Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond takes an entertaining and insightful look at the “Hollywood Indian”, exploring the portrayal of North American Indigenous peoples through a century of cinema.
Traveling through the heartland of America, and into the Canadian North, Diamond looks at how the myth of “the Injun” has influenced the world’s understanding – and misunderstanding – of Indigenous peoples.
Reel Injun traces the evolution of cinema’s depiction of Indigenous people from the silent film era to today, with clips from hundreds of classic and recent Hollywood movies, and candid interviews with celebrated Indigenous and non-Indigenous film celebrities, activists, film critics and historians.
A great program, very insightful and informative as it talks about all those funny and unfunny stereotypes of the Hollywood indian we have all watched.
I thought it was hilirious that many of the southwestern Natives they used in some of the films from the 50s and 60s, the people actually used their real language … but called everyone idiots and said stupid thing on purpose in their own words to make fun of everyone without anyone knowing.
Neil Diamond is also a great representative of Native culture in the north as he works for a native magazine based in Montreal … at least he did years ago … the Nation by Beesum communications. I used to read his writing lots years ago but I haven’t seen much of his writing in the past few years as he seems to have moved on to film.