New Animated Films Challenge False Representation of Native Americans in the Media (fwd link)

[phil cash cash]

New Animated Films Challenge False Representation of Native Americans in the
Media

Monday, February 02, 2009 :: Staff infoZine
USA

FilmPopular film and television shows have shaped the way Americans view
American history – especially the frontier encounters between settlers and
Native Americans.

Columbia,. MO - infoZine - Examining the ways Native Americans are portrayed
negatively in Westerns and other film genres, Joanna Hearne, assistant
professor of English at the University of Missouri, describes recently produced
animated films by Native directors that are countering media misrepresentations
and helping promote Native-American stories and languages.

“When non-Native audiences see Native-Americans in Westerns, they often view
them as part of the background, as if the actors are not really acting,” Hearne
said. “Westerns rarely portray Native Americans as having families or children,
presenting images of dying or ‘vanishing’ Indians instead of Native family
continuity. This can have a negative impact on Native children who watch the
films, because these popular images are hostile to Native families.”

Access full article below:
http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/33593/