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Dance with Wolves and the Native Americans

            For my essay I watched Dances With Wolves, I picked this film because I thought it was a realistic portrayal of how the west was lost for Native American by The Policies and Procedures of the United States Government in the 20TH Century. I think Most Cowboy and Indian Films prior to Dances with Wolfs portrayed Native American as Heartless Killers, Savages and Finally Human Beings. .
             In the film dances with wolves Non-natives portrayed a lot of stereotyping against Native American tribes. Throughout the movie Native American are shown scalping non-natives and celebrating for there victory. The tribes attacked the non-natives family and killed everyone that they came across, whether they were a young baby, child, mother or father. As a young child stands with fists is laying on a pile of hay with a friend when her family is attacked and killed by a Pawnee War Party, Stands with a fist watches the war party brutally murder her younger siblings, mother and father. Stands with a fist distraught runs for her life into the field and later on is found Sioux Tribe and is adopted in as one of them. I think in the beginning of the introduction of the Movie the film did not go into detail why natives had an extreme hatred for white settlers occupying their lands, I think the film did not explain why Native American were so opposed to white Settlement on their lands and portrayed the Native American as the aggressors and Heartless Killers in the wild west.
             Native American were portrayed as savages in most films prior to Dances With Wolfs but captain Dunbar assigned himself to a post and while there became acquainted with the Sioux native Americans. At first he felt threatened by there arrival and hid food and weapons so that they couldn't steal his supplies. The Sioux were unhappy of this newcomer because they knew that more white men would show up. Kicking horse and another Sioux member went to the post to find out why the captain was there and whether or not he meant any harm to there people.


Essays Related to Dance with Wolves and the Native Americans

1. "DANCES WITH WOLVES"

Lola Olowude ENG 101/034 10/31/03 DANCES WITH WOLVES: CRITICAL INTERPRETATIONS Dances With Wolves is the story of the "transformation" of Lieutenant John Dunbar, a Union Army Officer, to Dances With Wolves, a Lakota warrior. ... He gradually earns the respect of these native people who rename him Dances With Wolves and he sheds his white ways in acceptance of their way of life. ... Dances With Wolves was the most celebrated American film of 1990s. ... Dances With Wolves is a work of imagination that is so startlingly close to reality. ... This study feature...

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2. Movie Summary - Dances with Wolves

"Dances with Wolves" is a movie that takes place in the western United States during the Civil War era. ... Under the presidency of Monroe, the Americans were trying to get rid of the Native Americans so it would make sense that they would attack each other. ... Both the American soldiers and Native Americans had accurate costumes and clothing for their time period. ... By the Civil war era, thousands of Native Americans have already been persecuted and evacuated from their land so they would not be so peaceful with any white men. ... Dunbar had to be peaceful and cooperate with the Native Ame...

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3. Dances with wolves

Dances with Wolves opens with a brief Civil War prologue in which the protagonist, Lt. ... According to Moira Gray, "Throughout the film our whole code of understanding of Indians is challenged and destroyed and we are re-educated"(Gray).In Dances With Wolves, the first impressions we got of the Native Americans were that they were savage, wicked people. ... The Sioux were a kind-hearted people as opposed to the Pawnee, whose actions confirmed our opinions of Native Americans. ... This event causes many viewers to reassess their assumptions about Native Americans. ... In this film, Dances wit...

  • Word Count: 1053
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Stereotypical America

Long, streaming black hair, tan skin, and colorful leather clothing made with fringes and beads are what I think about when I imagine an American Indian. ... This idea is illustrated in movies such as Dances With Wolves, which depicts American Indians in the outdoors, hunting, fishing and living in harmony with their surroundings. ... Movies have helped create this perception, for example, it is because of these movies that we see cowboys battling Indians who seem to be attacking for no reason at all, as in Dances With Wolves, where the Pawnee seem to be attacking without motive. ... My p...

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5. John Dunbar

As she was learning how to pronounce and speak English, Dunbar was learning how to speak their native language. ... Dunbar's name was changed to Dances with Wolves, because one day some of the guys from the tribe saw him playing with a wolf. The relationship between a white man and the native Americans then began to grow. Dances with wolves tried to protect them from the other white soldiers who were coming, but he knew that someday he would not be able too. ... Dances with Wolves tried to go back for his journal so that no one would track them, but ended up getting trapped. ...

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6. Dances With Wolves Analysis

The Film draws you into the Lakota lifestyle and makes you feel sympathetic toward the Native Americans by having them speak in their native language. ... Many of the Native Americans were named after animals which also show their connection with the environment. ... The Native American were made to seem very virtuous, but there were some Indians that were bad. ... I also don't think that special college preference should be given to Native Americans. ... If Native Americans get the same feeling from it, there is no reason why the names should remain. ...

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7. Compare/Contrast movie "smoke signal" with the book "Th

Most films about Native Americans have had points to make and scores to settle, like all those earnest 1950s white films about blacks. ... (The reserved Victor, impatient with Thomas's chatter, accuses him of having learned most of what he knows about Indians by watching ``Dances With Wolves,'' and advises him to spend more time ``looking stoic.'') ... To see the two movies side-by-side is to observe how Native Americans, like all Americans, are not exempt from the melting pot--for better and worse. ... Lighter and less bittersweet on screen, and adapted by Alexie ...

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