Reviewing the Classics

This year I've seen and reviewed several old movies about Indians. Here's
how I rank them:

Win: "Drums Along the Mohawk" for presenting Indians as good Christians
and harmless drunks as well as bloodthirsty savages. Rob's rating: 8.0 of
10.

Place: "Cheyenne Autumn" for setting the Oklahoma scenes in Monument
Valley and using non-Natives (Ricardo Montalban, Sal Mineo) in key roles.
Rob's rating: 7.5 of 10.

Show (tie): "The Unforgiven" for having countless Comanches sacrifice
themselves in a futile attempt to recover Audrey Hepburn, their lost
sister. Rob's rating: 7.0 of 10.

Show (tie): "The Light in the Forest" for its pouting white-boy-as- Indian
and its "Davy Crockett"-style storytelling. Rob's rating: 7.0 of 10.

For all the Native movie news and reviews, go to
http://www.bluecorn comics.com/ namovies. htm .

On the Big Screen

In August, "Skinwalkers" (mis)appropriated the Navajo lore about
shapeshifters for an action flick about good vs. evil werewolves. The
reviews say it's a must-miss.

Meanwhile, several independent Native films--"Mile Post 398," "Four Sheets
to the Wind," "Turquoise Rose"--are making the rounds of film festivals and
reservations. Let's hope they get the exposure they deserve.

"D.C. Navajo," a short film that satirizes a Washington-based lobbyist, has
stirred some controversy. Filmmaker Shonie De La Rosa claims the Navajo
Nation's administration tried to censor his work, but the administration
denies it.

Another controversy is brewing over the hiring of Q'orianka Kilcher to play
the Hawaiian princess Kaiulani in an upcoming movie. Kilcher (Pocahontas
in "The New World") is part Native, but the part is Peruvian, not Hawaiian.
Writer/director Marc Forby says he scoured the islands for Hawaiian
actresses but couldn't find any with the right combination of age and
experience.

	"Robert Schmidt" <robschmidt@compuserve.com>  Add to Address Book  Add Mobile Alert
Date:	Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:28:07 -0400
Subject:	[american_indians_news_source_tulanappes_list] "CSI: Miami" Butchers Indians

 

BEMIDJI MN 9/24/2007

Some American Indians in Minnesota say their tribal identification cards aren't being recognized as legitimate forms of ID off the reservation, despite a state law that says they can be used in place of state driver's licenses. The law, passed last year, applies only to instances in which people are required by the state to show identification, such as when buying tobacco or alcohol, or when pawning an item at a pawn shop.