Bela Lagos and Lon Chuney represented the ‘savages’. However, there are some few cases where Native Americans appeared in the films to enhance the creation of an appropriate atmosphere. Native Americans who appeared in such movies include Will Rogers, Chief Dan George, Graham Green and Willie Sampson. By 1890, the Western Society had killed most of the Native Americans. Prior to these years most of the film producers had taken their plots. Since the settlement of the whites in America, producers created many films depicting the bad character of the Native Americans. Between 1951 and 1970, for example, western film producers produced approximately eighty-six movies based on stereotype themes (Delloria 4). The aspect that made these films to find an extensive market was the violence that they portrayed. The emotional aspect that the war fil ms bring plays a major role in engaging the audience thus attracting masses to these films.  The stereotypes fall under three categories. Based on time, the Europeans treated the Native Americans as creatures of a particular time-the time when they were devoted to fight for their land. During this time, the whites experienced the savage warrior in the Native Americans’ land. The second category of the stereotyping is that of the negative interpretation of the American culture by the Europeans. The Americans and the western society had very different cultural values. The Europeans attempted to interpret the Native American culture using their own cultural values through these films. It led to the creation of more stereotypes. The European view of the different American society as one identity is the final category of stereotypes. Different individuals as well as societies have different ways of doing things. The Europeans did not put this into consideration leading into the misconception of the American Indians. Modern day stereotyping of the Native Americans The increased use of films in stereotyping the Native Americans widened the gap between the Native Americans and the Europeans. As a result, the film producers decided to change the theme of most of their movies. The first film that they produced to make the audience sympathise with the Native Americans was the ‘Lone Ranger’ though Tonto, the main character representing the Native Americans was less intelligent.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It opened a way of improving the image of the Native Americans in films. Another film by Delmer Daves, the ‘Broken Arrow’ treated the Native Americans in a sympathetic way. Tuska said that, â€Å"†¦It is the only movie that asked audiences to take the side of the Indians† (26).  It is the first film to win the Association of American Indian Affairs Award. The other films that played an important role in breaking the stereotypes were, ‘Tell them Willie Boy is here’, ‘Dancers with Wolves’, ‘Little Bigman’ and the ‘Soldier Blue’. The Americans produced these movies between 1949 and 1991. The image of the Native Americans portrayed in films changed gradually. Producers of such movies chose to major in uplifting the status of the Native Americans. The films no longer depicted the Native Americans as savages, primitive and lazy people. On the contrary, they were smart people who saved their country from the exp loitation by the Europeans.  A most recent film that has helped to paint a good picture of the Native Americans is ‘Dr. Quin Medicine Woman’. It is an example that brings out most of the good traits of the Native Americans. For instance, it portrays them as very helpful: Dr. Quin goes to look for a medicine to cure an illness of the whites. When the town people did not have food to hold a thanksgiving feast, the Native Americans gave them food for the occasion. The Native Americans, in this film, are very friendly as compared to previous films that portrayed them as beasts. They are also more intelligent than the white people are. It is evident that with time the Europeans have respectfully perceived the Native Americans.  Education is a factor that has played a major role in eliminating the Native American stereotypes. It made many people understand that the relationship between the Native Americans and the whites was solely human. Education made people to understa nd the history of the American Indians leaving them with no excuse to condemn their culture. It further explains that any other group of people would have acted just as the Native Americans. Most people now understand that stereotyping was an approach that the Europeans employed to justify the stealing of the Native Americans’ land and exploitation of their resources. With this understanding, the film industry has ceased from using misleading stereotypic films of the Native Americans. As a result, there has been a decline of such movies. In their efforts to restore their dignity and improve their image, the Native Americans have also found their way to the film industry. Unlike in the past, the film producers incorporate Native Americans as stereotypes of the good traits. This has been a major improvement in the industry. Conclusion Stereotypes of Native Americans in films initially portrayed the Americans as the worst people that have ever existed in the entire American hist ory. The stereotypes portrayed the American Indians as hostile, vengeful, immoral and savage. These films received great audience within the American territories. However, they exhibited a declining trend at the end of the Second World War. In this period, producers got a new plot for their movies. The first film that portrayed a good image of the Native Americans won the Association of the American Indian Affairs Award. The award played a major role of motivating the film industry producers to work on improving the image of the native Americans though their productions. Consequently, the industry produced more films that boosted the status of the Native Americans. The films changed the image of the American Indians, from the bad I to good. The good Indian was brave, simple, close to nature and friendly to the whites. Modern films and television presentations have embraced productions that portray the Native Americans as good people in their own perspective. The other aspect that ha s contributed to this achievement is education. It has made large populations understand the history of the Native Americans. Many people know that the Europeans treated the Native Americans with great hostility; therefore justifying the Americans’ reaction. Owing to this, we expect that in future the film industry will continue to present good image of the American Indians.. Works Cited Barnett, Louise.The Ignoble Savage: American Literary Racism. Westport,  Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1975. Battaille, Mathew, and Silet, Lester. The Entertaining Anachrosm. New Jersey: Jerome  Ozer Publishers, 1980. Delloria, Vine. Custer Died for your Sins: An Indian Manifesto. Norman, Oklahoma:  Lippmann, Walter. Public Opinion. New York: Macmillan Press, 1961. Tuska, Jon. The American West in Film: Critical Approaches to the Western. Westport,  Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1985. This research paper on Stereotypes of Native Americans in Film was written and submitted by user Marisol U. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Entertainment in the jazz age essays

Entertainment in the jazz age essays Entertainment in the Jazz Age Since the beginning of time, humans have found ways to entertain themselves. Of course these forms of entertainment have changed drastically from then till now. One of the most influential decades of modern entertainment was the Jazz Era, or the 1920s. The 1920s brought forth the beginning popularity of entertainment such as movies and television, radio, jazz music, and the occasional fads which were the it activity for one week and forgotten about the next. Movie and television stars really began to shine in the 20s. In the earlier years, all movies were silent (Brittan 21). Not completely silent; there were instruments and sound effects in the background, but without spoken words. Charlie Chaplin, who portrayed the Little Tramp, was one of the silent-eras most famous stars. With his trademark waddle and comedic but sincere films Chaplin created a classic, memorable character (Brittan 44-45). Near the later part of the 20s, movies went through the evolution from silent to sound. In 1927 the first fully spoken movie, starring Al Jolson, was brought to theaters. This revolutionary film called the Jazz Singer, being the first talkie movie ever made, brought a considerable amount of success to its producers Warner Bros. Pictures (35). Movie making had become Americas 5th most lucrative industry in the 20s (21). Another popular form of visual entertainment from the 20s was television. What made television special was the fact that it was available to people with all sorts of incomes. While typically only the wealthy could regularly attend movie theaters, nearly everyone rich or poor could afford to watch television (Snowman 27). In fact, there really werent very many people who werent one extreme or the other; in the 20s few people had a middle-class income (13). S ...

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8250 words

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Evidence Based Practice - Vascular Bleeding Following PCI Essay

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Tiresias the blind prophet Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tiresias the blind prophet - Research Paper Example There are different versions of how Tiresias became blind. One version says that he was blinded by the goddess, ‘Athena’ because he saw her nakedness when she was taking her bath (Watling 17); another story says that he was blinded by the goddess wife of Zeus, Hera as he angered her by saying that women had nine times more pleasure than men when making love and another one says that he was blinded by the gods for disclosing their secrets (Hyginus, Fabulae 75). Zeus compensated Tiresias by granting him long life and a gift of foresight after his wife, Hera had blinded him. Another legend has it that, the gift of prophecy of Tiresias was bestowed on him by Athena in compensation of his lost sight after his mother Chariclo pleaded to Athena to restore his sight (Watling). When Tiresias was transformed to a woman, he married and had children and one of them, ‘Manto’ was also endowed with the gift of prophecy (Sophocles). Tiresias was a mysterious being in the sense that at a point in his life, he was a man and at another point, he was transformed into a woman. Due to the fact that Tiresias made his mark as a great prophet, his name was â€Å"a common title for soothsayers throughout Greek legendary history.†(Graves 105). Tiresias played a great role in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King and he was of great importance as his relevance in the play was without doubt. When Oedipus the king needed help, it was Tiresias that he could call, as Oedipus needed him to reveal the person that killed his father, Laius, a man that Oedipus never knew was his father at that point. Tiresias started his revelation by stating that â€Å"I tell you this: the man youve searched for all along with threats and fanfares for the murder of King Laius- that man, I say, is here.† (Sophocles 41). It was Tiresias that eventually told Oedipus that he was the one that killed his father unknowingly and this represented a twist in the play as the

Christopher Columbus Essay -- Christopher Columbus Essays

Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen-hundred-ninty-two. He came over from Spain in three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria and discovered America, or at least that was what I was taught in elementary school. Since then there has been much controversy going on over the issue of weather or not Christopher Columbus really â€Å"discovered† America because when he landed in San Salvador he was not alone. Native Americans already inhabited the land and they had been there long before Columbus, but this doesn’t mean that he should be atacked stripped of his dignity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reed Irvine, chariman, and Joe Goulden, director of the media analysis for Accuracy in Media, state in the acticle History Should Continue to Acknoledge Columbus as a Discoverer:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The â€Å"presence† of the North American Continent had been known to the persons living   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  there for centuries before arrival. But Columbus, and those who followed him, recognized   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the significance of the New World; in this sense they certainly deserve credit for having   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"discovered† America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over five hundred years ago he landed in the Americas and now we are starting to question weather or not he should be given credit for discovering America. This doesn’t seem fare. After so many years without controversy it’s just been recently that we have started to question the lagitamitity of his discovery. What brought on this sudden change? Perhaps is was the coming of the five hundred year celebration of our country that brought this on, or maybe now some of the Native Americans are finally starting to speak out, but no matter what the reason may be it shouldn’t be taking place. Columbus should still be given the credit for discovering America. It was the first time that anyone was recognized for landing on a new continent and he still deserves respect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Irvine and Goulden feel bad for Columbus, too. â€Å"Poor Christopher Columbus. Five hundred years after the fact, the explorer is beng stripped of recognition as the man who ‘discovered’ America and the New World.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many people who bel... ...;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  quest for new frontiers continues today as earthlings burst terrestrial bonds and begin the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  endless voyage beyond planet and galaxy into the illimitable dark.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That desire to go where no one has ever been before is inside of all of us. All of us enjoy exploring new teritory that we have never been on before. It’s that thrill and excitement that fills our heart and soles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Columbus landed on the new land he put a flag in the ground claiming it for Spain. Then he met the Native Americans and was very friendly to them. â€Å"I want the natives to develop a friendly attitude toward us because I know that they are a people who can be made free and converted to our Holy Faith more by love thwn by force,† Columbus wrote in his journal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From everything that we know thus far there isn’t a big enough reason as to why we should all of the sudden stop recognizing Columbus as the founder of our nation. Therefore, he should be given recignition of his accompishments and still be known as the one who discovered America.

Trading Route Implications of Widening Panama Canal

ABSRACT The Panama Canal Authority is responding to the necessity to accommodate larger ships through the canal; a 5. 2 billion dollars investment to deepening and widening the canal is in place and expected to conclude on August 2014. The new infrastructure will affect today shipping dynamics and only a few ports on the East Coast of the United States will be ready to receive the post-Panamax vessels; in this document we will discuss what the Miami (FL), Jacksonville (FL) and Freeport TX) are doing to get ready. Trade Route Implications of Widening the Panama CanalThe Panama Canal is about to celebrate its 100 years operations with a 5. 2 billion expansion that will allow a more efficient transit from the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean; the expansion includes deepening and widening the entrances & navigation channels to allow 12,000 TEUs ships to pass; plus and an additional set of locks. Global changes are expected including higher volume of goods from Asia to US and Canada; new market s opportunity for raw materials sourcing; cost-effective routes options and shorter times to mention some of them. Accenture, 2011,page 3 & 4). The US East Coast will be definitely impacted; different ports are already working on its expansions but we cannot tell by certain how, where and what type of impact will land for sure; the fact that larger ships will pass through the canal does not mean that they will stop on all ports or that the trade volume will increase and maintain. During a Seminar organized by the U. S.Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration; Rodolfo Sabonge, Vice President of Market Research and Analysis of the Panama Canal Authority explained that the principle east coast ports to be call for this larger ships are New York, New Jersey, or Norfolk. New York, New Jersey but they would have to work on the bridges issues; in the southeast ports of Charleston, Savannah and Houston where distribution centers are located; the West Coast of Flo rida is expected to be touch too to serve South Florida.All this port will face general challenges such as distributions center; connectivity infrastructure to concentrate, load and move the cargo inland; logistics where truck companies will be highly involved, equipment; railroads, inspection and security processes (Sabonge, October, 2009) In the same conference, Richard Wainio, Port director and CEO of the Tampa Port Authority mentioned that Florida, have 14 ports; four of them share the states’ trade: Tampa, Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville.The port of Tampa manages nearly 40% of the trade by tonnage in Florida and serves local markets; the Port is already planning to build and integrated a logistic center. Everglades & Miami are the largest container ports; while Jacksonville is a key and major player for the Canal Expansion. (Winio, October, 2009) The Port of Miami is already in process of expansion; and the following information is published in their website: â€Å"G overnor Rick Scott asked the Department of Transportation to allocate $77 million to the Port of Miami to deepen the channel to minus 50 feet so larger ships can gain access to the port.The Port’s Deep Dredge project is timed to coincide with the opening of an expanded Panama Canal in 2014, which will allow a new generation of larger cargo vessels to pass through the Canal† The dredge in the Port of Miami is expected to generate 30,000 new jobs and become the first port of call for post-Panamax vessels. â€Å"The deep dredge is critical to our future growth,† Port of Miami Director Bill Johnson said. â€Å"Port of Miami will be one of only three U. S. Atlantic ports to be at [minus] 50 feet when the expanded Panama Canal opens. (Dredging Today, 2012). Additionally, the construction of a tunnel to connect the Port and the I-395 is already in place to support trucks direct access and double port capacity. The US Department of Transportation granted 22. 7M to resto re and put in function the Coast Rail Yard in Hialeah which will provide direct access to the national rail system. â€Å"This is the type of infrastructure project that will pay permanent, long-term dividends, and provide a solid return on investment for Florida’s taxpayers,† said Mayor Alvarez. (Miami Port, 2012).On the other hand Freeport, Texas that has served the Gulf Coast for 100 years and its tanked 16th in the U. S for foreign tonnage; as describe in their website a well-built infrastructure for transportation via highway, railroad and intercostal will support the transit for post-Panamax vessels. (Port Freeport, 2012). The Marine Link online magazine published on September 13, 2011 that â€Å"the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and Port Freeport in Texas established a strategic alliance today with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)† that will promote and increase the trade between Asia and Gulf of Mexico of the U.S. ; the MOU has been sign ed for one year but renewable upon request. The MOU will play a key piece by allowing both parties to share information to promote market research, modernization and technological improvements in general. â€Å"This partnership was perfect for each of us because we are both interested in investing in infrastructure and growth. We each are building new facilities at a time when others are standing on the sidelines so it is only natural that we assist each other in the promotion of international trade in this hemisphere. This partnership is a win, win, for each of us. † said Pete Reixach CEO of Port Freeport† (para. 4). The Port of Jacksonville employs 23,000 people and impacts an additional 43,000 employees related to the port’s activity. The cargo activity generates 19 billion USD and as mentioned in their website its physical facilities include docks â€Å"docks and wharfs, cranes, a passenger cruise terminal, warehouses, paved open storage areas and road conne ctions to the public highway system† (Jacksonville Port Authority, 2012).On September 27, 2011 Paul Anderson, Jacksonville Port Authority CEO addressed his concerns in a communication â€Å"I have no doubt that US East Coast ports will soon be called upon to handle increased volumes but I harbor great doubt as to whether we — any of us — will be ready† (para. 2). Anderson mentions that Congress must act fast and focus on critical investment, prioritization and infrastructure for ports to continue its contribution. The TraPac Container Terminal has been affected in doubling its capacity due to the nations slow down; authorizations and processes.Also, Korean shipping company Hanjin has put in hold 200 million investments until they understand what the Government is planning to do and invest to be prepared for the post-Panamax ships. As Anderson said â€Å"these are our choices: get ready or lose† (para 10). Several considerations must be raised to und erstand the impact that the Panama Canal expansion will produce, how many deep water ports will be needed to serve post-Panamax ships? Which of those ports will be touched by the ships? How the trade patterns will change?How much are the investments require to serve the post-Panamax ships and what is the specific infrastructure require at each port and in land? How much is the Government willing to invest in infrastructure? Yes, we should accommodate to globalization; the cost and outcome are unknown yet. On the other hand; infrastructure such ports capacity, extra labor to improve productivity, facilities, equipment; technology and a good connectivity network for in land transportation and railroad are key to the success of these investments.To conclude, it looks that competition among the Florida coast ports will be hard; Tampa and Miami are getting ready and making its expansion; Jacksonville understand the needs of expansion but is raising very fair questions not only on the pro jects but to the Government capacity to respond and maintain infrastructure. Are taxpayer’s dollars’ worth the effort? I believe yes if we take quick action to the new requirements and get a clear understanding that we can afford the expansions. I believe the main question is; which port(s) in South Florida will have the final benefits? It will be interesting to find out in some years.References Accenture. (2011). A global operation game changer. The 2014 expansion of the Panama Canal. Retrieved from http://www. accenture. com/us-en/Pages/insight-2014-expansion-panama-canal. aspx Dredging Today (2012). USA: Miami Port dredging plan gets final environmental ok. Retrieved from http://www. dredgingtoday. com/2012/05/25/usa-miami-port-dredging-plan-gets-final-environmental-ok/ Jacksonville Port Authority. (2011). Anderson addresses Panama Canal expansion concerns. http://www. jaxport. com/about-jaxport/newsroom/news/anderson-addresses-panama-canal-expansion-concerns Marine Link. 2011). Panama Canal and Port Freeport (TX) sign MOU. Retrieved from http://www. marinelink. com/news/freeport-panama-canal340393. aspx Port Freeport (2012) Retrieved from http://www. portfreeport. com/about. htm Port of Miami. (2012). Deep Dredge Project. Retrieved from http://www. miamidade. gov/portofmiami/deep_dredge. asp Sabonge, R. , Wainio, R. , (2009) Proceedings from Talking Freight Seminar Series: The Panama Canal widening and implications for Gulf and Atlantic Coast ports. Retrieved from http://www. fhwa. dot. gov/planning/freight_planning/talking_freight/oct2109transcript. cfm