Indian Comics Irregular #187

"National Treasure: Book of Secrets," the sequel to Nicolas Cage's hit movie, is
another archaeological treasure hunt.  This time the thrill ride includes a lot
of interesting Indian lore.  Too bad most of it is inaccurate or unbelievable.

[Spoiler alert]

The key clue is a piece of wood with "pre-colonial Native American markings" on
it.  Ben Gates (Cage) and his father guess the writing is Aztec, Inca, or Olmec.
But the Inca didn't have writing, and the scratchings don't look anything like
Aztec or Olmec symbols.

Gates deduces that the writing refers to Cibola, the legendary city of gold. 
But the legend didn't start till the 12th century AD, so it can't be Olmec.  And
Gates misstates the record of the Cabeza de Vaca expedition, claiming the black
slave Esteban actually saw Cibola.

Once the adventurers find Cibola, they encounter a series of mechanical marvels.
A colossal sliding door reveals a hidden opening.  A tottering platform
threatens to dump them into an abyss.  A giant spigot shuts off the cascading
waterworks.  All these Mesoamerican contraptions are in perfect working order
despite a millennium of neglect.

Finally they reach the inner sanctum, an underground Maya city of solid gold. 
It contains more gold than the total amount processed in human history, but
never mind.  Why did the Mesoamericans construct a city there?  How many decades
or centuries of man-hours did building it take?  How did the effort escape the
local Indians' notice?  Did the builders really live in a cavern deep
underground?

It's a fun movie, but the premise is insulting to Indians.  It implies they were
like leprechauns, hoarding gold at the end of the rainbow for no reason.  It
denies they were (and are) real people with complex histories, cultures, and
religions.  And that's no good.

For more on "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," go to
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/bksecret.htm .

Indians on Public TV

Beyond its epic "We Shall Remain" series (ICI #183-184), PBS is doing a good job
of featuring Indians in its documentaries.  Here are some of the shows and
episodes I've watched recently:

"Time Team America":  Fort Raleigh, site of the "lost colony" of Roanoke.  The
Fremont Indians in Range Creek, Utah.  Topper, South Carolina, an early Clovis
site.

"NOVA":  "Arctic Passage: Ice Survivor"--how Roald Amundsen crossed the
Northwest Passage with Inuit help.  "Cracking the Maya Code"--deciphering the
Maya's written language.  "Ghost in Your Genes"--a theory that may explain how
disease and hunger can harm one's descendants biologically.

"History Detectives":  Millard Fillmore's inexplicable pardon of a condemned
Indian prisoner.  Also Tim Giago's supposed photograph of Crazy Horse--a segment
I haven't seen.

I picked up a couple of thought-provoking ideas from "Time Team America."  The
Fort Raleigh episode mentions that Indians believed "invisible bullets" caused
disease.  When they attacked the colonists, they were really fighting back
against an unseen onslaught of death.

The Topper episode describes the "black mat" theory.  This says that a layer of
organic material in many Clovis sites proves a comet or meteor struck the earth.
The resulting climate change, not voracious Paleo-Indian hunters, killed large
numbers of animals.

In other news, I've published articles on Southern California film festivals,
the Creative Spirit script competition, "The Exiles," NBC's "Crusoe," and
non-Natives cast as Natives this year.  Check 'em out at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/pechanga.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #186

Americans continue to misunderstand, stereotype, and offend Native people.  Here
are the latest examples in the news:

Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court brought the racists out of the
woodwork.  They claimed she wants Mexico to reconquer America and she practices
"tribal justice."  The latter calumny came from the moronic Pat Buchanan, who
also claimed the US was "built by white people."

Racism seems to be rampant in the north-central states.  Authorities have
arrested Rapid City residents for throwing insults, BBs, and urine at Indians. 
A souvenir-shop owner thought nothing of selling a wine-bottle holder shaped
like an Indian chief.  McDonald's was equally obtuse when it put Custer toys in
its Happy Meals.  Meanwhile, a South Dakota blogger asserted that human
sacrifice was "prevalent" among Indians.  In Duluth, a store owner apologized
for selling t-shirts with the slogans "My Indian Name Is 'Drinks Like Fish'" and
My Indian Name Is 'Crawling Drunk.'"

Across the land, people keep saying and doing stupid things.  A New York woman
insisted that "heathen" Indians are helping the Devil by opening casinos. 
British Columbian paramedics made fun of Native people when actor Eric Schweig
tried to save someone.  A young hipster group in Washington DC advertised an
"Indian Summer Camp" with stereotypes.  A South Carolina man is making a Black
Elk "film-opera" with a friend dressed in a loincloth and red paint.  A pair of
Alaskan idiots posted a YouTube video of them threatening a Native.  The "Baby
Blues" comic strip compared child-raising to the Trail of Tears.

Some so-called celebrities have demonstrated their insensitivity too.  When
asked if she'd give her fiancé his ring back, Jessica Simpson said she's not an
"Indian giver."  She later excused herself by declaring she's an Indian. 
Elsewhere, a photographer caught Naomi Campbell wearing a faux Indian outfit for
a night on the town.

On the summer movie front, Betty White performs a phony Native ceremony in "The
Proposal."  In "Inglorious Basterds," Aldo the "Apache" (Brad Pitt) leads a band
of Jews in murdering and scalping Nazis.  Quentin Tarantino apparently thinks
it's okay to stereotype Indians as killers because he's part Cherokee.

The list goes on and on, with a few new incidents every week.  To keep abreast
of developments, visit my Newspaper Rock blog at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/newsrock.htm .

More "Twilight" News

Summit Entertainment has announced that Bronson Pelletier, Chaske Spencer, Kiowa
Gordon, and Alex Meraz will play the "Wolf Pack" in the "Twilight" sequel "New
Moon."  Surprisingly, they're all Indians.  Not surprisingly, the first photo of
them shows them posing shirtless like half-naked savages.

At the San Diego Comic-Con, I got to hang with Kiowa Gordon and the other
"Twilight" stars between Q&A sessions.  Fans confused Gordon with Taylor Lautner
and asked him to take off his shirt.  Fortunately, the actors seem to be
good-humored about the attention, taking it all in stride.

On the negative side, Tinsel Korey, a non-Native actress who has pretended to be
Native, will play Emily, a Quileute Indian.  Boo Boo Stewart, an Asian American
actor who claims to be a bit "Blackfoot," will play Seth Clearwater, another
Quileute Indian.  In "New Moon," the Quileute werewolves may speak in dog-like
yips rather than a real Native language.  "Eclipse," the third "Twilight" film,
may present the books' fairy-tale version of Quileute history.  And Mattel has
come out with Edward and Bella Barbies but no dolls for the Native characters.

For more on the subject, see http://www.bluecorncomics.com/twilight.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #185

Some recent news stories show America's ongoing insensitivity to Native people
and their beliefs.

In Colorado, a hiker found a wrapped eagle body that had fallen out of a tree. 
Authorities thought it might be a "satanic sacrifice" until Natives explained it
was a traditional religious practice.

In Oxford, Alabama, developers are digging up an Indian mound to build a Sam's
Club.  Non-Indians consider the mound a big pile of dirt, while Indians consider
it a sacred site and archaeological treasure.

In Blanding, Utah, two dozen people were arrested for stealing Native artifacts.
Non-Indians consider this looting a harmless pastime, while Indians consider it
a violation of their religion and a potential source of misfortune.

More Casting Controversies

Alas, the practice of casting non-Natives to play Natives continues unabated. 
The latest examples:

* The upcoming Jonah Hex movie reportedly will use Asian actors in the Native
roles.

* "Public Enemies" features French actress Marion Cotillard as John Dillinger's
half-Menominee girlfriend Billie Frechette.

* "The Last Airbender" stars white actors as Sokka and Katara, members of the
Inuit-based Water Tribe.

* Thomas Hayden Church plays Johnny Whitefeather, an Indian business fraud, in
Eddie Murphy's "Imagine That."

* Mizuo Peck, a Japanese/Caucasian actress, reprised her role as Sacagawea in
the "Night at the Museum" sequel.

* Mickey Rourke (!) portrayed an Indian assassin in "Killshot," a forgettable
2008 thriller.

Backlash over "Wounded Knee"

The last segment of PBS's "We Shall Remain" series generated a notable response.
Here are dueling views of the film's import:

Paul Chaat Smith:  "In the '60s and early '70s these were still emerging ideas,
about reconnecting with traditional culture, language, religion.  It was
starting to happen, but this became the majority sentiment in the space of just
a handful of years.  It was really about identity, it was about affirming we're
still here, we want to be here, and we want to be here on our own terms."

A letter from the Wounded Knee Victims and Veterans Association:  "This film
attempts to explain away the destruction of the village by invoking historical
issues (broken treaties, Indian boarding schools, government-sponsored
relocation, etc.) and by rationalizing the criminality of the perpetrators.  One
of the film's worst transgressions is its contemptible disregard for the real
victims of Wounded Knee, the villagers who lived there."

Best Network TV of 2008-2009

"Ugly Betty" and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" both used Native lore
several times in the just-finished season.  Kudos to the writers for grounding
their stories in a world where Indians exist.

Even without Native actors, these shows highlighted more Native culture and
history than "Law & Order: SVU" did with Adam Beach.  Which reminds me that
Beach will play a recurring role in the HBO series "Big Love."

In other news, a "Family Guy" story about the founding of Quahog, Rhode Island,
failed to mention Indians.  But in "King of the Hill," John Redcorn appeared as
a media mogul who produces DVDs.

For more on these subjects, see http://www.bluecorncomics.com/namovies.htm and
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/natv.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #184

Some quotes and comments from my Newspaper Rock coverage of PBS's "We Shall
Remain" series:

"After the Mayflower"

The Indians were aware that their way of life was at risk.  They knew that the
English had wreaked havoc before.  Although Massasoit made a reasonable
choice--to accommodate the English--the other Wampanoags were ultimately right. 
They would've been better off if they had eliminated the colonists from their
shores.

The narrator concludes this documentary with something like, "It's hard to see
how the conflict could've been avoided and outcome could've been different." 
No, actually, it's easy to see.  If the Mohawks hadn't ambushed their fellow
Indians, King Philip's confederacy might well have won the war.

"Tecumseh's Vision"

The influx of settlers kept the Indians on a constant war footing.  The loss of
Indian men led to broken homes and communities.  Having twice as many women as
men put kinship systems under stress.  Diseases flourished and spread under
these conditions.

As one historian noted, Tecumseh had a much tougher job than the Founding
Fathers.  They had to unite 13 colonies with central governments and a common
language and heritage.  He had to unite dozens of tribes with different cultures
and languages.

In his 1810 confrontation with Harrison, Tecumseh did something never done
before, according to one historian:

"He stood up, defended Indian land, and said he represented every Indian on the
continent.

"He understood that Native American peoples were in a particular historical
predicament, and he was articulating that predicament, and was doing it for all
of them."

"Trail of Tears"

After the Revolution, missionary organizations visited the Cherokees to teach
them how to be Anglo-Americans.  Among the "lessons" were to eat meals at
regular times, instead of when they were hungry, and to pray in church at
designated times, instead of when they were moved to.

Wikipedia:  "The first large-scale confinement of a specific ethnic group in
detention centers began in the summer of 1838, when President Martin Van Buren
ordered the U.S. Army to enforce the Treaty of New Echota (an Indian removal
treaty) by rounding up the Cherokee into prison camps before relocating them."

I can see why people call John Ross the Cherokee Moses.  Seems to me he was on
the right side in most of the conflicts.  He fought for Cherokee sovereignty and
was willing to fight for the land.  When removal was forced upon the Cherokees,
he took over and made it work.  He kept the tribe together through decades of
dissension.  When the Civil War loomed, he sympathized with the anti-slavery
North.

"Geronimo"

Two quotes by historians:  "By the 20th century, Geronimo comes to stand for
some of the values we hold most dear in America.  The lone battler, the champion
of his people, the guy who never gives up, the ultimate underdog."

"Geronimo adopting, or seen to adopt, American culture represents a major
symbolic victory.  American civilization has arrived.  Even Geronimo is now
embracing it."

People should remember Geronimo for what he represents:  the never-say-die
fighting spirit that drove him to challenge the US again and again.  We can
honor that spirit even as we condemn the man for his moral failings.  We should
encourage people to challenge the powers-that-be, to rise up against authority,
whenever truth and justice demand it.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #183

The PBS series "We Shall Remain" aired for five weeks in April and May.  Some
reviews tell the tale:

    "We Shall Remain," a five-part PBS series that retells American
    history from the Native American perspective, is a remarkably
    old-fashioned documentary.  It is built up slowly,
    chronologically, and powerfully from a few basic and familiar
    elements:  talking heads, an authoritative narrator and loving
    aerial shots of the primordial forest.  Even its use of historical
    reenactments reminds one of the kind of movies screened at
    National Park Service visitors' centers a generation or two ago.

    Executive producer Sharon Grimberg and a team of directors and
    producers (including Chris Eyre, Ric Burns, Dustinn Craig, Sarah
    Colt and Stanley Nelson) have committed to telling an alternative
    history, but they forgo alternative means.  Even the events chosen
    to anchor the individual films are already familiar from history
    books:  The Mayflower, the War of 1812, the Indian wars and
    Wounded Knee.  But slowly, over the course of more than seven
    hours, one begins to realize the power of this approach.  "We
    Shall Remain" is unapologetically committed to the now suspect
    idea of Great Man history, the chronicle of charismatic leaders,
    epic battles and dramatic, decisive events indelibly marked on the
    calendar and mythologized for centuries after.

    It may be old-fashioned, but it radically shifts the sense of
    agency and psychological complexity from familiar American icons
    to Native Americans who once played only supporting roles.  The
    effect is rather like the psychological shock one gets when the
    map of the world is turned upside down.  It's still a map and
    still reliable in every way.  It's just disorienting.  (Washington
    Post, 4/12/09)

    Native American filmmaker Chris Eyre--whose credits include "Smoke
    Signals," "Skins" and "Edge of America"--directed the first three.

    "This is not about nobles and this is not about savages.  It's
    about Native American leaders that need to be recognized in the
    pantheon of American Indian heroes.  If we're a collective of a
    melting pot we need to recognize leaders of different complexions
    that are also part of the American pantheon of heroes," he said.

    "I normally see Indians in loincloths running from tree to tree
    and rock to rock.  In this case we've created Indians into
    people."  (Hartford Courant, 4/12/09)

Although the episodes' quality varied a bit, I'd say they were all well written
and acted.  Especially good was the way they told Native stories without the
usual myths and stereotypes.  I suspect they'll be the definitive films on these
subjects for years to come.

More Indians on TV

Like public television, the commercial networks have done a fine job of
including Indians this season.  Here are some recent highlights:

On "CSI: NY," the subway murder of a "Montiquan" chief led to an illegal
Internet operation in a warehouse.  Despite some silly mistakes and
coincidences, the show offered a fresh take on the cliché of crime-ridden
gaming.

"Parks and Recreation," the "Office"-style comedy starring Amy Poehler, is set
in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana.  On the air and on its website, the
show has referred to "Wamapoke" Indians killing people:  twisting them to death
and cutting off their faces.

Wes Studi played a major role in "Kings," a short-lived series based on the
Biblical story of David.  Tamara Feldman (part Cherokee) appeared in a
four-episode arc in "Gossip Girl."

For more on the subject, go to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/natv.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #182

Sometimes it seems the parade of Indian mascots and stereotypes will never end. 
Here are the latest examples in the news:

In April, the Spirit Lake Sioux tribe voted in favor of the University of North
Dakota's "Fighting Sioux" nickname.  Apparently these Indians don't mind being
stereotyped as one-dimensional warriors.

An Inuit tourist noticed that New Zealanders eat marshmallow candies called
Eskimos.  They're shaped like little people in parkas and advertised with igloo
illustrations.

On Tax Day, Fox News followers staged phony "tea parties" across the nation to
protest bailouts, deficits, or a black man as president--it's hard to tell
which.  Some dressed up as stereotypical chiefs and other Indians, with slogans
such as "Paleface Taxes Too High" and "Let Little Brave Keep Wampum."

In March, a Burning Man crew advertised a "Go Native" dance in Oakland,
California.  People were supposed to come in Native "costume" and party in
Native "theme rooms."  Fortunately, AIM West managed to shut down the event.

A company is selling eyewear based on the Inuit snow goggles.  Alas, it chose to
call them Slanties, an insult to Asian people.

At Carpinteria High School in central California, school board members voted to
keep their stereotypical "Warriors" name and Plains chief mascot.  Supporters
trotted out the usual arguments about "honoring" Indians--even though Indians
don't consider mascots an honor.

In Italy, the government launched an anti-drinking program called Operation Red
Nose.  Its emblem was--you guessed it--a stereotypical Indian chief with a big
red nose.

Australia's Tourist Board ran commercials in which an aboriginal man-child sends
stressed-out Anglos on "walkabout" vacations with pixie dust.  This bolsters the
widespread notion that indigenous people have magical powers.

Chasco, Florida, continues to hold an annual festival in which people deck
themselves out in buckskins, feathers, and beads.  Like New Orleans's Mardi Gras
"Indians," these wannabes are stereotypical.

Fashion designer Christian Audigier held a show supposedly based on Native
cultures.  What that meant was a lot of fringe, feathers, jewelry, and exposed
skin.

Red Bull has run commercials in which Indian lovers in separate tipis send smoke
signals to each other.  For about the millionth time, outdated Plains Indian
stereotypes serve to (mis)represent all Indians.

Movie News

Graham Greene and Tinsel Korey have joined the cast of "New Moon," the
"Twilight" sequel that features Quileute werewolves.  The filmmakers also hired
several young Native actors to play the "Wolf Pack"--after people criticized
them for casting non-Native Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black.

The First Americans in the Arts had to cancel their annual ceremony because of
poor ticket sales.  As you may recall, I attended the previous ceremonies and
reported on them.

I recently published articles in Indian Country Today on Southern California's
film festivals, the Creative Spirit script competition, "The Exiles," NBC's
"Crusoe," and non-Natives cast as Natives.  Check them out at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/pechanga.htm if you're interested.

The documentary series "We Shall Remain"--five takes on key moments in Native
history--is playing on PBS now.  So far it looks good.  Stay tuned for my
reviews in Newspaper Rock and here.

For more on Native-themed movies, go to
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/namovies.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #181

A new Native TV show has debuted on Canada's Aboriginal Peoples Television
Network (APTN).  As the Native Times reported:

    'Cashing In' is a 6 x 30 minute dramatic comedy about casino life
    on a fictional Aboriginal reserve in southern Manitoba.  Card
    sharks, fast dealers, high rollers and an eclectic crew of local
    characters make up the scene at North Beach Casino, a successful
    gaming palace recently purchased by Matthew Tommy [Eric Schweig].
    Embarking on his mission to make it North America's no. 1 First
    Nation Casino, Matthew quickly finds out some members of the
    community have other ideas.

In The Walrus magazine (3/24/09), "Cashing In's" writers talk about how the show
presents Natives in a different light:

    While there are lots of jokes about bingo, life on the reserve is
    largely ignored by the five novice native writers who wrote
    "Cashing In" as part of a joint training program between the
    Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and the National Screen
    Institute.  The centre of the action is the opulently kitsch North
    Beach Casino, with its fake palm trees, blackjack tables, and
    beautiful people.  There is some social commentary about
    compulsive gambling and the disparities between rich and poor
    natives, but overall the storylines are light and the tone goofy.
    "We're playing with the assumptions people have about Aboriginal
    culture," says Trevor Cameron, a Metis stand-up comic who started
    writing the comic animated children's series "Wapos Bay" before
    working on "Cashing In."  "We don't all use bedsheets for
    draperies.  We have our own upper class."

    "Cashing In" writer Mike Gosselin, a Metis from Saskatoon,
    believes humour is naturally present in cultures with strong oral
    traditions.  Spinning a tall tale or telling a good joke is what
    native people do when they get together, he says:  "It's in the
    Aboriginal nature to make fun of each other and to tease and laugh
    heartily.  There is nothing like going to visit people on the rez
    or sitting around with a mix of Metis, Aboriginal, even Inuit
    people.  It's incredible how many jokes there are."

According to CBC.ca (3/11/09), the show's writers and producers think it could
be an Aboriginal "Cosby Show":

    Denny explains:  "The issues are still there, but they're dealt
    with in a different way--much more upbeat and sexy."

    Strutt also believes audiences will respond to the show's
    representation of aboriginal characters who are affluent and
    powerful.  "I definitely think this show is depicting a side of
    our reality--that there are successful aboriginal people owning
    vineyards and banks and casinos," Strutt says.  "Not a lot of
    content has been produced on that."

But Brad Oswald of the Winnipeg Free Press (3/3/09) thinks the superficial and
"sexy" approach is a mistake.  "Cashing In" "comes up snake eyes," he writes:

    [T]he narrative foundation on which it's built seems a bit shaky.
    Rather than being content with examining the people and events at
    the fictional North Beach Casino on the equally whimsical
    Stonewalker First Nation, "Cashing In's" producers feel the need
    to overlay the out-of-the-way storyline with a Toronto-based
    mega-casino corporation that runs North Beach from afar and sends
    big-city operators to rural Manitoba to run the betting-parlour
    show.

Hmm.  TV shows have featured well-off Indians at casinos before.  It remains to
be seen whether "Cashing In" will succeed.

For more on Natives in TV shows, go to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/natv.htm .

Movie Premieres

Two Native movies premiered at Sundance in January:  "The Only Good Indian" by
Kevin Willmott ("CSA: Confederate States of America"), and "Barking Water,"
Sterlin Harjo's followup to "Four Sheets to the Wind."  You can read about them
at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/namovies.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #180

I never watched "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" when it was on the air, but I've
begun watching it on DVD.  It's one of the best shows in US television history
in terms of Native portraits--maybe the best.  Indians play a role in most of
the first season's episodes.

Curiously, the well-intentioned show mixes positive portrayals with questionable
choices and attitudes.  Here are some highlights and lowlights from the first
season:

* In the two-part pilot episode, the people of Colorado Springs won't let Dr.
Quinn touch them, but the Cheyenne let her perform an emergency tracheotomy on
Chief Black Kettle.

* In episode 3, Dr. Quinn resists the idea of using Indian medicine to cure an
epidemic, but comes around when it heals her.

* In episode 9, Sully (Dr. Quinn's love interest) helps a drunken Cheyenne in a
traveling medicine show regain his lost pride.

* In episode 11, a few bad men are killing the buffalo to make way for a
railroad.  Once they're out of the way, Dr. Quinn and company welcome the idea
of progress.

* In episode 12, General Custer threatens to execute Sully's friend Cloud
Dancing, but he's only kidding.  The townspeople continue to prepare for a big
dance as if a dead Indian won't bother them.

* In episode 14, Cloud Dancing leads Dr. Quinn's boy Matthew on a vision quest
to prove he's a man.  The tribe apparently has nothing better to do than aid
this endeavor.

* In episode 18, Indians attack a photographer with stones when he tries to take
their picture, even though they agreed to be photographed.

In "Dr. Quinn," the townspeople experience moments of prejudice against Indians,
blacks, immigrants, prostitutes and their children.  But any animosity
disappears by the end of the hour.  Racism is the easiest illness to cure in
this series.

But with all these good feelings, Indians continue to suffer.  As I wrote in
Newspaper Rock, they seem to be victims of forces beyond anyone's control. 
Although "our town" is full of decent people, someone somewhere is doing
something bad.

For more on "Dr. Quinn," go to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/drquinn.htm .

Movie News

The casting controversies continue.  In "Avatar: The Last Airbender," M. Night
Shyamalan chose Anglos to play the Asian and Inuit characters.  Actor Jackson
Rathbone claimed he could handle his Native role by getting a tan.

Ben Kingsley has agreed to portray Charles Curtis, Kaw Indian and US vice
president, in an upcoming movie.  It's about three Wyandot sisters who protected
a cemetery from development.

Non-Native starlet Vanessa Hudgens was rumored to be under consideration for a
part in "New Moon," the "Twilight" sequel.  The contretemps over her and Taylor
Lautner apparently impelled the producers to hold a casting call for actual
Natives.

As expected, "Frozen River" didn't win the two Academy Awards it was nominated
for.  But actress Melissa Leo and producer Heather Rae did receive Spirit Awards
for the independent film.  Congratulations.

For once, Indians got some screen time in the annual Oscar telecast.  Misty
Upham appeared in a "Frozen River" clip and Saginaw Grant appeared in a
MasterCard commercial.  Also, Jessica Biel (part Choctaw) took the stage to
describe the Sci-Tech awards.

You can read the latest movie news and reviews at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/namovies.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #179

Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th president of the United States had
several good moments and a few bad ones involving Indians.  Let's review what
happened.

While preparing for the inaugural parade, the Wyandotte Roosevelt High School
Marching Chiefs received a letter protesting their Indian mascot.  They were
going to cover it up until the head of Oklahoma’s Wyandotte Nation gave them his
blessing.  My response:  The tribe might have a say in using the Wyandotte name,
but not the generic Chiefs name and logo.

In his inaugural address, Obama talked about settling the West and dissolving
the "lines of tribe."  Oops.  Indians had already settled the West when the
whites arrived, and America's tribes don't want their lines dissolved.

In his benediction, Rev. Joseph Lowery hoped for a time when "yellow will be
mellow" and "the red man can get ahead, man."  Oops.  "Yellow" as a term for
Asians is considered offensive these days.

Groups from 11 tribes in five states--North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Wisconsin,
and Alaska--participated in the parade.  The groups included the Crow Nation's
Horse Mounted Unit and the Suurimmaanitchuat Dancers.  Obama, who was made an
honorary Crow during his campaign, reportedly waved to the horsemen.

On the terrace of the National Museum of the American Indian, VIPs watched the
inauguration in comfort.  "The Indians had the best seats in the house,"
according to one writeup.  Between events, people went from floor to floor,
eating, schmoozing, and catching up with friends.

They also viewed an NMAI exhibit titled "A Century Ago...They Came as Sovereign
Leaders."  It told how Geronimo, Quanah Parker, and other chiefs traveled to
Washington DC in 1905 for Teddy Roosevelt's inauguration.  They asked him for
better treatment and he said no, because he thought Indians should give up their
cultures and assimilate.

The day before the inauguration, LaDonna Harris (Comanche) received a Lifetime
Legacy Award for her decades of work for Indians.  The following evening, tribal
leaders attended the 11th American Indian Inaugural Ball.  Stars such as Keith
Secola, Gary Farmer, and Joanne Shenandoah entertained the guests, who were
dressed to the nines in tuxedos and evening gowns.

As the new president was sworn in, the White House website rolled over to the
Obama version.  Alas, there was no mention of Indians in the long to-do list. 
The disabled, the LGBT community, and sportsmen were on the agenda, but not
America's fourth branch of government (federal, state, local, and tribal).

Oh, well.  To read all my Obama postings, go to
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/prez08.htm .

Movie News

Besides "Twilight" (ICI #177), a few other fall releases had Native aspects:

* In "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," a band of "Aztec" dogs living in Mexican ruins
counsels the title character.

* In "A Quantum of Solace," a Bolivian strongman tries to overthrow the
indigenous nation's government.

* In Adam Sandler's "Bedtime Stories," Rob Schneider plays a stereotypical
Indian chief.

Meanwhile, the acclaimed "Frozen River"
(http://www.bluecorncomics.com/froznrvr.htm) earned two Academy Award
nominations:  Best Actress for Melissa Leo and Best Original Screenplay for
Courtney Hunt.  Kudos to Hunt and company for this recognition.

For more on the subject, see http://www.bluecorncomics.com/namovies.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #178

Thanksgiving is probably the one time of year when many people think about
Indians.  Unfortunately, what they think is mostly a myth.  It's all about how
the brave, noble Pilgrims founded America--the country already inhabited by
Indians.

This year, two Thanksgiving controversies broke into the mainstream media.  They
show our continuing desire to sanitize our sordid history.  To pretend that
Indians and white men were best friends until something unaccountably went
wrong.

1) In Claremont, Calif., a woman of Seneca ancestry protested the practice of
dressing up schoolchildren as phony Indians.  For this, she and her daughter
received threats and hate mail along the lines of "Go to hell!"

2) In Plimouth, Mass., a girl cried when she was asked to remove her phony
Indian costume.  As a CNSNews.com article (11/27/08) noted:

    "Native people find it offensive when they see a non-native person
    dressed up and playing Indian.  It's perceived as us being made
    fun of," Coombs told CNSNews.com. ... Coombs said good intentions
    do not matter because she and the other Native staff members
    perceive the costumes as mockery before the wearer has a chance to
    explain his or her intent.

Learn more about these incidents at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/thnksgvg.htm .

Tony Hillerman Dies

Tony Hillerman, the acclaimed author of the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee mysteries,
died in October.  As the NY Times wrote (10/28/08):

    His stories, while steeped in contemporary crime, often describe
    people struggling to maintain ancient traditions in the modern
    world.  The books are instructive about ancient tribal beliefs and
    customs, from purification rituals to incest taboos.

    "It's always troubled me that the American people are so ignorant
    of these rich Indian cultures," Mr. Hillerman once told Publishers
    Weekly.  "I think it's important to show that aspects of ancient
    Indian ways are still very much alive and are highly germane even
    to our ways."

My favorite Hillerman book is "Hunting Badger" and my favorite Hillerman movie
is "The Dark Wind."  Check 'em out if you haven't seen or read his work.

For all my Hillerman postings, go to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/nabooks.htm .

Quick Hits

"A Quantum of Solace," the new James Bond movie, revolves around the theft of
water rights in Bolivia.  The local Indians are portrayed realistically,
according to one observer, with no blatant stereotypes.  But they don't take
charge of their own destiny as they have under Bolivian president Evo Morales.

Sam Bradford, the University of Oklahoma quarterback who's 1/16th Cherokee and a
tribal member, won the 2008 Heisman Trophy.  Oklahoma's Indians are basking in
the glow of one of their own achieving such success.  To me, Bradford's real
achievement is winning while maintaining a 3.95 GPA in finance.

A series of Whopper commercials features indigenous people who have never eaten
a hamburger taking a taste test.  Critics have slammed the ads because they make
the subjects seem strange and exotic.  You'd think the locales were in "the
heart of darkness" rather than an hour or two from the nearest tourist trap.

Controversy continues to dog the "Twilight" movie.  The producers replaced
director Catherine Hardwicke because she was too difficult.  They also may
replace pseudo-Native actor Taylor Lautner--with another non-Native "hottie." 
One wonders why they hired Lautner in the first place if they didn't think he
could do the job.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #177

Last issue I noted an unfortunate trend:  that non-Natives are playing Natives
again in movies and TV shows.  But two works I touched on--"Robinson Crusoe" and
"Twilight"--deserve more scrutiny.  They demonstrate how our society often
trivializes or ignores Native history and culture.

Published in 1719, Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe" is considered a literary
classic.  Some scholars have called it the first English novel.  What's
remarkable is that Defoe chose to comment on Anglo-Indian relations in his
groundbreaking book.  He placed race where it belongs:  as a defining trait of
Western civilization.

But the Crusoe story has befuddled some filmmakers.  They thought it was set in
the South Seas or off the coast of Africa.  Kiowa writer Russell Bates echoed
this confusion, claiming Friday was a Polynesian who had never been portrayed AS
a Native character or BY a Native actor.  A spirited debate proved Bates wrong
on all counts.

The new TV series "Crusoe" is about as mixed up as Bates was.  It's clearly set
in the Caribbean, yet Friday is clearly an indigenous African.  Perhaps it's
good that no Indians are present, because the show depicts Friday's people as
barbarous cannibals.  Besides, Indians might laugh themselves silly at the
effort Crusoe has wasted building his Rube Goldberg-style treehouse.

"Twilight's" faults go beyond the casting of Taylor Lautner as Jacob, a Quileute
Indian.  The whole idea of equating Indians with wolves--i.e., beasts of
prey--is problematical.  George Washington made the same comparison after he
ordered the destruction of dozens of Iroquois villages.

Author Stephanie Meyer says she based "Twilight" on "genuine Quileute stories." 
Apparently that means she uncovered a legend about a trickster creating the
first Quileute from a wolf.  From this she fabricated a whole tribal history
with "spirit warriors" and heroes with Hawaiian-sounding names.

At the end of the series, the white vampire Edward gets the white human Bella. 
The nonwhite werewolf Jacob gets "imprinted" on Renesmee, age 7.  It's almost
literally a case of puppy love, with the animalistic Indian fixating on a young
girl.  Some readers have likened it to pedophilia.

For the full story on the various incarnations of "Robinson Crusoe" and
"Twilight," see my postings at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/crusoe.htm and
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/twilight.htm .

More Indians on TV

It doesn't make up for Adam Beach's departure from "Law and Order: SVU," but
Indians have shown up a few times on TV this fall.  Peruvian and Pawnee Indians
appeared in two episodes of "4Real," a syndicated show about youth activism. 
Sherman Alexie discussed the presidential campaign on Comedy Central's "Colbert
Report."  Gary Farmer played a recurring character on the CW's now-canceled
"Easy Money."  "Twilight's" Taylor Lautner played a recurring character on NBC's
now-canceled "My Own Worst Enemy."  August Schellenberg guest-starred as a
Navajo patient on "Grey's Anatomy."  And for Thanksgiving, "Ugly Betty"
mentioned the Poospatuck tribe of Long Island, New York.

More Indians in Comics

People occasionally post thoughts on Indians in old comics from the '60s and
'70s.  When they do, I'll link to them in my Newspaper Rock blog
(http://www.bluecorncomics.com/newsrock.htm).  In the last year or so, readers
have learned that Thunderbird was supposed to flunk out in GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1,
not be killed two issues later.  That Captain America met Geronimo in the MARVEL
TREASURY SPECIAL featuring "Captain America's Bicentennial Battles."  That Lois
Lane adopted an Indian baby to prove she was a good mother in LOIS LANE #110. 
And that Tomahawk the Revolutionary War hero fought a giant Indian robot in
TOMAHAWK #70.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #176

It used to be that anyone--Anthony Quinn, Rock Hudson, Audrey Hepburn--could
play an Indian.  But if you thought the era of actors in "redface" ended around
the time of "Dances with Wolves," think again.  A disturbing trend is unfolding
in Hollywood these days:  non-Natives playing Natives in movies and TV shows.

Disney recently announced that Johnny Depp will play Tonto in a remake of "The
Lone Ranger."  Depp claims to have Cherokee ancestors and sports a tattoo of a
Cherokee chief.  Despite his roles in "Dead Man" and "The Brave," though, no one
has ever mistaken him for an Indian.  That is, for someone who knows Natives and
their cultures from the inside out.

Pretty-boy Taylor Lautner ("The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl") is playing
Jacob Black, the Quileute werewolf in the film of the popular "Twilight" books. 
Lautner conveniently discovered he had a few drops of Native blood after he was
picked.  He's excited about meeting real Indians and wearing a wig to play one.

Lynn Collins ("The Merchant of Venice") has been cast as Silver Fox, a Blackfeet
Indian woman, in the upcoming Wolverine movie.  Collins said she was glad to get
in touch with her little-known "Native American roots."  The filmmakers have
helped her by turning a striking Native presence into a scantily-clad composite
character named "Kayla Silverfox."

In NBC's new "Crusoe" series, the creators have made Friday the Caribbean Indian
into an African "savage."  This Friday is actually an intelligent and cultured
equal to Robinson Crusoe, so it's a shame they changed his ethnicity. 
Apparently they were unaware of Friday's origin or thought a black would be more
palatable than an Indian.

If you ask me, omitting Native actors and characters is unconscionable.  But
what do Natives think about it?  In my Newspaper Rock blog
(http://www.bluecorncomics.com/newsrock.htm), Melvin Martin (Sioux) condemned
"all of the wannabe, phony, Johnny-come-lately white actors passing themselves
off as Native (even though in my book they are about as Native as a red plastic
Tupperware bowl)."  "REAL Native people are deeply harmed by this proliferation
of frauds," he added.

Juliette Lewis in the News

Another example of a non-Native's playing a Native is actor Juliette Lewis
("Natural Born Killers").  When not making movies, she heads a band called
Juliette & the Licks.  Photos have shown her performing while dressed as a
Halloween-style Indian.

Someone implied Lewis was representing the strong role of women in Native
societies, which set me off.  "How does wearing feathers and warpaint and
shooting a bow and arrow equate to adopting matriarchal values?" I wrote. 
"Answer:  It doesn't.  Lewis isn't trying to emulate the feminine aspects of
Native culture.  She's trying to emulate the masculine aspects:  the whole
savage warrior stereotype."

The Latest Links

As I noted in ICI #174, "Frozen River" and "The Exiles" are earning accolades
from critics and Indians alike.  Having just seen "The Exiles," I can say it
deserves the praise it's getting.  I rate it an impressive 9.0 of 10.

To keep track of all the news and reviews, I've posted roundups for these movies
at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/froznrvr.htm and
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/exiles.htm .  Check 'em out.

The 2008 presidential election is almost upon us.  Naturally I've been following
the Native issues in this campaign:  Indians at the Democratic and Republican
conventions, Obama's support from tribal leaders, McCain's questionable record
on Indian affairs, Palin's Native-on-Native Troopergate scandal, etc.  For the
scoop on these subjects, go to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/prez08.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #175

While writing about "Frozen River" and "The Exiles" last issue, I neglected to
mention the other Native movies that have come out recently.  These include
"Four Sheets to the Wind," "Imprint," "Turquoise Rose," "Tkaronto," and "Older
than America."  I haven't seen them all, but I have seen one film worth noting: 
"Mile Post 398."

Here's how the Heard Museum Film Festival described it:

"Mile Post 398" (2007, 110 min, USA)--In this harrowing yet at times uproarious
tale of how a young Navajo man attempts to free himself from bondage to drugs
and alcohol, award-winning Navajo husband and wife filmmakers Shonie and Andee
De La Rosa take the viewer on an inside tour of Navajo contemporary life with a
universal resonance.  From his earliest memories, Cloyd (Beau Benally) has
witnessed the uglier side of life while being surrounded by alcohol abuse and
domestic violence.  Each time he attempts to turn over a new leaf his friends
Jimmy and Marty (Navajo comedy duo James and Ernie, themselves recovering
substance abusers) mastermind a plan to sway Cloyd from his ultimate hope of
saving himself and beloved family.  A choice must be made, but only Cloyd holds
the power to salvage what is left of his life, or allow it to slip away into
despair.  The first full feature film to be produced entirely on the Navajo
Nation and utilize an entire Navajo cast and crew.

Some reviews

To create a film depicting reality is truly a feat, and according to viewers and
critics across North America, "Mile Post 398" is nothing less than perfect. 
With recent awards including Best Narrative Feature from the Fargo Film Festival
2007, Best Drama and Best Screenplay from the Tulalip Film Festival 2007 and
Best Supporting Actor (Ernest David Tsosie III) from the American Indian Film
Festival 2007, there is no denying that "Mile Post 398" has broken new ground
and satisfied audiences in every way.  (Indian Country Today, 11/28/07)

Honesty IS the word to describe Shonie and Andee De La Rosa's feature completed
last summer on the Navajo Nation; it is authentic and definitely a
kick-in-the-gut.  Life on the rez and not all of it is pretty.  That fact
unnerves some who say it reinforces negative stereotypes of contemporary
Natives.  Shonie says hogwash.  Because good or bad, that's reality. 
(NativeVue.org, 4/15/07)

My thoughts

The good:  "Mile Post 398" presents an eye-opening look at the alcohol culture
that prevails on many reservations.  It shows how the sins of the father become
the sins of the child in a difficult-to-break chain.

The actors all do a fine job.  The standout is Ernest David Tsosie III as the
supportive friend Ray.

The bad:  The first quarter of "Mile Post 398" is tough to figure out.  There's
a man dancing with women, a woman waiting in a hallway, a boy playing in a
truck, and a bunch of guys drinking around a bonfire.  Eventually you learn that
the man, woman, and boy are a family being shown in flashbacks.  The boy grows
up to be Cloyd, one of the drinkers.

The ugly:  As drunks, Cloyd, Jimmy, and Marty bray and cackle like madmen.  They
sound like people sprayed with Joker venom who are laughing themselves to death.
They're so loud and incoherent that it's often impossible to follow them.  A
couple of times the movie provides subtitles even though they're speaking
English, not Navajo.

So "Mile Post 398" isn't a perfect Native film.  If the De La Rosas had avoided
the structural problems and the hard-to-understand drunks, it could've been
great.  As it is, I'd say it's very good.  Rob's rating:  8.0 of 10.

To read all the news and reviews of "Mile Post 398," go to
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/milepost.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #174

Two movies--one new and one old--are making a splash in Indian country.  Both
show a dark side of Native life in which success seems unreachable and even
survival is in doubt.

First, two articles from the LA Times (8/1/08) discuss a non-Native's
feature-film venture:

    Spare and unsentimental as well as intensely dramatic,
    character-based but grounded in reality and filled with involving
    incidents, "Frozen River's" account of two women who end up
    unlikely partners smuggling illegal immigrants over the Canadian
    border is very much the vision of writer-director Courtney Hunt,
    who told the story first as a short film before expanding it to
    feature length.

    Hunt has not only created a powerful narrative, she also has cast
    the film with two exceptional actresses.  The formidably gifted but
    perennially underutilized Melissa Leo finally gets to carry a film,
    and the relative newcomer Misty Upham has the skills to match up
    with her.  Together, there is almost nothing they can't do.

Some thoughts on the Native character:

    With the role of Lila, there is the additional element that the
    character is a portrait of contemporary Native American life rarely
    seen onscreen.  According to Upham, she knew the role was a
    breakthrough even when filming the first, short version of "Frozen
    River."

    "For the last 20 years, actresses who are native have been trying
    to get the break native men have already received," she said, "the
    roles where you can break out of the leathers and feathers.  They
    go to the men and the women are stuck in the background.

    "That's been the major fight, not only to get a leading role as a
    woman, but also to not be a Pocahontas-type talking to trees and
    whatnot, to have actual depth and character that adds to the movie.
    And this is the first time I've had a chance to play a character
    who actually has a personality, who has emotions and depth."

From 2008 to 1961

An article from RedOrbit.com (7/4/08) describes a recently restored movie:

    "The Exiles," a film about American Indians living on the edge of
    central Los Angeles in the 1950s, is both a chronicle and a
    casualty of neglect:  a movie about a forsaken community that
    itself became a lost object.

    Directed by Kent Mackenzie, a first-time filmmaker who had just
    graduated from the University of Southern California, it is a
    poetic and empathetic hybrid of fiction and documentary.  The
    nonprofessional actors play versions of themselves:  young Indians,
    newly relocated from reservations and adrift in working-class
    Bunker Hill.

    "The Exiles" was shown at the Venice International Film Festival in
    1961 and won plaudits during its brief run on the festival circuit.
    But it quickly faded from view, as did Mackenzie, who directed only
    one other feature, "Saturday Morning" (1970), and died, at 50, in
    1980.

A bit on the movie's authenticity:

    "The Exiles" is attuned equally to everyday moments of tenderness
    and to the brutal toll of alcoholism and family neglect, apparently
    to the discomfort of some viewers.  "Whenever I showed it to my
    students, they would attack me for making a stereotyped film about
    drunken Indians," [cinematographer John] Morrill said.

    But [Sherman] Alexie said the movie's harshness felt true to life.
    "This was before the political revolutions of the late '60s and
    before Native pride," he said.  "The dominant mode for Natives was
    shame."

For more on Native movies, go to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/namovies.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #173

In ICI #163, I wrote about "Graham Greene, Shakespearean."  That was far from
the first Native attempt to perform one of the Bard's masterpieces.  Here are
some others:

Earlier this year a group of Aleutians did "Othello."  According to the
Anchorage Daily News (2/3/08):

    In a new version of "Othello," the bitter tale of jealousy,
    ambition and racism centers on an Aleut man as he rises within the
    Imperial Russian Navy and starts life with his new Russian bride,
    Desdemona.  But since this is one of Shakespeare's tragedies,
    Othello's promising life is destroyed by scheming and bloodshed.

    For Athabascan actor Allan Hayton, who plays Othello, this project
    acknowledges how hard Native Alaskans have had to struggle against
    stereotypes and exploitation.  He said the production also is
    further reminder that Native Alaskans belong in the theater
    community, both onstage and in the seats.

Last year the Perseverance Theatre did a Tlingit version of "Macbeth."  "To hear
young people speaking Tlingit and acting and talking about big ideas and big
emotions is something so unique, it was really moving and exciting to hear,"
said director Anita Maynard-Losh in the Juneau Empire (3/8/07).  But when the
play debuted in the nation's capital, the Washington Post (3/12/07) wrote, "It's
nicely conceived but not very powerful.  Shakespeare's play overflows with
emotional turbulence, but the acting is seldom intriguing or complicated."

Back in 1961, David Gardner produced an Eskimo "King Lear."  Reviewers resisted
the changes in setting and language, but Gardner was unswayed:

    In retrospect, I think our attempt to find an original
    cross-cultural springboard for Shakespeare's tragic masterpiece
    succeeded.  For us, it gave the production a sharper artistic
    focus.  We were encouraged to stretch for the haunting extremes
    within the play:  its primitive, animalistic savagery at one end of
    the scale, and its achingly lonely monumentality on the other.

The Bard Does Natives

Normally we associate Shakespeare with Englishmen, Italians, and Greeks.  But he
also wrote a play about Natives, believe it or not.  Louis Proyect of Columbia
University explains the situation in "What Shakespeare Thought of the American
Indian" (12/6/98):

    The evidence is overwhelming that Shakespeare not only set "The
    Tempest" on a Caribbean island, but included a native American
    major character.  The play's ambivalent attitude toward this
    indigenous slave Caliban serves not only as a useful window into
    17th century racial attitudes, it also helps us understand our own
    period as well.  The name Caliban, it should be added, is regarded
    as a form of Carib, the name of the original inhabitants on the
    islands invaded by Columbus.

    In 1609 a fleet of nine ships set out from England to shore up John
    Smith's Virginia colony, the first English settlement in the new
    world.  As most people already know from their high-school
    propaganda, Smith was condemned to death by Powhatan, but was saved
    at the last minute when his 13 year old daughter Pocahontas
    interceded on Smith's behalf.  The British returned the favor a
    couple of years later by burning down Indian villages and
    attempting to enslave them.

    One of the nine ships was separated during a violent storm and
    ended up on Bermuda.  Pamphlets were published that gave a highly
    imaginative account of the shipwrecked crew's experiences.
    Evidently Shakespeare got the idea for his play from this
    background material since "The Tempest" is a tale about shipwrecked
    Europeans colonizing an American island and enslaving the native
    population.

For more on Native plays, go to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/naplays.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #172

Recently a group of Canadian Natives began publishing a magazine called Redskin,
believe it or not.  They describe it as "the world's first indigenous adult
entertainment publication."  Naturally it's filled with pictures of hot, hip
Natives.  And naturally they chose the name to provoke people, cause
controversy, and thus sell magazines.

Naturally I mocked them for stereotyping Natives as blood-skinned savages.  I
suggested they start a companion magazine for women called Squaw.  I asked if
they'd call their elders "redskins."  I posted comments from Natives who called
them sellouts.  I noted similarities between Redskin magazine and a
Kristallnacht video game.

I've gotten some responses from Team RedSkin's writers and models.  They laugh
off the criticism or claim they're fighting racism.  But they're not exactly a
brilliant bunch.  Here's what one of them wrote:

"RSM doesn't not believe in supporting hate, wash your hands of the education
you have been given that pigeonholes and stereotypes all our brothers and
sisters with ignorance and hate."

If you can tell if this is a pro- or anti-"redskin" message, you're more
discerning than I am.  To follow the debate, or to join in, go to
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/redskins.htm#magazine .

Inside Indian TV

After one year on "Law & Order: SVU," Adam Beach has departed.  Apparently the
producers weren't using him enough--which was obvious if you watched the show. 
He went out with a stereotypical bang:  hauled off to jail as a stoic, scowling
killer.

In "New Amsterdam," a short-lived spring series, Tamara Podemski played a Native
woman who cursed the protagonist with immortality.  An interesting idea, but the
pilot ended with a ludicrous shot of teepees on Manhattan Island.

I've been watching repeats of "Family Guy," the crude animated comedy.  If
you're not familiar with with the show, it's a cross between "The Simpsons" and
"South Park."  It has a surprising amount of Native material, including at least
six bits in one stretch of 29 episodes.  Unfortunately, most of its references
are stereotypical.

David Yeagley, the conservative crackpot and alleged Comanche, appeared in a
Swedish documentary by a supremacist similar to him.  The film used Yeagley as
the sole spokesperson for Indians, which is about like using Custer.  The
documentary claimed there are no traditional cultures left and said indigenous
people should assimilate into white society.

Nathaniel Arcand plays a veterinarian on the Canadian series "Heartland." 
According to a website, it's "a multi-generational family drama series set in
the foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta.  'Heartland' is a place like no
other; a horse ranch with a special mission of healing abused or neglected
horses and finding them new homes."

Inside Indian Comics

Last month I published an article in Indian Country Today on the upcoming
TRICKSTER anthology.  Because of it, several reporters called the creators with
questions.  There's still no word on when the book will be available.

Chad Solomon has published a second volume of "Rabbit and Bear Paws" strips. 
Titled "The Voyageurs," it recounts the adventures of a fur-trading expedition
traveling from Lake of the Woods to Montreal.  It's on sale online.

Meanwhile, nothing good is happening in the regular monthly comics.  A series
called STREETS OF GLORY features an Apache killing machine who scalps his
opponents alive.  And a mini-series called CALIBER retells the Arthurian legend
in the Old West with a generic Indian shaman as Merlin.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #171

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," the fourth installment in
the swashbuckling series, features spear-wielding Amazon Indians.  That isn't
much different from "Raiders of the Lost Ark," which also featured
spear-wielding Amazon Indians.  The thrust of these movies is clear:  Smart
Westerners beat stupid Natives.

Sadly, this is part of a trend of stereotyping Mesoamerican and Latin American
Indians as superstitious, senseless, or savage.  Consider the following
examples:

* A trailer for the upcoming "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" depicted the Aztec people
as dogs.

* In "Aztec Rex," a movie on the Sci-Fi Channel, Aztecs sacrificed virgins to
placate a carnivorous dinosaur.

* In the book and movie versions of "The Ruins," a malevolent Maya entity
attacked hapless white collegians.

* Last year a Kahlua ad showed dancing Mesoamerican Indians asking white
visitors if they were kings.

* In "The Emperor's New School" cartoon series, Inca Indians live in a
fantasyland devoid of history and culture.

* Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/apclypto.htm)
portrayed the sophisticated Maya civilization as a spectacle of death and decay.

* In "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"
(http://www.bluecorncomics.com/pirates.htm), the Indians were gibbering
cannibals who used body parts for decorations.

* The 2006 Zagar and Steve commercials (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/zagar.htm)
presented an Amazon Indian who brutalized the city folk around him.

* The 2005 "Jungle Love" episode of "Family Guy" involved a typical "primitive"
Amazon tribe:  a headdress-wearing chief, his nubile young daughter, and a host
of undifferentiated tribal members.  When someone said the wrong thing, they
turned into--you guessed it--spear-wielding savages.

Why is this happening?  As I theorized, creators exploit these remote Indians so
they can "indulge in their wildest fantasies about headhunting, human sacrifice,
and cannibalism.  Just as important, there are few if any advocates for these
Indians to protest their unfair treatment in the media."

This trend is serious enough that I chose "Apocalypto" and the Zagar commercials
as the 2006 Stereotype of the Year loser and dishonorable mention.  You can find
out more about these problematical shows in my "Indiana Jones and the
Stereotypes of Doom" roundup at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/indy.htm .

Comics Worth Noting

I recently came across an interesting new project:  TRICKSTER.  It's a graphic
novel-style anthology of Native trickster tales created primarily by Native
writers and artists.  I posted an exclusive Q&A interview with writer/artist
Matt Dembicki and publisher Christian Beranek at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/dembicki.htm .

The Healthy Aboriginal Network, makers of the anti-suicide comic book DARKNESS
CALLS, has come out with two more issues.  ON THE CALL deals with a teen's
gambling compulsion and AN INVITED THREAT tackles the dangers of diabetes.  Read
about these comics and my thoughts on them at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/hlthyabo.htm .

An American publisher is translating and reprinting YAKARI, a Belgian series by
the team of Derib and Job.  Yakari is a Sioux Indian boy who has Disneyesque
adventures with talking animals.  You can learn about this and other comics
developments at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/nacomics.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #170

As I've done for the past 12 years, I attended the First Americans in the Arts
(FAITA) awards ceremony this month.  Despite a few technical glitches, I enjoyed
the show.  Among the highlights:

* My first viewing of "Raccoon & Crawfish," the animated Oneida legend.  My
verdict:  good but not great.

* The Native and political humor of Charlie Hill, who served as MC.  Best line: 
"America's going, 'Gee, are we ready for a black president?'  I say why not?  We
already had a retarded one."

* A "Long Walk Through Hollywood" video in which Hill and actress Kateri Walker
searched for signs of Indians.  They met one Navajo and found the Walk of Fame
stars for Will Rogers, Jay Silverheels, Johnny Cash, and Kay Starr (Iroquois).

* Performances by Keith Secola, Leon Thompson and the Northwest Experience, and
Chauntal Lewis and her dance group Fem.

* A video tribute to the actors who died in 2007:  Julius "Josh" Drum
("Thunderheart"), Billy Ray Dodge ("Dr. Quinn"), and Floyd Red Crow Westerman
("Dances with Wolves").

As I wrote in Newspaper Rock (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/newsrock.htm), the
only thing that puzzled me was the awards themselves.  Last year produced a
bumper crop of Native movies:  "Four Sheets to the Wind," "Mile Post 398,"
"Imprint," and "Turquoise Rose."  Yet they earned only one award between them
(to Sterlin Harjo for directing "Four Sheets").  What's up with that?

For more on FAITA, including pictures of the show, go to
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/faita.htm .

Dances with Teen Angst

In February I saw "Teaching Disco Square Dancing To Our Elders: A Class
Presentation" at the Autry Museum's Wells Fargo Theater.  Written by Larissa
FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota), this play is a coming-of-age tale.  As I wrote in my
review (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/disco.htm):

Three Lakota youths have only a few days to complete their school assignments. 
Kenny, the potential dropout, must demonstrate how to disco.  Martin, the good
boy from a bad background, must teach people to square-dance.  Amanda, the
brown-skinned girl with white parents, must interview some elders.

Best friends Kenny (Noah Watts) and Martin (Robert Vestal) decide to aid
newcomer Amanda (Tonantzín Carmelo) and combine their presentations.  If you
wonder how these presentations could possibly fit together, well, so do they. 
Whether the threesome will help, hinder, or hurt each other remains to be seen.

Not surprisingly, everything works out in the end.  It's a fine play, especially
since it's only FastHorse's second produced work.  Give it a look if it ever
comes to your area.

You can read about "Teaching Disco" and other Native plays at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/naplays.htm .

Lots of Links

Since I constantly post items in Newspaper Rock, I generate a lot of links.  To
help readers, I sometimes collect them on a single page.  Here are my recent
roundups of links:

* Indians on "The Simpsons":  http://www.bluecorncomics.com/simpsons.htm .

* All about Adam Beach:  http://www.bluecorncomics.com/abeach.htm .

* Creative Spirit film competition:  http://www.bluecorncomics.com/crtvsprt.htm
.

* Native documentaries and news:  http://www.bluecorncomics.com/nadocs.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #169

Continuing my review of events in 2007, we turn to fiction by and about Indians.

Perhaps the biggest news in the dramatic arts was Sherman Alexie's success with
two young-adult novels:  "Flight" and "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time
Indian."  The Spokane/Coeur d'Alene writer
(http://www.bluecorncomics.com/alexie.htm) has already received several honors
for "Diary."  He seems to be securing his place as the most famous Native writer
since N. Scott Momaday.

In the movies (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/namovies.htm), the Viking bloodfest
"Pathfinder"--about the only major release featuring Indians--quickly sank from
view.  Meanwhile, four independent films--"Mile Post 398," "Four Sheets to the
Wind," "Imprint," and "Turquoise Rose"--played to enthusiastic crowds at
festivals.  "Ten Canoes," an Australian movie about aborigines, earned favorable
notices.

On TV (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/natv.htm), Adam Beach scored big by joining
the cast of "Law & Order: SVU."  But HBO's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" was
slammed for its biased rendition of Dee Brown's book.  And Disney's "The
Emperor's New School," a Saturday morning cartoon, continued to treat Indians as
fantasy figures.

In comics (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/nacomics.htm), SCALPED's hellish
depiction of reservation life dominated the news.  RED PROPHET and COWBOYS &
ALIENS Vol. 2 started off well while LONE RANGER, RIPCLAW PILOT SEASON, and THE
FOURTH HORSEMAN didn't.  Warpath had a prominent role in UNCANNY X-MEN and
Dawnstar returned in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA.

Plays (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/naplays.htm) made a splash in 2007.  Among
the works getting attention were Drew Hayden Taylor's "The Berlin Blues," the
Ponca opera "Wakonda's Dreams," the Peltier play "My Life Is My Sundance," James
Lujan's "Midnight Society," A.R. Gurney's "Indian Blood," and Graham Greene's
take on "The Merchant of Venice."  In addition, Arigon Starr debuted her radio
plays about Super Indian (ICI #168).

Film Nominated for Oscar

Indians don't get discussed much in the context of the Oscars.  In fact, I'm not
sure they've been mentioned since "Dances with Wolves" won for best picture in
1990.  Before that you'd have go back to the 1970s:  the era of Will Sampson,
Chief Dan George, and the phony Sacheen Littlefeather.

But this year a work with a Native subtext was nominated as the best short film.
"The Tonto Woman" by Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown is based on a short story
by Elmore Leonard.  As a synopsis describes it, "A cattle rustler meets a woman
who is living in isolation after being held prisoner for eleven years by the
Mojave Indians."

Raymond Loves Indians

With all the good things going on, you'd think Indians wouldn't have to worry
much about being stereotyped.  Not so.  A recent repeat of "Everybody Loves
Raymond" shows what they're still dealing with.

Titled "The Bird," the 2003 episode gave us Raymond's family pretending to be
Indians at a Thanksgiving dinner.  Among the objectionable scenes:

* Kids wearing feathered headbands ran through the house doing war whoops.

* Raymond tore off his shirt to imitate Squanto.  Another participant decorated
his face and chest with paint.

* Playing Squanto "feels good," said Raymond.  "Heap good."

Sigh.  Once again, it seems the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #168

In this newsletter I usually focus on the fictional arts:  movies, TV shows,
comic books and strips, plays, novels, etc.  But the intersection of Native
America and pop culture--the subject of my daily Newspaper Rock blog
(http://www.bluecorncomics.com/newsrock.htm)--extends much further than that. 
Here are some instances where Indians reached into the public's consciousness in
2007.

In March, the Cherokee Nation voted the Freedmen (descendants of black slaves
and runaways) out of the tribe.  The Cherokees said they were exercising the
tribe's sovereign right to determine its membership.  The Freedmen said the
Cherokees were abrogating the treaty that gave the Freedmen the same standing as
citizens.

Also in March, the Hualapai Tribe opened its glass-bottomed Skywalk over a
remote corner of the Grand Canyon.  Critics said it was an eyesore and a ripoff;
the tribe and its supporters said it was a much-needed economic boon.

In September, five members of the Makah Tribe illegally hunted and killed a
whale (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/makah.htm).  They said they were upholding
their treaty rights; the feds and the tribe said they were rogues and criminals.

Also in September, Nike debuted its Air Native N7 sneakers.  Nike said they were
specially designed to fit Native feet.  Some critics claimed it was racist to
assert that Native anatomy is different.

In December, a small group of Lakotas led by Russell Means declared their
independence from the United States (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/lakotah.htm).
Most people thought this act was foolish and doomed to fail, but it earned a lot
of publicity.

On the mascot front (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/mascots.htm), there were some
significant developments.  The University of Illinois finally banished Chief
Illiniwek, though backers of the clownish figure vowed to restore it.  The
University of North Dakota negotiated a settlement with the two local Sioux
tribes:  Either they vote for the "Fighting Sioux" nickname or the school
retires it (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/und.htm).

The presidential campaign began in earnest in 2007.  Unfortunately, the major
candidates skipped the Prez on the Rez forum at Morongo in August.  Since then,
however, Barack Obama has made a mark by speaking out on Indian issues.

It wasn't a major story, but I spent some time dissecting the December launch of
the USS Mesa Verde.  The ship is an amphibious transport that’s supposed to be a
success but is named after ruins.  With a European conqueror’s symbols--a sword,
a compass, and gold--on its seal.  That’s bizarre if you ask me.

For more on these subjects, follow the links I've provided.  You also can search
BlueCornComics.com with Google.  Go to my Info page at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/info.htm to learn how to do it.

Super Indian to the Rescue

In November I finally listened to Arigon Starr's "Super Indian" on CD.  The
Kickapoo diva recorded the five-minute radio plays at the Autry Museum's Wells
Fargo Theater in Los Angeles.  They feature an Indian janitor who gets
super-powers from tainted commodity cheese.

My verdict:  good but not great.  As I wrote in Newspaper Rock, I tend to favor
humor on the other end of the spectrum--i.e., intellectual humor a la Woody
Allen--so I didn't appreciate "Super Indian" as much as I could've.  Maybe it's
an "Indian thing," because my pal Victor found it "cute" and "entertaining." 
Let's go with that opinion for now.

Arigon has recorded more episodes since I heard the first 10.  She's also taking
time off from her performing schedule to write and draw some Super Indian comic
books.  It looks as though this multitalented Starr can do it all.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #167

Last year I participated in the Creative Spirit short-film competition
here in Los Angeles.  The competition was organized by James Lujan
(Taos Pueblo), a filmmaker and playwright whom I mentioned in ICI #157
and #160.  Here's some background on Lujan's venture from Indian
Country Today (12/26/07):

    Creative Spirit puts out a nationwide call for American Indian
    short film scripts in late summer or early fall.  Scripts are read
    and judged by a panel of industry professionals, who select two for
    production in Los Angeles.  Each production is given a budget, cast
    and crew.  Films have three days to shoot and three to edit, and
    are screened at the end of the production week.

I was one of the judges.  It was great to see all the Native writers
out there who are striving to tell authentic Native stories.  And one
of the two scripts I picked was chosen to be produced.

Two months later I saw the winners at their big-screen debut.  Here's
how Lujan described the event on NativeFilm.com:

    From the rez to the red carpet.  That could be the best way to sum
    up the second successful year of Southern California Indian
    Center's Creative Spirit initiative, which began with a short
    script contest won by two first-time Native American screenwriters
    and concluded with a world premiere on November 10, 2007, at
    Paramount Studios' Sherry Lansing Theater.

    The purpose of the Creative Spirit program is to initiate
    employment and training opportunities for American Indians in the
    film industry.  This includes creating meaningful relationships
    between Native cinematic artists with industry professionals by
    providing an environment for professional collaboration.

    Such was the case with both short films, "Ancestor Eyes" written
    and directed by Kalani Queypo (Blackfeet/Hawaiian), and "Two
    Spirits, One Journey," written and produced by Shawn Imitates Dog
    (Oglala Lakota).

Even better, I got to interview Queypo and Imitates Dog after the
show.  They gave me the inside story on their stories.  I wrote a
report on the films that was published by NativeVue.org (12/29/07).

For more on Creative Spirit, go to
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/namovies.htm .

Hatter Fox News

In November I also attended a screening as part of the city's Native
American Heritage Month.  Hosting the event was actress/activist
Joanello Romero (Apache/Cheyenne), who once starred as "The Girl
Called Hatter Fox."  She showed several short films and finished with
a pilot for "Home, Home on the Rez"--supposedly the first American
television drama produced by Indians.

Afterward I interviewed her at a McDonald's about her many projects.
In particular, we talked about her Red Nation Television Channel,
which she hopes will become the CNN/HBO of Indian country.  I wrote an
article on her that was published in Indian Country Today (2/27/08).

I also saw Romero in February at the 2008 Western Indian Gaming
Conference in Palm Springs.  She was there to drum up support for her
work.  You go, girl!

More Indians on TV

You never know when you'll see or hear about Indians on TV.  They keep
popping up in unexpected places.

Recently, a physicist on "Journeyman" asked how the Inca could've
created clay models of airplanes.  A "politically correct" professor
on "The Simpsons" bemoaned a Patriots/Redskins game.  John Redcorn
returned to "King of the Hill" as a lusty ladies' man.  And Iron Eyes
Cody appeared on KITT's screen in the new "Knight Rider" movie.

You can read about Joanelle Romero and other Indians on the tube at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/natv.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #166

In January, CBS broadcast "Comanche Moon," Larry McMurtry's prequel to his hit
"Lonesome Dove."  Spread over three nights, the mini-series was one of the worst
hatchet jobs on Indians in recent memory.  It wasn't much better than a 1950s
Western with whooping wild men.

In part one, we meet the major Indian characters.  As I wrote in my review:

There's Blue Duck the attempted assassin.  Kicking Wolf and Three Birds the
horse thieves.  Ahumado the torturer.  An unnamed Comanche rapist.  And Buffalo
Hump, the genocidal revenge seeker.

Other than speaking Comanche, these Indians show no evidence of culture.  They
have no religion, no beliefs, no ceremonies.  They live to steal horses, capture
women, and kill white men.

In part two, Blue Duck (Adam Beach) rapes a white woman in the middle of the
street.  Apparently, his lusts are so bestial that he can't control himself.  In
part three, Buffalo Hump (Wes Studi) and his brother-in-law Idahi decide to end
their lives.  Blue Duck bludgeons a bear, then tracks down and murders Buffalo
Hump, his father.

As I concluded:

So what are we left with?  Indians kill each other or go off to die.  Either
way, their actions are barbaric and savage--nothing civilized men would do.

It doesn't even matter because they're doomed to die.  Like dinosaurs, cavemen,
and other primitive creatures, their time is done.

"Kid Nation" Meets Indians

In December, the reality show "Kid Nation" ("40 Kids. 40 Days. No Adults") had
an episode featuring Indians.  In the first half, the town's leaders meet Pueblo
Indians incongruously camped nearby in teepees.  In the second half, the
remaining youngsters reenact the Homestead Act by building shacks on plots of
land.

Here's what the kids (and the viewers) learned about Indians from the show:

Indians lived here "centuries ago" but are now (almost) gone.  You'll find them
only out in the wilderness somewhere if you search long enough.  Led by a chief,
they live in teepees and do colorful dances.  They impart sage advice around
flickering fires.

Since the Indians have vanished, the land is empty.  It's okay to claim this
vacant country as your own--to move in and raise towns on it.  Using God's gifts
to help yourself is your manifest destiny.

The Emperor's New Sacrilege

Since January 2006, ABC has aired a Saturday morning cartoon called "The
Emperor's New School."  It's a spinoff of "The Emperor's New Groove," the
animated Disney movie (ICI #48).  In it, the sarcastic, self-satisfied Emperor
Kuzco must stay in school or he'll lose his throne.

At first I thought the cartoons might be as entertaining as the old Looney
Tunes.  Then I realized they're treating Indians as if they lived in a magical
fantasy land devoid of history or culture.  In this series, Indians are about as
real as fairies, elves, or mermaids.

Worse, in one episode Kuzco mocks the Inca god Viracocha.  As I noted:

Could there be a better example of how "The Emperor's New School" disdains
Indian culture?  A supreme deity is treated like a joke.  To the show's
creators, he's no different from Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.  He's
infinitely less important, not more important, than a human emperor who should
be groveling at his feet.

For the full story on these shows, visit http://www.bluecorncomics.com/natv.htm
.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #165

In ICI #162 I discussed the return of Magua-like characters.  Don't look now,
but the original Huron devil is back as well.

Marvel has launched a "Classics Illustrated" line of comics called Marvel
Illustrated.  The first new adaptation in the series is THE LAST OF THE
MOHICANS.  Written by veteran Roy Thomas, it's a decent read but nothing
special.

I'd say the main problem is that James Fenimore Cooper's novel simply isn't that
good.  Chingachgook and Uncas are too noble and Magua is too ignoble.  And at
$20 or so for the six-issue series, I have to question whether the comics are
worth it.

Interesting that several "classic" works of literature--"Robinson Crusoe," "The
Last of the Mohicans," "The Song of Hiawatha," "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,"
"Little House on the Prairie"--feature stereotypical Indians.  Should we revisit
these stories without commenting on their skewed view of Indians?  Apparently
Marvel thinks so.

But the original Classics Illustrated version of "The Last of the Mohicans"
influenced at least one person.  A social studies teacher said the comic
inspired his lifelong interest in indigenous people.  "That 15-cent comic book,
I believe, must be the reason why I have attended every conference, workshop,
institute and program possible that was at least remotely connected to people of
the Longhouse and other native cultures," he wrote in the Buffalo News
(9/12/07).

That's quite a testament to the power of comics.  Perhaps a future teacher is
reading a Native comic such as DARKNESS CALLS (ICI #161) right now.

Savagery in the Media

In ICI #162 I also addressed the increasing savagery of Native-themed comics. 
Don't think this wave of violence is limited to comics.  It extends to other
popular media.

Indian burial grounds, curses, and spirits have always figured in scary stories,
of course.  There must be thousands of thrillers and horror movies based on
these concepts.  In 1987's "Creepshow 2," for instance, "a wooden statue of a
Native American comes to life ... to exact vengeance on the murderer of his
elderly owners."

If filmic Natives aren't dead or cursed, they're bloodthirsty and barbaric.  The
remake of "King Kong" featured primitive savages who sacrificed humans to the
ape.  "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" gave us gibbering cannibals
with ornaments of body parts.

But the trend toward blood-splattering seems to be accelerating.  In the last
year or two we've seen such gore-fests as "Apocalypto" and "Pathfinder."  2006
also brought us the DVD release of "Pocahauntus," in which the Indian girl comes
back as a "sexy murderess" who "returns every 100 years to wreak revenge on the
descendants of those who murdered her tribe."

Add ultra-violent comics such as SCALPED, RIPCLAW PILOT SEASON #1, and THE
FOURTH HORSEMAN #1 and what do you have?  A bloody mess.

SCALPED Again

Incidentally, SCALPED is back in the news after DC/Vertigo published the first
story arc as a trade paperback.  Casual readers are finally picking it up and
they don't like what they're seeing.  One wrote, "With 'Scalped' we get another
outsider 'telling it like it is,' which is basically what many non-Native
readers want:  grief porn."  Another wrote, "The pretensions of serious
commentary it carries have all the substance of popcorn."

But writer Jason Aaron is so sure of his work that he's offering a guarantee. 
If you don't like the SCALPED TPB, he says, he'll give you your money back.  If
I were you, I'd take him up on the offer.  What have you got to lose?

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #164

On December 6 I spoke on Natives in comic books at the Montclair Art Museum in
New Jersey.  Accompanying me was Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo), author of the
forthcoming "Native Americans in Comic Books."  The lively discussion ranged
from Green Lantern's pal Thomas Kalmaku to the X-Men's Dani Moonstar to tribal
comics such as A HERO'S VOICE and CHICKASAW ADVENTURES.

We began the program with "A History of Natives in Comics," the PowerPoint
presentation I created for my appearance at the Eiteljorg Museum in March (ICI
#155).  We didn't have time for my other PowerPoint presentation, "Hercules vs.
Coyote:  Native and American Comics."  But both are now available online as
PDFs.

The event went well, according to Martha Kelshaw of the Montclair.  As she wrote
in an e-mail, "Thank you so much for being part of the museum's Comic Book Art
Programming.  The talk you and Michael gave truly was well received.  We
appreciate the PowerPoint and the discussion you provided our audience."

The day after the event I spent a couple hours touring the museum.  Naturally, I
was interested in the showcase exhibit, "Reflecting Culture:  The Evolution of
American Comic Book Superheroes."  The comics on display included ACTION #1,
AMAZING FANTASY #15, and PEACE PARTY #1.  The curators did a fine job of telling
the social history of comics and integrating Indians into it.

The Montclair has quite an eclectic collection:  portraits, landscapes,
sculptures, abstracts, Indian artifacts, and comic books.  It's worth seeing if
you're in the area.  If you can't make it, check out the pictures I took of the
museum, the town, and nearby Manhattan.

A few months ago I recorded some commentaries for the "Reflecting Culture"
exhibit.  These commentaries covered Native stereotypes in comics, Wyatt
Wingfoot, the X-Men and Alpha Flight, and Peace Party.  If you're interested,
you can download and listen to them as MP3s.

Around the same time, I was videotaped for a documentary by Chip Cronkite,
Walter's son.  Titled "The Legends Behind the Comic Books," it's now out on DVD.
It features interviews with such luminaries as Stan Lee, Joe Simon, and Joe
Kubert and includes one sound bite from me on Indians in comics.

More on Native Comics

Speaking of Tom Kalmaku, I recently reviewed two of his appearances.  As you may
know, he debuted in 1960 as an Eskimo grease monkey called Pieface.  Well, in
SECRET ORIGINS #36 and GREEN LANTERN: LEGACY, he comes across as a
three-dimensional character--i.e., a real person.  He's a mechanic, an author,
and a family man, which makes him one of the best comic-book Natives ever.

I also posted some thoughts on Dani Moonstar.  A correspondent wrote, "To me,
she seemed like one of the better characters, as she was given depth, a
leadership role, and actual space in the comics."  I agreed but added, "Moonstar
has some heft as a proud and angry activist type.  She's more than
one-dimensional.  But if you look at her Cheyenne background, it's paper-thin. 
She isn't much more than the generic mystical or shamanic character."

As for PEACE PARTY, I did an e-mail interview with Jennifer Contino for The
Pulse, an online zine about comics.  It's a good introduction to our books for
those who don't know them.  Meanwhile, Chandler Hayes, a skateboard artist who's
part Cherokee, is developing "decks" based on our heroes.  Looks like 2008 is
going to be a PEACE PARTY kind of year.

For more on these subjects, go to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/nacomics.htm . 
There you can find links to everything mentioned here.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Rob Schmidt (Blue Corn Comics, PECHANGA.net) and Michael Sheyashe
("Native Americans in Comic Books") will speak on Native comic books
at the Montclair Art Museum on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 7:00 pm.  They'll
discuss how comics have misrepresented and stereotyped Natives through
the years and how Native-developed comics are making a difference.

For more information, download the official flyer [PDF] from
http://www.4shared.com/file/28461831/de642951/Native_American_Flyer.html .

Rob says:  The Montclair is in northern New Jersey, only a few miles
from New York City.  If you're in the area, stop by and say hello.

Indian Comics Irregular #163

Movie stars sometimes return to the stage to exercise their acting chops. 
Native thespians are no exception.  For instance, Graham Greene recently
appeared in two classic dramas:  "The Merchant of Venice" and "Of Mice and Men."

In a CBC.ca story (10/5/06), Greene pondered the idea of playing Shylock:

    The actor, who has had a long career in film and television, said
    he thinks his First Nations heritage will give him insight into the
    character.

    "Let's see, Shylock, they treated him badly, called him names,
    cursed his nation, took his house, took his money, took
    everything," Greene said.

    "We've lost our language, we've lost our culture--it's coming back
    slowly--we've lost our land, we've lost everything.  And we were
    treated quite badly growing up ... I can relate to the character."

Carole Levine wrote about seeing Greene in Steinbeck's masterpiece (9/7/07):

    While watching "Of Mice and Men," I was awed by what I didn't
    witness onstage or in the audience.  I sat, quietly but nosily,
    listening to the comments of fellow theatre-goers before the show;
    I sat, quietly but nosily, straining to hear what folks were saying
    during the intermission and at the conclusion.  And what I
    heard--better yet--what I didn't hear is what makes what he did so,
    well, revolutionary.  And this isn't hyperbole either.

    Uncharacteristic for a Stratford crowd, the audience voraciously
    cheered when he bowed for his curtain call.  They clapped and
    whistled and yelled because in two hours Graham Greene was Lenny
    Small and we cried, hundreds of us, at the simple goliath
    victimized by a caste-based culture of bigotry and self loathing.
    How easy it would have been for him to chew the scenes from
    beginning to end; the dumb or dumber loser nonplussed by his awful
    fate.  No way, this guy is a pro and hammy he ain't.

    So we wept and we cheered.  And not once ... not once did anyone
    anywhere identify the fact that Oneida actor Graham Greene, best
    known as the Lakota dude with the funky hair in "Dances With
    Wolves," is Native.  Not once.

Meanwhile, Adam Beach's father, Christopher Beach, has created a multimedia play
about suicide.  As Indian Country Today explained it (8/1/07):

    In "Kigeet," the central character, Joe, attempts to commit
    suicide, and has conversations with many people throughout his life
    who are portrayed on-screen, including his deceased parents and the
    Creator, who is portrayed by Adam Beach as a character known as
    "Energy."

You can read about Greene and Beach on the stage at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/naplays.htm .

All About Adam

Speaking of Adam Beach, it seems he's constantly in the news.  Here are some of
his latest tidings:

* Beach is now a regular on "Law & Order: SVU" as Chester Lake, a Mohawk
detective.  He was the lead character in a November episode titled "Fight."

* At a Los Angeles fundraiser in October, Beach grew upset when Matthew Perry
("Friends") joked that organizers at another event couldn't find a famous
Indian.

* In November, Beach appeared at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas because
he's negotiating a major production deal with a gaming tribe.

* Beach is one of the "Living ICONS" painted by Bunky Echo-Hawk (Pawnee/Yakama)
in the series of the same name.  Other icons include Wilma Mankiller, Sherman
Alexie, Chris Eyre, and PECHANGA.net's Victor Rocha.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #162

Just when you thought it was safe to read Native comic books, the murderous
Indian savage is back.  Suddenly we're seeing protagonists who resemble Magua or
Injun Joe--who carve up their opponents as if they were so many Thanksgiving
turkeys.  These killers are no better than what George Washington called Indians
in 1783:  "beasts of prey."

One example of this surfeit of violence is last year's notorious SCALPED (ICI
#150).  SCALPED isn't a slasher comic, but it's raw enough to fit the trend. 
The first issue featured a scalping victim lying in the blood seeping from his
own skull.

SCALPED is also relevant because writer Jason Aaron has reimagined another
Indian character:  Ripclaw, an Image hero from the 1990s.

Ripclaw is about what his name suggests:  a Wolverine wannabe who rips and claws
his foes.  But in RIPCLAW PILOT SEASON #1, Aaron has taken the concept to a new
level.  Now Ripclaw piles up more bodies than a morgue attendant.

No doubt Aaron was encouraged by all the praise he's received from readers who
don't know or care if he stereotypes Indians.  Here's what I wrote about his
over-the-top portrayal:

    Aaron's Ripclaw is nothing more than your typical killing machine,
    the kind of "hero" we've seen a dozen times before.  What we
    haven't seen is the explicit violence:  decapitations,
    dismemberments, bodies slashed open to the bone, fountains and
    rivers of blood, etc.  If this were a movie, it probably would be
    rated NC-17.  It's quite possibly the most violent comic I've ever
    read.

Amazingly, an even nastier Native comic soon surpassed RIPCLAW:  Jeffrey
Nodelman's THE FOURTH HORSEMAN.  Even horror fans couldn't stomach this loser. 
As one put it:

    [T]he end result is something that's so far from good that it's
    scary.  Nodelman's introduction of the first Horseman of the
    Apocalypse, the White Rider, is nothing more than seeing the
    character rip and tear and cleave his way through everyone in his
    way.

Like Ripclaw, this Horseman is a generic Indian with no history or culture.  His
people live in stereotypical teepees.  The woman of his tribe are slender, sexy
babes.  He collects the scalps of his victims and proudly displays them.

Indians who slaughter and scalp their enemies:  just the kind of PR today's
Native people need.

More Death-Dealing Indians

Even mainstream comic Indians have grown darker and deadlier.  At Marvel,
Thunderbird's brother Warpath has become a knife-wielding brute and Echo a
sword-wielding ninja.  At DC, the new Black Condor is a bad-ass and the new
Super-Chief snuffed his grandfather--literally.  Dynamite Entertainment's
version of Tonto thinks nothing of killing people.

In JONAH HEX #23, a recent DC Western comic, the Indians are mostly--you guessed
it--murderous savages.  The following lines describe them:

    Their leader was of truly daunting size, with a razor-sharp,
    sinister face. ... [They raised] a howl as dreadful as if a
    THOUSAND DEVILS had escaped Hell itself.

What are we to make of this trend?  Are Indian "warriors" becoming more brutal
to mirror our brutal invasion of Iraq?  Are they getting this treatment because
of jealousy over their casinos?  I don't know.  Your guess is as good as mine.

Looks like we need PEACE PARTY's nonviolent approach to problem-solving more
than ever.  Fortunately, it's on the way.  Stay tuned.

For more on these comics, visit
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/nacomics.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #161

Recently I reviewed several Native comics from above the lower 48
(i.e., from Canada and Alaska).  None of them were exceptional, but
all were by Native writers and artists.  For that reason alone, they
deserve a look.

STRONG MAN is the brainchild of the Association of Alaska School
Boards.  The comic tells the dual stories of Dukt'ootl, a legendary
lad who goes through a series of trials to become a Tlingit tribe's
"Strong Man," and "Duke" (also Dukt'ootl), a modern boy who struggles
to pass tests, stay on the basketball team, and avoid bullies.  The
stories closely parallel each other; each victory or defeat for
Dukt'ootl has a counterpart for Duke.

Unfortunately, this robs the comic of suspense.  The events in Duke's
life seem preordained by the Strong Man legend.  He's more of an
allegorical figure than a flesh-and-blood human.

The Chickaloon Village in Alaska has produced three comics worthy of
mention:  C'EYIIGE' HWNAX, TSAANI, and BESIIN.

The stories are traditional legends intended to teach youngsters a
moral lesson.  The art by Dimi Macheras, who also drew STRONG MAN, is
Saturday-morning-cartoonish but bold and dynamic.  But the comics have
a couple problems that make them less than ideal.  One is the muddled
messages; the other is the steep price tag.

THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE CHIPPEWAS OF NAWASH details how the
Canadian government managed to take most of the Chippewa land:  by
playing on the Indians' lack of knowledge; by pitting one faction
against another; by stalling, making empty promises, or lying
outright; by threatening dire consequences if the Indians didn't sign;
etc.  You get a sense of how the Canadian government (and by
extension, the US government) dealt with Indians unfairly, manipulated
and misled them, every step of the way.

This is simultaneously the book's strength and weakness.  Since
there's no central character or storyline, just a series of loosely
connected episodes, it's rather tough slogging.  I suspect many
youngsters will be bored rather than stimulated by the "educational,"
"thoroughly researched" material.

I met cartoonist Chad Solomon (Ojibway First Nation) at the San Diego
Comic-Con this year.  He's the co-creator of the Rabbit and Bear Paws
comic strip, which I reviewed in ICI #132.  Solomon has published the
first story arc as a graphic novel, THE SUGAR BUSH, and says it's
selling well.  He's doing a great job of developing and marketing his
historically accurate, elder-approved comics.

The Healthy Aboriginal Network of British Columbia is about to come
out with comics on gambling addiction and diabetes.  I've seen
previews of them and they look good.  Meanwhile, a suicide expert has
praised the organization's first effort, DARKNESS CALLS.  "This comic
has the potential to make a great difference to many," said Karyl
Chastain, the founder of several online support groups.

COWBOYS & ALIENS Upgraded

Platinum Studios is working on the second volume of the COWBOYS &
ALIENS saga (ICI #150).  Titled WORLDS AT WAR, it has a new writer and
artist and a new look and feel.  Except for some odd Apache tipis,
everything about its Indians appears well-researched and authentic.

Dan Forcey, VP of Content at Platinum Studios and 1/4th Onandaga,
wrote me to say:  "If I had been in this position at the time the
original book was published it would NOT have been the same book.  I
mostly wanted to say thank you for noticing the effort the new
creative team is putting into Worlds At War."

You can learn more about all these comics at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/nacomics.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #160

In ICI #157 I introduced the subject of Native theater.  With all the activity
going on, there’s much more to say about it.  Among other things, several
noteworthy plays have debuted recently.

"Average Family" is a world premiere by Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu
Lakota) at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis.  As a press
release describes it:

    The Roubidouxs, an urban American Indian family living in
    Minneapolis; and the Monroes, a back-to-nature clan from Northern
    Minnesota, sign up to face-off in a reality TV show which promises
    a brand new vehicle as the prize.  Their challenge is to survive
    for three months as an 1840's frontier family on the Minnesota
    prairie and they've been given roles to play.  The Roubidouxs'
    assignment is to portray the "Indians."  Both families embark on an
    adventure fraught with laughable predicaments and harrowing
    incidents--all of which is caught on the confession cam!  In the
    end, when one family reconnects with their Dakota culture, it leads
    to startling revelations for all, inspiring the true spirit of
    generosity.

Dangerous Liaisons

In my previous writeup I mentioned James Lujan's adaptation of "Romeo
and Juliet."  Lujan (Taos Pueblo) must like reworking the classics,
because his newest play, "Midnight Society," is a Native version of
"Les Liaisons Dangereuses."  A press release tells the tale:

    The story begins during dark times for the Indians of Taos Pueblo.
    The tribe is losing its land to Anglo and Spanish squatters; losing
    its sacred place of worship, Blue Lake, to the U.S. Forest Service;
    and losing its children to Catholic boarding schools.  Enter Mabel,
    a wealthy, scheming, Jazz-age socialite who has chosen Taos as her
    home and a Pueblo Indian, Antonio, as her husband.  They are a
    well-matched pair who have made it their mission to help protect
    the tribe, expose the hypocrisies of their enemies, and have as
    much fun as they can along the way.  Using sex, mind games and
    cruelty as their weapons, the couple launches a merciless attack
    against the politicians, church leaders and even innocent
    bystanders who stand in their way--until the only ones left
    standing in their way are each other.

From the LA Times (7/6/07) comes word of a play by a former journalist:

    Social consciousness suffuses "What's an Indian Woman to Do?" at
    the Los Angeles Theatre Center.  Mark Anthony Rolo's solo play
    about the rift between heritage and modernity requires that a
    Native American actress play its multiple roles, which DeLanna
    Studi, a star of Cherokee origin, does with resolute skill.

    Focusing on Belle, born to an Ojibwe father and a white mother,
    Rolo's cunningly crafted monologue begins with a Halloween memory.
    Adolescent Belle plans to trick-or-treat as Disney's Pocahontas,
    only to discover that blond, blue-eyed Katrina, her "best friend,"
    has deliberately appropriated Belle's costume.

    Katrina's encroachment on Belle's territory underpins the scenario,
    as she smilingly steals Belle's high school sweetheart, then
    embraces Ojibwe culture to bed Ojibwe men.  Years later, Katrina
    and her Ojibwe boyfriend Moose enter the cafe where Belle works.  A
    plan for revenge unfolds.

Non-Native Misses the Mark

In August 2006, "Indian Blood," A. R. Gurney's semi-autobiographical
play about growing up in Buffalo, debuted off Broadway.  As the
Hollywood Reporter (8/14/06) put it, "The narrator is teenager Eddie,
a young man prone to blaming his spurts of aggression on supposedly
having a bit of American Indian ancestry."  The tabloid damned "Indian
Blood" with faint praise, saying it's "often pleasant.  But it also is
very familiar and, in the end, forgettable."

For more information on Native theater, visit
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/naplays.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics

Indian Comics Irregular #159

In April, "CSI: Miami" aired an episode about Indian gaming titled "Bloodline."
How bad was this show?

* A county supervisor was responsible for legislating an Indian casino.

* The Miami-Dade police burst into the Indian resort as if they'd never heard of
sovereign territory.

* One Native character applied to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for a
"certificate of authenticity."

* The three Native characters turned out to be killers or adulterers.

From "Numb3rs" to "Veronica Mars," television seems to love stories about
corruption in and around casinos.  These episodes usually feature an Indian
casino, not one of the many non-Indian competitors.  And someone with Indian
blood is usually guilty of something.  It would be a shocker if a show depicted
a tribal gaming enterprise without crime or corruption and noted how the revenue
is going to build homes, schools, and hospitals.

See my full review of "Bloodline" at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/natv.htm .

On the Big Screen

In August, "Skinwalkers" (mis)appropriated the Navajo lore about shapeshifters
for an action flick about good vs. evil werewolves.  The reviews say it's a
must-miss.

Meanwhile, several independent Native films--"Mile Post 398," "Four Sheets to
the Wind," "Turquoise Rose"--are making the rounds of film festivals and
reservations.  Let's hope they get the exposure they deserve.

"D.C. Navajo," a short film that satirizes a Washington-based lobbyist, has
stirred some controversy.  Filmmaker Shonie De La Rosa claims the Navajo
Nation's administration tried to censor his work, but the administration denies
it.

Another controversy is brewing over the hiring of Q'orianka Kilcher to play the
Hawaiian princess Kaiulani in an upcoming movie.  Kilcher (Pocahontas in "The
New World") is part Native, but the part is Peruvian, not Hawaiian. 
Writer/director Marc Forby says he scoured the islands for Hawaiian actresses
but couldn't find any with the right combination of age and experience.

Reviewing the Classics

This year I've seen and reviewed several old movies about Indians. Here's how I
rank them:

Win:  "Drums Along the Mohawk" for presenting Indians as good Christians and
harmless drunks as well as bloodthirsty savages.  Rob's rating:  8.0 of 10.

Place:  "Cheyenne Autumn" for setting the Oklahoma scenes in Monument Valley and
using non-Natives (Ricardo Montalban, Sal Mineo) in key roles.  Rob's rating: 
7.5 of 10.

Show (tie):  "The Unforgiven" for having countless Comanches sacrifice
themselves in a futile attempt to recover Audrey Hepburn, their lost sister. 
Rob's rating:  7.0 of 10.

Show (tie):  "The Light in the Forest" for its pouting white-boy-as-Indian and
its "Davy Crockett"-style storytelling.  Rob's rating:  7.0 of 10.

For all the Native movie news and reviews, go to
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/namovies.htm .

My PEACE PARTY video

Work continues on the PEACE PARTY graphic novel.  We're at the point of inking
and lettering the final chapter.  I trust this long-awaited effort will see the
light of day in 2008.

To get the hype rolling, I've created a PEACE PARTY video and posted it on
YouTube.  It tells the premise of the series in a fun-filled minute.  You can
watch it on my website at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/contents.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics