American History I classes have recently watched the film "Dances With Wolves". The film depicts the effects that post Civil War settlements had on indigenous people.
EXTRA CREDIT: How did the film depict the Indians? Where they stereotyped as savages or were they depicted as something different? Did you learn anything about native culture from the film? Describe what you learned. (Make sure your answer is thorough and without spelling or punctuation errors.)
In the film "Dances with Wolves" Lt. John Dunbar is exiled to a Civil War post where he awaits the coming of his fellow troops. While he is at his post he makes friends with a nearby Lakota Indian Tribe. At the beginning of the film the Indians are feared by Lt. Dunbar (and vice versa) but after a few meetings John realizes that the Indians aren't savages like first thought to be. The Indians believed that Lt. Dunbar was only there on a scouting mission for the white men trying to steal their land but, after John earns their trust they treat him as one of their fellow Indians. Later in the movie (due to John's relationship with a nearby wild wolf) he earns the name "Dances with Wolves." During the movie I learned a lot about the old Indian Tribes of North America. I learned that the Indians were a friendly group of people who's culture was based on pride, the Indian men felt great pride in fighting for what they believed in even if it meant certain death. The Indians were also a loving group among their people, helping out one and other however they could. I believe this movie was an accurate resource on how the Indian's lived during the time of the Civil War.
ReplyDelete-Ronald Glover-
The film was the first film to ever portray Indians as human beings and not as ruthless, cruel people. I learned that the Indians can accept someone outside of their tribe and culture if they prove their loyalty to the tribe.
ReplyDeleteThe film depicted Indians as very caring and intelligent people who looked out for one another. I learned that they have a strict grieving process in which the person in loss of a loved one has a certain amount of time to grieve and after that they cant think about it. The Indians, out of respect, wouldn't speak of the dead.
ReplyDelete-Bailey
"Dances With Wolves" showed the Indians as a people who were just trying to survive. They weren't the savages that everyone thought them to be. Their culture was much different than ours, in the sense that they lived off the land, and let nothing go to waste. The white men that came over ruined that way of life for them, and forced them to defend themselves. If people would've taken the time to learn about the Indians, like John Dunbar did, I think history would've been much different.
ReplyDeleteYo dawg, the movie was fo' realzy. A core component of my essay was actually about how they were not depicted as savages so I am ready to roll with this jazz. Yea, the movie Dances with Wolves had me dancin', it was real good even though I missed a good bit of it. I always knew that the Native Americans were their own little civilizations and big daddy America came stompin' its boots all over that and lookin' down on the Natives and what not. However, the movie gave a good outlook onto what those civilizations were. It was pretty sweet, they hunted, made crafts, ate, danced, and jammed out to some rockin' drum beats. They were a family that would gather together for stories and jokes each night and just have a jolly'ole good time and what not. However, this happiness and peace wasn't good enough for America, we were just so land and resource hungry we didn't give a darn and we tore through the west without a care about the Indians peaceful and near perfect civilization, was pretty stupid of us to mess something that nice up. So, we go on to depict these Native Americans as savages and what not when they were really a mostly peaceful and wicked awesome civilization who did their own thing, they fought because we forced them too or they would face a quiet "extinction" it was down right rude man.
ReplyDeleteIn the film the Indians are depicted as a people with culture and civility as opposed to the typical stereotype of savages with animal skins running around attacking wagon trains and scalping white people... although they did actually do that. There was not much shown in the movie about native american culture, however, that I didn't really know already, but there were a few bits that I found interesting. One thing I found interesting was just how peaceful the Sioux Indians actually were. For instance, instead of attacking the guy in the fort they tried to steal his horse.
ReplyDelete-Colin Conrad
The film depicted the Indians as non savage, caring, hardworking , and actually quiet innovative on how they hunt and just in every day life. The Indians were definitely stereotyped as savages but in all actuality they were petty great people. I learned that some of their ways like what they do after a hunt,tell stories, I also learned about their grieving process. I learned that they only get a certain amount of time to grieve and after that they are expected to basically just forget about them. They also didn't speak of the dead out of respect for them.
ReplyDelete-Brandon CASWELL
Based on a different point of view, the movie shows us the invading of the West and the folllowing wars from a whole other perspective. Instead of picturing the Indians as violent, savage, and primitive people, as the common Indian stereotype describes them, the movie gives the audience a chance to get another understanding of the issue, which is was the first movie to do. We follow the main character John Dunbar as don't just gain the trust of the Sioux tribe, he gradually develop a friendship with them, and they exchange experience and learn about each other's culture. Consequently, we learn that defeating the "opponent" and their culture is not the best and the only solution, and that the Indian stereotype is nothing like the sensitive and advanced humans that they really are.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the film "Dances With Wolves" it gave people a whole new perspective on how the Indians were perceived and portrayed. The Indians were shown as loving, caring, smart, strong people who had many spiritual rituals in their lives. Many other films show Indians as unintelligent, mean, and ruthless killers, who scalp and raid white people. This film depicted them in a new way and was much more accurate, they are real people with feelings, thoughts, and their own culture. The Indians culture is very different, but very interesting at the same time. They have many spiritual rituals and connections with the land and each other. I learned how two different cultures coming together can work, with the right communication and understanding. I learned a lot about how the Indians really were and how history is a sad subject when the white people can't understand anything different from themselves. It was a very good informational movie and portrayed the Native American culture the way they really were.
ReplyDelete-Tifila H.
To me the Indians were not depicted as the stereotypical Indian. The Sioux Indians in the movie where very kind and caring people. Although the Pontiac Indians in the movie where the stereotypical Indians. They were very aggressive and they were savage beasts. I learned that they where very sacred and they had many ceremonies because they believed that's how they got there god to respond to them and give them what they needed or wanted. Also that they helped each other out in any way possible and everybody helped when they moved the camps even the little kids.
ReplyDeleteThe film portrayed the Indians as a great and diverse people that wanted to continue there way of life. They were also a people that was very caring to there own so when dances with wolves was captured they didn't hesitate to go back and free him. The Indian culture was also very divers in there religion they had dances to bring rain bison and a time honored way of respecting the dead.
ReplyDelete