The Negative Stereotypes Of Native Americans In Native American Film Broken Arrow

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By the time it was 1930, American film images of Native Americans had become majorly negative stereotypes. Associations of primitive behavior, lack of history, and lack of tribal individuality were three themes founded by Churchill in early Hollywood films. Through Broken Arrow however, attempts to accurately depict Native Americans began to effectively challenge these stereotypes. In early American films Native Americans were depicted as violent and irrational pagan savages. Their actions were often framed as primitive and thus and obstruction to progressive white settlers. Positive images were rare and only “appeared if he or she was totally assimilated into white world, and believed that whites were superior and helped whites achieve their

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