Two delegates spoke out against the depiction of the indigenous people to Indian Commissioner Robert Valentine while visiting Washington DC, while asking to be portrayed truthfully in films. Valentine agreed that their complaint was valid, saying that the modern Indian suffers great injustice at the hands of the moving picture Indian.
"I have seen productions wherein the Indian was pictured as a cannibal, thief, and almost every evil thing one can imagine, but I have seen only a few wherein he has been favorably represented," Commissioner Valentine stated.
Speaking to a Washington reporter, Big Buck (Cheyenne delegate) and Big Bear (Arapaho delegate) said they witnessed a western production that truly upset them.
"If the white people would only take the pains to study Indian characteristics," said Big Buck, "he could possibly produce something worthy of presentation to the public. This picture we have just seen is absolutely devoid of anything like what an Indian would do under the circumstances."
Big Bear also spoke out: “I don’t like it,” Big Bear said. “We have to go home tonight – if we didn’t, I would go to President Taft in the morning and ask him to close up this house. It is bad to be lied about to so many people and be helpless to defend yourself. We have a petition for the President, on the subject, but have not had a chance to present it, so we will attend to the business after we get home.” – Feb 17, 1911. The Washington Post.
And how did the "Movie Men" reply?
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1911. Feb 27 The Washington Post |
Again, times have not changed. It's not that no one has complained before, the truth is, the offending party refuses to listen.
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1911, Feb 25 Weekly Town Talk |
Criticism against the protest started. This publication also reprinted the broken-Heap-speak version of Big Bear's statement.
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1911, Feb 26 Albuquerque Journal |
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1911. Feb 27 The Washington Post |